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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Character Clinic: Leanna Jones

Today I've got Alice's 7-year-old on the couch. She's an only child who grew up with her single mother and widowed grandmother, the latter of whom died 6 months ago. She wants to know what it's like to have a father and a family.

Alice wants to know: What would be going on psychologically with this little girl to bring a recent stubborn interest in meeting her father? I feel it's a result of the grandmother's death but not quite sure exactly why that event would prompt this need. I'd love some help in clarifying what's going on in her mind.

Alice -

I think you can use the event of the grandmother's death as an impetus for Leanna's sudden interest in learning more about her father, but the death in and of itself might be harder to connect. I'd suggest having little Leanna witness something at the funeral, perhaps, that makes her identify strongly with the desire to have a father.

Maybe one of her mother's best friends is married and has a friend Leanna plays with, and these people come to the funeral. Leanna could witness her mother being comforted by the husband of the friend (nothing untoward here, just friendship), and her mother seems better able to deal with things afterward. In Leanna's mind, she absolutely believes that the only way for her mother to get through the death is to have a guy there to support her. What better guy than her own father, who has been rather mysterious for her up until this point?

The death of the grandmother could also prompt the mother to start looking through photo albums or something like that, and her nostalgia could be motivating force for the girl to look deeper into her father. But I think the previous scenario of her witnessing something at the funeral would work better as far as reader sympathy, poignancy, etc.

Good luck on this story, Alice! I personally love to include children in my manuscripts. There's just so much depth to mine with them.

Let's analyze: Anything else my readers can think of that would prompt Leanna's sudden intense interest in her father?


Posted by Jeannie Campbell, LMFT at 6:00 AM
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MSS · 695 weeks ago

Well, to make her yearning more sharp, you could have her see an uncle (or someone) at the funeral who she insists is her father. That would add a lot of tension, too.
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Vicki Rocho · 695 weeks ago

I don't know the rest of the story so I don't know if it's appropriate, but I'd like to see the little girl see someone lurking near the hospital or funeral or in the neighborhood. Has she ever known her father? Has she seen pictures of him? If she has some memory, a fleeting glimpse of a similar stranger could start the obsession. If she doesn't know who he is/what he looks like, then witnessing someone else's father in action (like suggested) could be the catalyst you need.
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sharonalavy 14p · 695 weeks ago

I don't think sudden interest is correct. She would have always wanted a father. So something at the funeral would trigger her not backing down this time.
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MSS · 695 weeks ago

One thing to remember, she's a 7year old so you shouldn't expect her to behave like an adult or over-rationalize her responses. Sometimes kids just think things and make adults scratch their heads...well, unless the adult is Jeannie of course! ;)

But I think if you make everything a 7 year old thinks or does seem 100% logical and rational, you'll be creating an unrealistic character. Does she really need to know what her father looked like to think he's around? Also a great opening for a paranormal element. Lots of ways to go with this!
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briannasoloski 62p · 695 weeks ago

To keep it realistic, maybe it's her father's mother who dies, so an uncle shows up at the funeral and he and Leanna take a liking to one another. Again, nothing odd - just a niece/uncle relationship. Perhaps he didn't know Leanna existed and that sets off a whole new chain of events that might lead Leanna to her father.
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alice · 695 weeks ago

Thank you so much --some great suggestions.
On reflection the GM's death/funeral might make the story a little too sad in tone for the type of story it is-- so I'll maybe just make the child have reached an age where she becomes curious about her father. Maybe the children at school have begun asking why she doesn't have a father and this is making her feel sad?

Would that be credible?
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jeanniecampbell 76p · 695 weeks ago

made even more so if the school had just had a father-daughter event, as some schools have. her lack of having a father would make this a glaringly painful absence in her life.
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alice · 695 weeks ago

That's a brilliant idea. Thank you. Can anyone tell me what happens at a father-daughter school event?
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jeanniecampbell 76p · 695 weeks ago

oooh. good question. not really sure. some have like a banquet-type thing, or a bring your daddy to school day or something like that. i think a lot of scenarios are feasible, but i'd ask a writer's loop or critique partner/circle for additional ideas.

glad this was helpful! thanks for writing in.

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