This week, we celebrate Thanksgiving – a day when families gather together and carry on long-held traditions. As you work on your manuscript, decide how family traditions, or the lack of them, will shape each of your characters.
Tag Archives: character development
Practical Prompt 11-19-2018
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Tagged character development, characters, practical prompts, writing tips
Practical Prompt: 9-26-18
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
Practical Prompt 3-14-18
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.
Practical Prompt 9-27-17
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
Practical Prompt 9-20-17
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