Guest Writer Series: Carolyn Crane
The other day I was tweaking my long bio for my Amazon author page and I got to thinking, Wow, this is a really pathetic bio!! Oh, WHAT was I thinking?

Here, for your inspection:

Carolyn Crane began writing at age 7 with a poem about earthworms during a rainstorm, which she can still partially recite, but ONLY under dire threat.

[NOTE: who cares? And I opened with that? A childhood anecdote? In UF?]

Ever since then she’s dreamed of becoming a real author, scribbling on various fiction projects while working menial jobs, and later graduating to ad agencies and the freelance writing life.


[NOTE: Basically, I work hard at writing. Shouldn’t every author? And I have a job that relates to writing. Uh, the more I examine this, just…uh! This is not an interesting or cool bio!]

The trilogy that begins with Mind Games takes place in the fantastical Milwaukee/Chicago of her childhood imagination (she grew up in suburbs of both cities).

[NOTE: not terrible, but could be cooler]
Today she lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two daring cats, and when she’s not writing novels or day job stuff, she can be found reading in bed , running, helping animals, or eating Mexican food – or at www.authorcarolyncrane.com, along with sample chapters, contests and extras.

[NOTE:I guess some of this is okay. I mean, it’s true personal stuff. I think a bit of that is good.]

I’m so going to change it. Probably after I write this post. Versions of this are on my site, Goodreads, all over. Below is the short bio from the back of my book and the part of the Amazon page I can’t change until book #2:
“Carolyn Crane lives in Minneapolis with her handsome husband and two daring cats. She enjoys reading and running and loves animals of all kinds. For more than a decade she’s made her living as a freelance writer. This is her first novel.”
What in either of these bios would make a person go, wow, I would love to read a book by her?

What was I thinking?

So, I was casting around to look at other cool author bios to get inspiration, and I came across this fine article written by Barry Eisler on an author’s bio as part of an author’s marketing.

http://mjroseblog.typepad.com/buzz_balls_hype/2009/02/guest-blogger-barry-eisler-on-its-the-marketing-stupid.html

A bio is part of an author’s brand. It helps to sell the book. (If you’re unpublished, this is a good thing to consider for your query, too, on a small scale.)

You know what is really hilarious? Take a look – I’m actually a freelance advertising writer. Part of my job is to try to get companies to think about what their personality is, and why it makes them different and better, and I write their communications in a way where that shines through. That is my job, but I never applied it to my own author bio.

**headdesk**

There’s a reason for that, of course. In my mind, novel writing is my personal anti-advertising zone. In advertising, I’m strategic and goal oriented; in fiction, I get to play and be wild and free. In advertising, people tell me what project or concept to work on, and it pays the bills; in fiction, I decide what to write, and the money comes out to like 10 cents an hour, and then I turn around and spend it on promo. In advertising, I have a certain decorum. In fiction, I can swear and make up words and the only reason I’m creating it is for the enjoyment of myself and others. Advertising is a job; fiction is a labor of love, and never shall they meet.

Ooops.

So anyway, I am going to revise my bio. Being that this is a writer’s site, I thought I would share the way I’m planning on approaching it. Because a lot of people talk about keeping your author brand consistent across social media and all that, but what the hell IS your author brand? How do you determine it?

Below, I’ve modified my client branding questions to fit to an author bio project. Maybe somebody has already done this author bio/author brand discovery sort of thing, but I couldn’t find it. You don’t have to use every bit of material you generate here; this is more about getting pointed in the right direction.

The “don’t be pathetic like Carolyn Crane” author bio branding questionnaire.

1. Why are you the best person to write a book like this?
Do you have any insights, personality traits or life experiences that make you a natural in the world of (Urban Fantasy, mystery, writing about girls’ boarding schools or whatever.)

2. What do people tell you they like about your work? Your detailed knowledge of x?  passion for y? irreverence? your fun sense of humor? shocking crassness?  For example, (sorry to seem to toot my own horn, but I’m actually in this process now) people like the plotty inventiveness of my book, and I have always loved puzzles and psychological intrigue and the hidden workings of things. I wrote the book the way I did because I have a passion for that sort of thing. So I might try to work in an angle like that. It’s something about me that is relevant to why people might like the book.
3. What are 5 words you would want people to associate with you and your book?
This overlaps #1 and #2. Not like these words have to appear in your bio, but think of them as the fertilizer for it. For example, I even see some authors write really imaginative bios, like, raised in the woods by wolves, etc. This tells me the author is fun and creative, without the author actually saying “I’m fun and creative,” which would be a boorish thing to do.

4. Realizations, inspirations, defining moments:
If you look around, a lot of companies have a little story they tell. The founders of Caribou coffee were inspired by a hike in Alaska. Another client of mine woke up in the hospital and decided quit her job and start her own business in what she loves. Another made and lost fortunes two times over and now he coaches CEOs through crises. A little anecdote like that would work for a writer, too. (Of course, a lot of companies make theirs up. Don’t make yours up, though.) I don’t actually have a defining moment. I’m pretty boring.

Hopefully this article has been helpful to avoid the sort of bio I wrote above.
Does anybody have any other bio writing and branding hints? Feel free to leave them!!

***

Thanks Brandon for hosting me today on UrbanFantasyWriters.com.

Let’s talk a little about your urban fantasy characters today and why some are one-dimensional, two-dimensional and three-dimensional.

Have you ever read a review where the reviewer points to *shallow* characters in the novel? I know I have, and that’s why I feel it’s so important for writers to allot their characters depth. So what is depth, and what do you mean by “dimensional” characters?

I think it’s crucial that readers understand who the characters are; what makes them tic, and particularly what the character’s identifying features are? I’m not necessarily talking about physical features, but consistency and manner of speech, body language and internal thoughts on how he/she views the world. A character is not merely a gorgeous person with eyes of blue.   He/she is a composition of many events that has made him/her what they are today.

Their emotions are multifaceted and often conflicting. They could come from troubled backgrounds or perhaps were born with silver spoons in their mouths. Whatever the case, in order for readers to understand and relate to your characters, writers need to delve into their history to make them like able and real (or not so like able in the villain’s case). It’s also important the readers believe (and can picture) the character existing before your story even began, thus the history.

Shallow characters (one-dimensional) have no real story, no identifying aspects to their personality. They’re merely walk-ons in your novel and won’t make lasting impressions. Readers will soon get bored with reading about someone they can’t identify with or like, and will no doubt put the book down. This, of course, is the last thing you want them to do.

Two-dimensional characters might have one identifying trait or a smidgen of history, but why stop there? Write your characters as if they are a person you’d love to know, in fact, you’re so fascinated by their thoughts about life, their opinions, you long to know everything about them, including their past.

If your hero or heroine lacks depth or dimension, reviewers/readers might refer to them as *cardboard characters* another term you want to avoid at all costs. This means they’re typical ordinary, forgettable people or par for the course in motives and goals. While writing about them, you might have hinted about a like or dislike they possess, but there you stopped, leaving the thought underdeveloped without explaining why they dislike the color purple or why the adore women in hats.  What’s the history behind their abhorrence, fetish or passion?

One of the great things about writing is that you, the author, have control over the portrayals of your characters. Make them larger than life; exaggerate their habits, annoyances, likes and dislikes. Make every aspect about them memorable in the reader’s mind.

Here’s a very short example of revealing something about the character’s background by subtly weaving it into dialogue. This is from my series, Crossroads and is contained in Crossroads Revisited (Phaze Publishing:  http://tinyurl.com/yh4r9q4 )

Here, one of the main characters, Rand, is having a conversation with his college professor about his lack of attentiveness in class.   We learn that Rand’s dependence on his older lover, Frank McGuire, stems at least in part because he misses his father.

The professor’s tone softened. “Does your mother have a husband, Mr. Brennan?   Perhaps I should speak to your father about your latent distractions and boredom in class.  I’m certain he’d want to know how his money is being frittered away.”

“Not anymore.” Flashbacks of Rand’s father rose behind his eyelids and tears surfaced. He fought them back and looked into Professor McBride’s eyes. “He died about six years ago, shot during a bank robbery.”

The man stilled and studied him.

You won’t regret giving your urban fantasy characters three-dimensions to their personalities.

There are many interesting articles on the Internet about constructing bios for your characters.   Do a Google search for ‘Writing Character Bios’ for your stories and you’ll see how helpful this process is.

Keta’s latest release is The Sin Eater’s Prince, a male/male/vampire novel set in historical Wales. You can find out more about The Sin Eater’s Prince here: http://www.ravenousromance.com

Keta’s newsletter- Keta gives away three FREE books every month. Sign up here: http://www.ketadiablo.com

About The Sin Eater’s Prince:
Owen Rhys, the sin eater of his village in Wales, has been shunned by the local villagers his entire life–except by Andras Maddock, the local physician. In love with the one man he thinks will never return that love, Owen is shocked when Andras saves him from death at the hands of a vampire and admits he cares deeply for Owen. Dagan, son of Traherne, the vampire Andras killed to save Owen, will stop at nothing to avenge his father’s death and obtain the Prince of Wales’s mystic sword from Andras. The divine claymore holds the power to grant immunity from the sun’s harsh rays—the one exemption the dark Lords of the Underworld has sought for centuries. Star-crossed love, sorcery, and bloodlust collide on a vengeful path where only one side can remain victorious. Revenge and redemption. Dark versus light. Good versus evil. The Sin Eater’s Prince. Watch the video trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h46kQK9a6k And . . . read a sample chapter of The Sin Eater’s Prince here: http://www.freado.com/users/3290/Keta-Diablo

By Gail Pruszkowski

Another strong heroine enters the paranormal arena in Maria Lima’s bloodthirsty whodunit. In “Matters of the Blood” her feisty heroine narrates with a biting sense of humor. The secondary cast, both supernatural and human, is well done. There’s romance brewing but it takes a back seat to murder and mayhem. The conclusion satisfies but there are enough loose ends for a sequel.

Keira Kelly, comes from a powerful paranormal family of shape-shifters and clairvoyants but she chooses to live in Rio Seco, Texas among her human friends. Her clan insists she keep an eye on her human cousin, Marty, a mortician who’s been disowned. Keira is just beginning to come into her own powers and is having visions of a dead Marty. The vision comes true and Marty is discovered drained of blood with bite marks on his neck.

Carlton, the sheriff and Keira’s former boyfriend, suspects the new guy in town, Adam Walker. The evidence leads him to the new resort Walker is running. Keira met Adam in London eight before and he seems ready to rekindle a romance with her. Despite some strange goings on at his luxury ranch Keira doesn’t believe he’s involved – until she discovers Adam is really a vampire.

There are plenty of plot twists and turns in this well paced story. The ending will make you roll your eyes; it’s pretty much over the top. If you can suspend your disbelief a few times you’ll enjoy the ride. The characters are strong with a different twist on the vampire and shape shifter themes. And the setting in the Texas Hill Country is nicely done. There’s definitely potential for a pretty decent series.

Publisher: Juno (April 25, 2007)
ISBN: 978-0809557905
Pages: 248
Price: $12.95

By Gail Pruszkowski

The Devil You Know by Mike Carey is crime noir with a supernatural twist. It was first released in the UK in 2006. Carey is well known in the world of comics and graphic novels as a master story teller. The “Lucifer” and “Hellblazer” books are his. This is his first prose novel – and it’s a gem! He creates stunning visuals with words in a tale that’s part urban fantasy, part classic noir.

Felix Castor is a down and out exorcist in London. His technique is unusual but effective. Unfortunately, he accidentally introduced a demon into his friend’s soul and now Rafi and his demon are confined in a mental institution. The experience sent Felix into retirement and he’s forced to perform magic tricks at children’s parties to make rent money. The plot thickens when he’s hired to exorcise a ghost haunting a British library. His investigation takes him into London’s sleazy underground where the humans are more dangerous than the spirits. A sleazy pimp sets a loup-garou on him to warn him off the case, but Felix is made of sterner stuff and won’t back off. The danger increases and it appears the library staff may be involved as well.

Mike Carey has added a fresh element to the genre to create a wonderfully entertaining thriller. If you like paranormal tales you’ll find plenty of supernatural creatures between the pages – ghosts, demons, zombies, and lycanthropes, to name a few. But Carey’s human villains are much scarier. The dark is tempered with the light – humor that is. The protagonist, a hard-boiled ghost hunter, narrates and his wry sarcastic humor is spot-on. The setting of a supernatural contemporary London feels authentic and the pacing is impeccable. There’s a tendency toward excess description and internal dialogue but there’s also plenty of action and surprising twists. You won’t want to put it down.

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; First Edition (July 10, 2007)

ISBN: 978-0-446-58030-4

Pages: 416

Price: $24.99