[ccfic caption-text format="plaintext"]
By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Have you ever finished a book that just left you so astounded and inspired to write your own novel?
It has certainly happened to some of the students at Needham High School.
For their half-day schedule on January 31, Needham High students participated in the “One Day” experience, with this year’s theme revolving around developing authentic characters. Who would have been better to ask about authentic characters than three accomplished authors from eastern Massachusetts? The students selected workshops that would be most beneficial to their growth as writers for the school-wide event. To advise the students by sharing their personal writing experiences, local authors Diana Renn, Marjan Kamali, and Tara Sullivan served on a panel in the library’s media center.
Students were encouraged to ask questions or write them in on a notecard for librarian Paige Rowse to read to the panelists.
For the first question, one student asked how to overcome his perfectionism and simply put his ideas on the page, without obsessing over finding the perfect words to do so.
Tara primarily writes about social justice issues abroad, as exemplified by her two novels, “Golden Boy” and “The Bitter Side of Sweet.” As Tara rewrote “Golden Boy” 13 complete times, changing the plot structure and characters seven times before sending it to her editor, she knows a bit about perfectionism.
Students at Needham High attend an author panel with three local writers during their ‘One Day’ experience. Photos by Laura Drinan
Tara cleverly delivered an analogy to the students, comparing a story’s first drafts to raw cupcake batter.
“You have to realize that the cupcake is three hours away from now after it’s baked, cooled, frosted, and handed to someone on a plate. It’s okay if my batter is completely inedible because that’s what batter is … but it makes things later, as long as you stick with the process.”
Another student asked about how to develop characters unlike oneself. Although Marjan, an Iranian-American, writes about a Persian family in her novel, “Together Tea,” she offered some insight on how to create a believable character before worrying about the details.
“As a writer, you should be able to inhabit multiple personalities,” she said. “I write about all kinds of people and I think you need to just trust your instincts and you decide what they want, what they’re scared of, what their motivations are and try to be true to their voice.”
Another student asked a similar question to the panelists, wondering about the author’s methods and processes for character development in general.
“It’s a multilayered process for me,” said mystery novelist Diana Renn. “I wish characters came to me fully formed and ready to go, but it is a little more laborious.”
Diana is the author of several novels that are set abroad, including “Tokyo Heist” and “Latitude Zero.”
“I, first of all, start mostly with setting because I’m interested in places. So I kind of have three notebook sections going at once when I’m brainstorming what’s up with this place, who is there, and what is fascinating about it to me.”
The students also asked questions specific to each author and shared their own troubles with their writing.
As the bell rang for the students to go to their homerooms for dismissal, the authors were sure many of the students would be heading home to start writing their own novels.
