It was a marvel for me to listen to Justin talk about the characters in his book with ease and confidence. One special point he made was that he said he wanted to write something that speaks to people and Finny certainly does. He suggested that we should know the structure of our story; his is divided into three books. His comment encouraged me to go back and look at the structure of my novel and more importantly, realize what it is.
As he talked about his characters and the creation of them, they felt more like “real people” to me and listening to him made me want to see my characters like he does his. He suggested that you think about what your character would be doing on a specific day at a specific time outside the story as a way to know who your characters are. Justin’s secondary characters are very strong and memorable. He pointed out that since they, too are important, that they should have traits that carry them through the story. Certainly, for me, in his story there are three characters that have made a lasting impression with me.
The other members of the group were equally impressed with the visit as is evident by their comments:
Justin’s insights into the writer’s craft were both informative and inspirational. Writers know how much hard work goes into a project on the front end, but Justin noted that working with an editor and the pre-publication process make their own demands on the author. Nevertheless, he said, the end result in his case was an even better book. He said authors need to be open to suggestions and embrace those that improve the work but stick to your guns if they don’t.
-Dave Autry
Justin’s youth belies his tenacity. One imagines his generation as a group of coddled brats who believe the world should be handed to them without any work or integrity. Justin proved to me what a misconception that is. He worked hard to get his book published and continues to push in order to find more readers. I found that inspiring. The one thing I found most interesting was how he kept a card catalogue of his characters so he could remember them down to the last detail. He even went so far as to imagine what one of his characters would have to say during a recent conversation he recently had. He brought his work to life through determination, imagination, and insight.
-Rion Haley
It was great to have Justin Kramon visit our writer's group and very interesting to hear him talk about the craft of writing. According to Justin:
He recommended that writers keep a file on each character full of notes about them and I've started doing that with my own characters. Characters are the bread and butter of the story, the reason readers turn the page is to see what happens to them. Finny is full of memorable characters Plot is the background that characters act against. You set up a protagonist that wants something and then you throw obstacles in their way. One of the things you must always consider is; what is essential to get to the end? He considers finny a 'coming of age' story and it certainly is.
- The main goal of writing is to be able to bring yourself into the world.
- Try to have one major event in each chapter.
- Primary and secondary characters are handled differently but the secondary characters should be easily identifiable. Personal tics can aid with this. In Finny, Justin uses narcolepsy and hyper-cleanliness to help define two of his more memorable characters.
-Joe Radko
To summarize, Justin’s visit was unforgettable. He is very personable and his personality is depicted in his story. We thoroughly enjoyed his visit and hope that he gets an opportunity to visit other groups and share his secrets with them as well.
~Judy Kelly
