character studies
10 Mar 2013 08:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jennickelsIn my ass-backwards attempt to write a novel I've finished the rough draft and am now working on the characterization. From what I wrote I have an idea of what my characters are and what they want in the book. A glimpse at their story arcs. But they need a ton of fleshing out.
So what I'm doing is a series of character studies. The way I do them is usually to write something directly from that character's POV. I can never just fill out those forms that ask you what they look like, their personality, their goals, etc. I just go completely blank with them. What I'm doing for Whatever It Means (working title) is having each character tell about their life leading up to the beginning of the story. At least for the main characters (meaning Zoe, Colby, Oliver and probably Hannah, and mostly likely Nat even though she's dead...she's still a big part of the storyline so I need to know her thoughts and feelings up until her death, maybe even what she would think about everything that happened in the novel).
I've done Zoe's up to the start of the book because it was easy. What I have written is from her POV although the novel is in present tense and her character study is in past because she's remembering it all on the last day of school (which is when the novel begins). I've started Colby's but only got half done last night. I don't think I got his voice just right so I'll probably rewrite it later.
Another thing I'm thinking of doing is having a Q&A with each character. I'm going to jot down a bunch of questions I want answered by each person in the story. I've already come up with something about the accident that killed Nat and how that affected their life, their thoughts about Zoe Darwin (since she's the main character), feelings about religion, political leanings and their own appearance. I'm still thinking of more things. I want some serious and some kind of random that will help me get to know each character.
Any questions you think I should ask them? Maybe what do they think happens after you die (to go along with the religious one).
So what I'm doing is a series of character studies. The way I do them is usually to write something directly from that character's POV. I can never just fill out those forms that ask you what they look like, their personality, their goals, etc. I just go completely blank with them. What I'm doing for Whatever It Means (working title) is having each character tell about their life leading up to the beginning of the story. At least for the main characters (meaning Zoe, Colby, Oliver and probably Hannah, and mostly likely Nat even though she's dead...she's still a big part of the storyline so I need to know her thoughts and feelings up until her death, maybe even what she would think about everything that happened in the novel).
I've done Zoe's up to the start of the book because it was easy. What I have written is from her POV although the novel is in present tense and her character study is in past because she's remembering it all on the last day of school (which is when the novel begins). I've started Colby's but only got half done last night. I don't think I got his voice just right so I'll probably rewrite it later.
Another thing I'm thinking of doing is having a Q&A with each character. I'm going to jot down a bunch of questions I want answered by each person in the story. I've already come up with something about the accident that killed Nat and how that affected their life, their thoughts about Zoe Darwin (since she's the main character), feelings about religion, political leanings and their own appearance. I'm still thinking of more things. I want some serious and some kind of random that will help me get to know each character.
Any questions you think I should ask them? Maybe what do they think happens after you die (to go along with the religious one).
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the hellmouth of annoying Tumblr questions memes
Date: 11 Mar 2013 04:59 am (UTC)http://question-meme.tumblr.com/