On Characters: How to flesh them out and keep them organized

When I wrote my first novel, I still had quite a bit of learning to do. I consider the entire process one big educational experience. When I wrote my first draft, I didn't feel like I knew my characters very well. As a result, some scenes were difficult to get right. Reactions and dialogue didn't seem genuine.

For the second draft, I decided to go through the process of fleshing out the characters and as one would imagine, had a much easier time writing after that. The experience taught me that writing without fleshing out one's characters is like marrying a stranger. You just don't know what you're getting yourself into.

For my current writing project, I decided to start on the right foot. Not only did I want to get to know my characters, but I knew that I needed to keep this information organized.

Main Characters: I did some research online and found several character worksheets. They usually vary a little bit, but I took from them what I needed. Most character worksheets include things like first childhood memory, character's biggest secret, pet peeves, etc. A lot of this won't go into the book, but it helps you to get to know the characters and create better dialogue, reactions, etc. To stay organized, I keep a worksheet for each separate character saved on my computer in a file folder.

I consider my "main" characters any individual who experiences growth throughout the story. Obviously there will be certain characters that pop in and out and don't necessarily need the same treatment. That brings me to...

Secondary Characters: For these smaller roles, I personally don't feel that a worksheet is really necessary, though you do need to make some decisions. At the very least, you need to know last names, ethnicity, hair and eye color, and a basic cultural/education/financial background.

Once I've figured out all the details for each character, I write the most important ones on flashcards. Sometimes when I'm writing I can easily forget certain details. The flash cards are a quick, easy reminder when I need them.

Now that I've got the characters under my belt, I'm well on my way to my first draft. I'll keep you all updated with my progress. So far so good!

Comments

October 2020 #AuthorToolboxBlogHop: My (Condensed) Preptober Essentials for NaNoWriMo

Hallelujah! Fall is finally, finally here and after months of miserable summer heat, my writer heart is singing praises for this beautiful October weather. I don't know about you, but my creativity always goes into hibernation in the summer and reawakens in the fall. Perhaps it's my minds way of preparing for what I like to think of as the writer's version of a marathon. Yes, that's right. I'm talking about NaNoWriMo . If you've never heard of National Novel Writing Month, I'll give you the gist. Every November, participants undertake a complete rough draft of a brand new novel. In order to "win," your manuscript must reach 50,000 words. And while the prize consists mostly of bragging rights and a general feeling of achievement, Scrivener does offer a 50% discount to verified winners. While this year will be only my second to participate, I resolved after last years win to commit every year going forward. For me, NaNoWriMo is a perfect excuse t...

#AuthorToolBoxBlogHop - 20 Writing Exercises to Get Unstuck

From time to time, it's inevitable that in between those days of ever-flowing creative genius, writers are bound to hit roadblocks. Whether big or small, tiny bits of dialogue, or entire scenes and chapters, sometimes it can feel like an impossible task to carry on. We're just stuck. And while we will eventually work through it, I've discovered through my bouts of feeling stagnant, that there are often ways to accelerate our creative process. For this month's Author Toolbox Blog Hop topic, I'm compiling a list of 20 creative writing exercises to get unstuck. 1. Try another scene and come back later. A number of things could be affecting your ability to write a certain scene, including your emotional state, health, sleep, etc. Sometimes the answer is to simply take a break and return when you're in the right frame of mind. 2. Take out a sheet of paper and write by hand. Writing by hand is known to engage the entire brain, which is why journaling is so of...

#Authortoolboxbloghop Create More Time to Write in 2020: 20+ Ideas to Reclaim Your Schedule

The new year is officially here and like many, I have committed myself to several new goals I want to accomplish in my life and writing career. And while I think goal-setting is admirable, setting achievable goals with a specific, direct path to success is even better. The link between time-management and writing might not be an obvious one, however I find that so often it is the obstacles in my daily personal life that prevent me from advancing in my writing. There have been many lessons I've learned in the past few years that have helped me take control over my schedule and carve out time not only for writing, but related activities that have propelled my writing to the next level. I've compiled a list of time-saving ideas that can reduce time spent on the mundane activities of everyday life. Hopefully some of these will inspire some changes to help you master your schedule this year and spend more time on what you love. Photo by Samantha Gades on Unsplash Simp...

Christy Shuler

Search This Blog