When creating a character from scratch, I often figure out three things right off the bat:
In this series, I’ll be covering one step per post, sharing why each one is important, how I figure it out for my own characters, and tips and tricks to help you on your way.
When we first think of becoming writers, we often think of it as a relatively solitary endeavor. We imagine ourselves holing up in the attic, pecking away on a typewriter, producing page after page in a kind of creative fervor, perhaps with an inquisitive mouse for company.
What our daydreams don’t usually include is a writing community. I’m not even talking about editors and agents and other professionals who help us bring our book to the masses. I’m talking about other writers.
At its core, there are three types of writers who make up your creative support network: mentors, peers, and mentees.
[This post is excerpted from my free email course on character development!]
When you think of a typical day in your life, where do you spend the most time? As well as your home and perhaps a workplace, is there a coffee shop you frequent? A farmer’s market you attend every week? A board game cafe where the staff know you by name? What is it that draws you to these places? How much time do you spend there?
Just as there are people our characters’ lives wouldn’t be the same without, there are places that become fixtures, even iconic, to them. Where do they spend their waking hours? All too often, characters go to the same generic restaurant or the same cookie cutter park. Think how bland life would be if this were the case.
So I hear things are getting serious with you and your muse! You’re getting together more often, things feel “right,” your writer friends refer to you as a unit rather than two disparate entities ... it’s a wonderful feeling, isn’t it? Well, listen up, because here’s where it gets tricky. When the fairy dust wears off, and everything you two do stops seeming sparkly and wonderful just because you’re in love, things are gonna get real, and life is going to happen, and it’s way too easy to stop having that lovin’ feeling. I’ve got your back: follow these steps, and you’ll be able to weather the hard times like a seasoned pro.