Character Clashing

One of my big fears, a fear which sometimes renders me unable to write further for quite some time, is what I call Character Clashing. Now...I guess to have a good novel you need your characters to clash, but that's not what I am talking about. What I mean is, I'm afraid, especially with the book I am currently writing for, where each chapter is told from one of 4 or 5 different views, in the first person narrative, is that my characters, though containing different goals and whatnot, are starting to blur together, to become the same. to clash. My excuse for the two main characters, Bret and Chuck are that they're roomates, and when you live together long enough, it's bound to happen that you may start to act like one another no matter how much alike you are. Here, though, enlies the problem with telling a story in such a way, with a narrarator, describing the characters and their actions, the writing, all the way through can be consistant, but I feel, for a novel in which multiple characters are telling you their side of the story, each different character has to have a specific way of expressing themselves, a very distinct way. With that said, I have done, what I hope is a smart thing, and kept the chapters short in order to use different fonts for each character which will hopefully subconciously give the reader a feel as if a different person actually did write it. I'm keeping the chapters short to give me the ability to use untraditional fonts which have historically strained the eyes after long periods of reading, my hopes are that fluctuating the fonts from untraditional, to more traditional, will give the reader a retinal break without having to stop reading.

I am going to format the book for the Kindle, I'm afraid it will hinder this tactic. I am also unsure of the capabilities of some of the little picturesqe things I have included in the book. With that said, I feel as though I may rewrite certain parts of the book exclusively for the kindle and things of that nature.

For instance there is a part in which a character comes to a hallway, and has to decide which way to go, Well I illustrate what he sees in the sign that indicates in which direction each apartment is. I figure in the Kindle Version, I could just take out the image and insert text of what he sees. Should do the trick right? Let's hope so. I have set a goal of 14000 words today, though realistically I have no idea just how much that is...so, I will get to work on that, and plan to come back later and let you know how it went.

-Mike

*NOTE: I have discovered that, I haven't even wrote 14000 words YET. So to say I will do more today, than I have since beginning this story, I won't be doing that. My new goal: 3000. That's doable I'd say.