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- Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
- Total Posts: 859
@daeus First of all, thank you for returning.
Second, I salute your use of the word microcosm (I don’t think that I’ve ever used that word either).
Third, this is so helpful. I need to give what you said some more thought, but I can already tell that it is going to help me develop my characters a ton. Thanks a lot!
@shannon I remembered one more thing that’s helped me flesh out characters.
It’s the concept of yearning.
Yearning is different from a goal. A goal is generally viewed in an external light. For instance, the MC of my WIP has a goal of saving the world. His yearning, however, is to live a life that achieves greatness. This is much deeper and more personal than simply wanting to save the world and it is what my story is really about. Trying to save the world is just the shell. The story is really about the three themes of greatness, love, and good and evil.
A person’s yearning is, well, something they yearn for. It is the hole in their soul. It defines their spiritual journey. In many ways, it’s simply who they are.
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- Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
- Total Posts: 859
@daeus Oh wow. I’d never thought about it like that! That is so extremely helpful. Thanks a ton!
- Rank: Eccentric Mentor
- Total Posts: 1330
@shannon Maybe you can think of a really intriguing backstory for your story and from that you can continue to develop your characters and have more depth to your plot besides. 😀
@shannon Maybe I need to do a character quiz thingie too. But what I did to meet my characters (since some refused to talk to me.) is write a random scene that just seems fun to write. I try to get a feel for the character and how they act (and look sometimes). Sometimes it’s a tense scene for them or it may be a fun scene. It depends on the character. Sometimes I will think of something fun to throw in there… I can’t show them because most of them got included in my story. Except for this one… It’s not that good… It actually sounds pretty bad now. I could make it so much better! *braces self* I have other writings to do. *cough* The other scenes I showed there reactions to more dramatic events. It is probably a good idea to do several. My next ones shall be better… Anyway. Maybe this will help you…
[Extra short~Deleted scene~This won’t go in the book~ It was just for character development. 😛 My poor cat… ]
~[Amelia and Shadow: Evening]
Marrrh! Marrrht! The black cat rubbed against Amelia’s leg. I am starving! Please feed me! I will die of starvation soon! The cat looked up at her with his golden eyes pleading. Marrrat! He darted to his green bowl. I am very hungry! Feed me!
“Hey!” Amelia shook her finger teasing her hungry cat. “I know that I had Mom feed you this morning since I was late to go to school!” She smiled impishly down at him. “Oh, and I checked with Mom, she did feed you the exact amount you need.”
Rahht? He ran up to her, then around her and back to his bowl where he sat prettily. Please? He gazed up at her. Rahht? Rahhn? He nodded down at his bowl. Please? Food?
Amelia shook her head. “I know you Shadow, and you would eat the whole bag if I let you.”
Meeht? Shadow trotted back up to her. Will you let me?
“No, it would make you sick.” Amelia creased her brow. “Wait, did you eat the entire bag of Crunchy Cereal?”
Shadow swished his tail. How’d you know?
Amelia put her head in her hand. “We are taking you to the vet.”
Shadow rubbed against her leg. I am a good kitty. I don’t need the vet. I am fine. He gagged and sat down. Blech! Shadow threw up next to Amelia’s shoe. Then he ran behind the couch. Oh, no.
“Yep.” Amelia nodded. “We are taking you to the vet.”IMMA KAPEEFER! Til we're old and gray!
- Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
- Total Posts: 859
@catwing Ooh, that’s an interesting thought! Maybe I’ll try it : )
@shannon I just wrote an article on the character yearnings, what they are, how to identify them, and how to use them. I thought it would be nice to have your thoughts on it.
Of course, if you’re too busy, no problem, but I thought you might be interested.
Anyone else is welcome to look over it too. 🙂
Just let me know if you’re interested and I can get you a google doc.
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- Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
- Total Posts: 859
@daeus that would be awesome! I probably could check it out tomorrow evening, if not before. Thanks so much!
@shannon Wow, that was quick. 😀
Okay, here you go. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kpZLtQ2gtGJEbvSGRvD6I5pdSRca9IfkHDGh4TAYJwU/edit?usp=sharing
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- Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
- Total Posts: 859
@daeus, ya, I was online right now, replying to some messages from various peeps. Thanks again!
- Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
- Total Posts: 859
@daeus I was so curious about that article that I decided not to wait till Saturday. Needless to say you did not disappoint. That is so helpful! Nice job. I usually fall asleep (not literally, but you probably know what I mean) when I’m reading articles, but you kept my attention. Thank you so much for this!
I think you should let your characters develop on their own instead of picking a type. To me, picking a personality type sets your character in a box. And writing is all about thinking out of the box right? What I love to use is the ‘What If?’ question. What if my character loved……? Hated…..?Had a secret about…..? This works even better for planning your plot.
In everything you do throughout your day, imagine how your character would react or think about that situation, even every day stuff. Get in their head. Ask them questions. How do they view themselves and the world? Backstory adds depth and complexity to characters. Sometimes I even spend a day pretending to be my character, ditching how I would react and think and becoming like my character.
I hope this helps! 👍
I'm a Kapeefer 'TIL WE'RE OLD AND GREY!
www.jennaterese.com- Rank: Loyal Sidekick
- Total Posts: 115
@shannon
I LOVE character development. Here’s how I do it. First a name, age, and basic appearance. Give them a basic personality (nice, bitter, silly, angry, etc.). Some people take Myer-Briggs test for their characters.
Then I will do a free-style interview. These are particularly fun as my characters will explain how my fantasy world works and reveal their personality. Just start by asking a random question. Why don’t you like him? Why do you carry a gun? Where are you from? Why are you fighting the rebellion? Etc.
I just read about this technique in a Writer’s Digest magazine. Spy on your characters. Write a scene where they just are being themselves. I did this for my villain. I put him in his room and just let him do his thing. Then I saw how he acted and what he did when he got angry.
Another thing I learned from Writer’s Digest is to create a “bucket list” for your character. Such as my villain wants to rule the entire country, kill his brother, etc. Or create a list of the contents of their pockets, desk drawer, box under their bed, etc.
Another WD idea. Have two other characters gossip about the character you’re trying to develop. This way you can see how others perceive him/her. (And it could help you develop the gossiping characters too. 🙂 )
One thing that can help is to find pictures of your character. Such as a picture of an actor or actress who looks like them. This can be good, but I want to give you a word of warning. Searching for pictures online can be dangerous. I have seen things I wish I hadn’t. Use caution.
I hope this has been helpful! 🙂
- Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
- Total Posts: 859
@allison-grace, That is very helpful! Thank you!
I totally agree with you on the internet thing…it’s sometimes pretty bad. I try to use Pinterest, and I find that a little safer.
- Rank: Loyal Sidekick
- Total Posts: 115
Glad it was helpful!
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