Feb 16

Fiction Writing Clinic: Give Your Characters a Past

Success Secrets 1 Comment »

Hey Writers:

One of the most important parts of writing a story is writing about characters who seem like real people. Then your readers will enjoy reading your story because they’ll want to know more about who your characters are and what they are going to do next.

A way to help YOU believe your characters are real is to give them a past. What do I mean by that?

Well, write a few super short stories about things that have happened to your characters before your story starts.

Here are five ideas to get you started:

1. Write about the day your character spoke his first word. How old was he? What did he say? Who heard him say the word?

2. Write about your character’s first day of kindergarten. What was his teacher’s name? Was he excited, scared, happy or sad?

3. Write about your character’s 7th birthday. Who was at his party? What gifts did he get? What did his cake taste like?

4. Write about a time your character broke his arm. How old was he? Which arm did he break? What was he doing that caused him to get hurt?

5. Write about your character’s biggest success in the fourth grade. Did he win some sort of contest? Did he learn how to play a new sport? Did he get on the news for rescuing a hurt animal?

You can write about any of the above story ideas or come up with some creative ideas of your own. The purpose is just to give you a chance to get to know your character.

The more you know about his background, the more real he will seem in the main story you want to tell.

It’s ACTION time. Go write something about your character’s past!

To your writing dreams,
Bonnie Jean

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Feb 09

How to Create a Fictional Character

Fun Fiction No Comments »

I think one of the most fun parts of writing any story is creating the characters. Because as an author, you have the power to bring a whole world of people to life. You get to give these people names, faces, talents, fears and quirks.

Of course, that also makes it one of the most challenging parts of writing fiction. You’ve got to be able to describe for your readers what your characters look like and sound like.

More importantly, you’ve got to be able to describe what your characters are thinking, feeling and doing. That can be tough when you’re writing about a person that doesn’t really exist.

So to help me create fictional characters that seem real, I start with a basic profile:

  • Name (first, middle and last)
  • Age
  • Birthday
  • Height
  • Eye Color
  • Hair Style and Color
  • Body Frame (thin, athletic, chubby, etc.)

Once I know my character’s name, how old he is and what he looks like, I start adding some personality by asking myself questions like:

  • Is he outgoing or shy?
  • What is she passionate about? Why?
  • What does he not like to do? Why?
  • What scares her? Why?
  • Does he have any weird habits? Why?
  • What talents does she have? Why?
  • What are his biggest weaknesses? Why?
  • How many brothers and sisters does she have?
  • What is his favorite book? Why?
  • What flavor of ice cream does she like? Why?

By answering these kinds of questions about your fictional characters, you get to know the people you write about. The better you know WHO your characters are, the easier it is to put them in the middle of a story situation and ‘watch’ them react.

But that’s a lesson for another day. For now, just create your character’s basic profile, then answer the questions listed above to help you get to know the person you’re writing about.

Have fun!

To your writing dreams,
Bonnie Jean

P.S. I didn’t make as much progress on my novel last week as I wanted to because I fell into my old habit of thinking too much. I’ve been trying to get all the details just right when I need to just write whatever comes to mind in this first major draft. So that’s my goal this week: write fast and furious without letting the details slow me down.

P.P.S. Don’t misunderstand. The details are super important. That’s why I’ll be adding them in when I edit my story!

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