The more writers can put themselves into the shoes of the people populating their stories, the more authentic the characters will be to the reader. This week, try writing a scene from a POV other than your protagonist’s. Even if your novel is going to be single POV, the exercise will deepen your understanding of the supporting cast in your story, which will translate into more rounded and believable characters on the page.
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Tagged character development, characters, practical prompt, writing tips
Before you sit down to write your scene, list the characters in the scene and write out their individual goals. Even if you never state those motivations in the prose, knowing them will help you write more authentic character interactions and add complexity and richness to your story.
Over the past 2 months you’ve gone further into your characters’ backstories. Now that you know more about your characters’ backstories, make sure their motivations in the beginning of the story you’re writing are consistent with their pasts.
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Tagged backstory, character development, writing tip
Whatever issue of the day dominates a person’s formative years can affect their perspective for years. If you grew up during a major war or a burgeoning pandemic, it will shape your views. What was the major issue during your characters’ early years, and how did that issue affect them?
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Tagged backstory, character development, writing teips
Everyone has hopes and dreams when they are little. What were your characters’ biggest aspirations when they were younger?
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Tagged backstory, character development, writing tips