Character Development Tip

Character Development Tip

 

After finishing the last novel I read, I had an epiphany on character development, that has probably been said a million times before in different medias, but is new to me so I thought I'd share.

 When picking a characters traits, think of something that would both hindering and helpful in life.

Sounds simple right? Well it probably is, and probably would have helped in my own character development in the past had I thought of it.

Here's a very obvious example, though there could be a million (just look at your friends and family):

Completely obsessed with appearance: 

The Bad: Critiques everyone's fashion sense or personal commitment to looks. 

The Good: Murder mystery? This is the character that would notice that it was Jane's diamond earring found at the scene, because she would have noticed that kind of thing.

Chick-lit? This is the character who would have the best makeup selection in a pinch. Who else would you call on to tell you if the outfit you chose for that important is right for the venue?

Just happened to be watching a show with this character type in it, so thought I'd use it for the example. Next time you catch a movie or a show pick the characters apart - where have their negative traits worked for a positive outcome, where have their positive traits not worked out so well?

It's not always as obvious with Main Characters as they tend to be focus on the good side only, but watch the side characters.  The nosy neighbor who winds up nosing his way into calling 911 when abusive sounds erupt from the household. The unfriendly neighbor who doesn't pay attention when the MC drags a body out of the house. The friend who fills you in on all of the town's gossip, but sadly loosens her lips about you to everyone else.  There are so many catches and hitches that could develop from these tactics.

 

This is a great writing prompt if you're feeling stuck.  Pick a character and write a scene with both the positive and negative effects that trait could unravel.

 

Write On!

 

 

 

 

 

Prompt-and-Share: Character Development Writing Prompt

Prompt -and-Share Happy Thursday everyone!

We are going to play with a little character development today. Introduce us to a larger than life character. Pick a name, any name, and go with it, describe the person to us with a little flare.

If you would like, just ask and I'll provide a name for you and you can create according to whatever that name springs up.

Since this is a character introduction, let's keep it short, no more than 200 words.

Have fun!

My Attempt

Mr. Crowley was as rickety old man with a squeaky old mind and creaky old joints. He smelled of mothballs, denture cream and that moldy scent that accumulates on a dish towel if left damp too long. No smiles ever graced his creased old face, just a permanent sneer. The cane that never left his hand was as old and rotted as he appeared to be and just as grouchy as it clunked and stomped the ground with each of Mr. Crowley’s steps.

Though his appearance suggested an easy target for the mean-spirited taunts that often plagued the mouths of naughty children, everyone in the neighborhood gave Mr. Crowley far more room than such a small man required. There was no apparent explanation for why nobody would look him in the eye, why the thought of gossiping about the mysterious old man never occurred to the nosy housewives or the golf-playing businessmen.

But Mr. Crowley knew, for in the folds of his dusty jacket laid the secrets of the universe and the power to harness and control more energy than the feeble little minds of Pennywash Lane possibly fathom.

Writing Prompt-and-Share #10

Prompt-and-Share: It is Monday so it’s time to start the week off write, err I mean right. Get your muses ready for a nice long look into yourselves or your characters. I’ll go a little easier on you folks tomorrow, but for today we are looking for pieces that range between 300 and 600 words. That’s right, room to get detailed! Here’s the prompt, dig deep my friends.
You or your character has been betrayed. Write out a scene of the betrayal from the Point-Of-View of the betrayer.

My Submission:

I knock on her door, and he answers it. Her sisters murderer, sleeping on her couch and she doesn’t even know. I can’t tell her. I want to tell her. I can’t tell her. She’s so sad, she’s beautiful when she’s sad. She’s always beautiful. Why did she leave me? How did I get myself into this?

I walk past him and his girlfriend in the hallway and enter the living room where she’s standing. She sees the blood dripping from my arms. He won’t leave. He thinks I’m going to tell her. He won’t leave.

“Oh my God, Bob what happened?” she asks reaching for my clawed-up arms. Her soft fingers touch me and I cringe at my betrayal.

“The cats, they didn’t go willingly.” I tell her about bringing the animals from the farmhouse to the shelter. My babies, my companions, abandoned. Her eyes are full of concern, she touches me, she wants to heal me. Her fingers are so soft. I pull back, I don’t deserve her compassion.

I start to cry. I want to yell out that I’m not a monster. I want her to cradle my head in her chest and console me like she used to. I want her to be mine again. I’ve lost so much. So much.

She sees the tears and urges the kid to leave, she’s all about manners and it’s rude to stare at a grown man cry. He shoots a dirty look at both of us before he leaves with his girl. I look at her, hoping for a sign. She’s hardened to me a little and I don’t know why. She thinks I’m crying for the animals, she doesn’t know.

Her face softens and a lost look takes over, “where’s my sister?” she asks in the sweetest saddest voice. It’s then that I notice the deep dark circles under her eyes, the pain in her face, and the suffering pallor of her skin. A wave of nausea runs through me as the horror she must be suffering from the last 10 days of searching for her sister hits me. My legs weaken and I almost collapse.

The tears are falling freely now, I put out my hands, pleading with her to read my mind, to just know so I don’t have to say it. She’ll forgive me won’t she? How could she forgive me for burying her sister, and lying about it all this time? Because she’s Nina, she is love and trust personified. She’ll understand. She’ll help me. I didn’t kill her sister after all, I just did the clean-up. Her sister was a bitch, she was crazy, Nina will understand. She’ll take care of it, she always took care of everything. I love you Nina.

I try to speak, “Nina, please,” I beg. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“Bob, I can’t help you right now. I’m at my wits end, I’m exhausted. I can’t console you, I can’t even console myself.” She said with anger.

It was like a smack of cold water hitting my face. In the 11 years we were together, she never showed anger. She’s never done this before. She’s never put herself or her feelings before mine. Is that why she left me in the first place, to learn to take care of herself before me? Well she’s learned something that’s for sure.

I straighten up and wipe away my tears. She looks ashamed and so tired.

“Okay, umm, okay, I gotta go,” I say and run for the door.

Writing Prompt-and-Share #6

Your Character shuffles loose the mortal coil for two minutes. (Let’s just assume they can be resuscitated after that). In 150 words or less, describe what your character sees or experiences during those two minutes. 1st person point of view please. Click here

for tips, tricks and rules on the Prompt-and-Share

It’s so quiet, too quiet. I’ve been in a sound proof room before, but it wasn’t this quiet. Something is missing. Something important is missing. It’s way too quiet. Don’t panic. Think. Breathe. Wait! That’s it. Oh my God. I’m not breathing. There’s no blood rushing to my head. There’s no heartbeat. There’s too much quiet.

Ok now is the time to panic. Go ahead Carrie, panic. Why aren’t I panicking? I don’t feel anything. Nothing at all. Am I sitting or standing or lying down? I can’t feel a surface. Am I floating? Dammit, why can’t I panic?

Yeah my character Carrie is a bit of a spaz.

Blocking your Chapters

Ok ok, I did learn some things from How-To books. I learned about chapter blocking and now that I'm doing it I find it actually does help.

Here's how I do it:

- Open a word document and save it as "Chapter Blocking"
- Decide on the who, what, where's and how's on that chapter
- Leave room for what the reader needs to find out in that chapter

Here is an example of my way of chapter blocking:

Chapter #1 - introduces main character
Where: The Airport
When: Early evening, mid-summer, present time
How: 1st person narrative through main characters eyes - present tense
Narrator's mood: Anxious with underlying anger
Who: Main character, various passerby's, security guards
What do we need to find out in this chapter: Main character going on a trip, that he has falsified documents, that he's a widower, he is in disguise

You can add and remove any information in this section. This is a good time to plan the scene of the "where" since it won't be coming up too often in the story.

Example:

Where: The airport Grey and cold, bustling, loud.
And then add more
Where: The airport Grey and cold, bustling, loud.
and then add more
Example: The airport Grey and cold bustling and loud. Hard marble floors and the smell of cleaner in the air.
And so on...

By the time you go to write the chapter you already know the scene in front of you. Plus you can jump around scenes as well. You might know how the novel is going to end and you can work on the final chapter in the same manner adding or changing as your story develops.

Slowly progressing,
Nina Powers

Character Sketching

Let's look at Character Sketches to start. Now I'm at the point in writing my novel where I need to do my Character Sketches in order to keep my brainstorming going. I've read a LOT about Character Sketching on different websites. Most author's websites that have suggestions for new novelists focus loads of attention on the characters. Apparently, according to most, the character development is the most important process of writing a good novel. If the reader isn't interested in who the person is, they won't care what the person does and that pretty much leaves your novel discarded.

What everyone seems to agree on is the more effort and background you put into your character sketches, the better. It's all about the detail. Even if the reader never finds out that when the hero of the story was a little boy, he threw worms at his sister and because of that she never truly trusted him, or worms for that matter, as long as YOU know it, you'll be able to build up the character accordingly. Here are a few websites with Character Sketch Sheets or ideas, if you can fill in all the blanks, you may have yourself a full bodied, 3-dimensional character that your readers will love to follow. ( http://www.angelfire.com/freak2/writersblock/sketch.html http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/kswiesner/FDmap.html http://www.engl.niu.edu/wac/char_sk.html)