5 Writing Tips

To round out our week on “character speak”, here are 5 tips on developing your characters:

Advice for Developing a Character:

• Start with what matters to you about your character:  Is he or she like you? Like someone you know?
• Put together a character so that all the parts fit together:  Do these different things make sense within one person? Do they fit together in a believable way? Are these traits here for a reason?
• Explain any general descriptions of your character:  What exactly does this description mean for this particular character?
• If a character seems too good to be true, make it more human: What is the downside of this trait? (too nice, too giving, etc.) How does this characteristic help and hurt the character?
• Know your character’s motivations (longings) and struggles.

What other tips do you use to develop your characters?

 

Does your character seem flat?

Think of your favorite books.  What makes those books so memorable to you? I’ll bet it’s the characters.

Select the main character from one of your favorite books and answer the following.  Even if the author doesn’t mention these specifics in the book, if the character is well-written, you should be able to guess at the answers:

1. If the character had free time on their hands, what would they most likely be doing?
2. If confronted by a bully, how would this character react?
3. What is this character’s favorite subject in school? Favorite band? Favorite TV show? Best friend?

How did you find the information listed above?  Was it written into the story? Or maybe, the character’s traits, personality and unique quirks were so specific, you could make your own conclusions. This is a well-written character. 

So, when you’re writing your own short stories or novels, how do you create memorable, realistic characters? In a first draft, your characters may seem lifeless and flat.  Not sure?  Test it out:

First, give your story to someone else to read. Then, give them the list of questions above and see if they can come up with the correct answers. If they’re stuck, so are you. Your character needs more life, more details to flesh him out.

Come back all this week to get tips on “fleshing out” your characters.  Already have tips that would help others? Share them here!

Do you want to belong?

{photo courtesy of eosfoundation.org}

…to a “writing community?”

Do you wish you had someone to read your stories and write with? Get advice on how to submit an article or give you an honest opinion of your essay?

You need a Writer’s Group!  A group of like-minded writers who meet on a regular basis to share ideas, markets and feedback.

Wanna know how?  See my latest article, Find Your Tribe!, published in Writing Kid, then be sure to sign up for the free subscription to receive more helpful articles and contest announcements for young writers just like you!

Do you already belong to a writing community?  Share your story with us!

Give yourself credit!

“We’ve all heard that we have to learn from our mistakes, but I think it’s more important to learn from successes. If you learn only from your mistakes, you are inclined to learn only errors.”

Norman Vincent Peale,  1898-1993, Pastor and Author

So, what are some of your successes? Can you recall the feeling of accomplishment?  Do you remember how you achieved that goal, crossed that finish line or beat the deadline?  Channel that feeling, that focus and WRITE!