Sometimes the characters in our stories drop in fully formed, they let us know exactly what they want and tell us exactly who they are.
Other times we can get a good way into the novel or a story and still be a little hazy about what our protagonist’s ‘arc’ is or what they are really searching for.
Though that might seem strange, I think this is quite normal. After all, this can also happen with friends and people we know. Us humans can be very good at hiding our truest desires, wants and intentions from others and even from ourselves.
So, today I wanted to share a few tips that can help you really get under your character’s skin.
1) Buy your character a notebook. When picking it, choose the one that they would like, not the one you like, really feel into which one they would choose. Maybe even buy a pen in their favourite colour. Then write a journal for a few days or a week through the eyes of that character. It’s amazing what you will discover (and what they will tell you).
2) Ask your character questions. You can add all sorts of other questions but these will give you a nice start. (You can also use these as journal prompts for the exercise above).
What makes your heart pulse faster?
What are you most scared of?
Who is your favourite person in the world? Why?
Who is the person you despise? Why?
What do you want most in life?
What are you scared you can’t have?
What’s a secret you’ve never told anyone?
3) Draw them/make them- For some people who are more artistically minded (and even for me who still draws like I’m in primary school), drawing or clay modelling our characters can be a wonderful way to make them come alive. Particularly for people who are visual, this can really change up their connection to their character. Pin the drawing above your desk or place the clay model nearby to tap into the character’s essence when you need it.
4) Make a vision board/mood board for your character- Grab a few magazines (put on music your character would enjoy) and pull out any pictures that you think your character might like. Next, make a collage on a piece of thicker card or pin them on a cork board. If you think your character is messy, make it messy, if they are neat and precise make all the edges line up perfectly.
5) Meditation- Enjoy a little foray into the subconscious to meet your character off the page (follow the link to find my free guided visualisation) and see what they have to tell you. This can be a beautiful opportunity to get out of your own way. I truly believe our characters want to show themselves to us, we just have to ask.
6) Work with a mentor- A mentor will help you see where you could benefit from understanding the motives of your characters more fully and will help by asking the right questions to move you into deeper clarity. They will also suggest the right tips and tricks for you to connect in with your characters and will support you in getting clear on your character arcs.
7) Make a spotify playlist/mixtape for your character- I can’t remember where I came accross this idea, but I love it. Preparing a mix tape for your character, packed with songs they would love, is such a fun way to access them through music.
8) And my top tip- Sometimes the reason we struggle to know our character is because they are an extension of us, so we think we know them. I see this a lot (and have seen it in my own work).
Two things can happen
1) You think you know the character because they are like you, so you invest more in developing the characters you are least like, because that takes more work. In the end the character that is like you (but ultimately not you) is more hazy and unclear.
and
2) You find you can’t make the character that is like you do anything you wouldn’t do, which limits the story.
So my tip is to give these characters just one trait that you absolutely do not have. It will help them become a personality in their own right. Just watch how doing that will help the story evolve!
Do you have any other fun ways that you get to know your characters? I would love to hear. Let me know in the comments 💜
If you would like to support me and this newsletter you can:
Share it with someone else who might enjoy it/find it helpful
Like and comment (the interaction means a lot and is so fun)
Check out my mentoring offerings
Thank you so much!
Recommendations
A few things I have enjoyed recently…
Podcast: I’ve enjoyed a few podcasts with Rick Rubin recently. This one with Krista Tippett at On Being was especially lovely.
Podcast: I’ve shared my love of Nihal Arthanayake’s interviews before and this one with writer Harlan Coben really delved into the writing craft and the writing life.
Interview TODAY: In just a few hours, The London Writers’ Salon are interviewing the wonderful Steven Pressfield (author of The War of Art among many other books). Grab tickets here.
Newsletter:
from dropped in our inboxes this week with a succinct and perfect reminder to write the book YOU want to write.Mentoring
I am lucky to work with the most wonderful clients. I have seen them change and evolve as writers as we have worked together. One previous client has a book coming out very soon (they just sent me a preview of the cover art and it’s fab!). It is amazing what support, encouragement and accountability can do. If you are interested in working with me, please book in for a free 20-Minute Discovery Call. I look forward to it!
Excellent tips, Susannah! One of my characters has been keeping a journal for a while now, and she, an elderly woman, writes in cursive--an interesting challenge for her <ahem> creator.
Love these tips! Will definitely use these for writing, and I think they'd be a great addition in preparing for a role (acting) as well!