A Character in Possession of a Good Motto

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a character in possession of a good motto, must be in want of Conflict.

Pop over to the Wet Noodle Posse blog today. Superromance author Susan Gable is discussing how writing a character’s motto can help in creating conflict. I thought it would be fun to write the mottos of some of Jane Austen’s characters:

From Sense and Sensibility:
Elinor: Do what must be done and keep your emotions to yourself.
Edward: A man must honor his promises.
Marianne: We are nothing without feelings.
Willoughby: We are nothing without fortune.

From Emma:

Emma: The course of true love needs my help
Mr. Knightly: People must be understood for who they are.
Harriet: My course of true love needs Emma’s help
Frank Churchill: Be charming and witty on the outside, manipulative and selfish on the inside.
Jane Fairfax: I can be manipulated.

Pride & Prejudice:
Lizzie: My good opinion is formed quickly.
Darcy: My good opinion is rarely given
Jane: My good opinion is given to everybody
Bingley: My good opinion is given to everybody unless Darcy says differently

Do you like this idea of character mottos? It is one I think I can do!
Try it on your characters…or on Jane Austen’s.

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Also pay a visit to the Romance Vagabonds. They are having an entire week focusing on Harlequin Historicals with lots of authors participating, lots of prizes, and a blog by editor Joanne Carr on Friday.

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Kalen Hughes

16 years ago

I love the motto thing. I think it’s a great way to distill your character conflict.

doglady

I agree! Great mottos here, O Divine One! How about some for the characters in The Myserious Miss M or The Vanishing Viscount? I need to think about some for Marcus and Addy.

Diane Gaston

From Miss M
Maddie: “I deserve my fate; my daughter deserves better”
Devlin: “I’m just trying to do the right thing.”

From Vanishing Viscountess:
Tanner: For once in my life I’d like to be useful
Marlena: I need to be in this alone.

Susan Wilbanks

I’ve never done character mottoes, though I like the idea. What I do have is character quotes–lines from poems, movies, etc. that remind me of my characters. It’s sort of like mental collaging.

For example, I have a soldier character in my WIP whose quote is all of A.E. Housman’s “The Recruit,” but especially the line “And make the foes of England be sorry you were born.”

That character’s love interest is a brave and tough young woman who’s trying to free herself from restrictive and borderline abusive family control, so her line comes from The Two Towers, Aragorn speaking to Eowyn: “You are a daughter of kings, a shield maiden of Rohan. I do not think a cage will be your fate.” And because of that line, I decided to make her truly a daughter of kings–at least, if you go a few centuries up her family tree, you find Robert the Bruce.

Sometimes I learn unexpected things from the quotes. Another major character in my WIP insisted that his quote was “I aim to misbehave,” from the movie Serenity. I was like, “Are you KIDDING, character of mine? You never misbehave. ‘Well-behaved at all times’ would be a better quote for you.” But he kept insisting “I aim to misbehave” was him. And then I got to a scene where the antagonist confronts him, telling him he’s incapable of breaking the rules or operating outside of the system. My character, naturally, takes this as a challenge. So he aims to misbehave.

I love it when my characters know more about my story than I do!

Todd

Bilbo: A magic ring? Cool!
Frodo: A magic ring? The horror!
Sam: A magic ring? Not sure that I follow you there.
Merry: A magic ring? This ought to be a lark.
Pippin: What’s for second breakfast?

Todd-whose-motto-is-currently-“Now-what-have-I-forgotten-to-do?”