To succor is to aid; to offer relief on our paths to success. Recently I asked the question, "What do you do to get to know your characters?" Here is the succor I received, first from Brenda and then from John.
1. I have my students take the Color Code quiz (from THE COLOR CODE book, by Hartman---a Utah writer---available for sale and/or in many libraries). When they've established their own "personalities," I have them take the quiz as if they were one (or more) of their characters. When I did this for some of my characters it was fun to see how well I REALLY knew some of them; additionally, I was always surprised at a few of "their" answers. The book describes what drives the various (red, blue, white, yellow) personalities and, perhaps even more importantlly, how different colored personalities react to each other. Great for considering all your major characters' interactions, be they siblings, parents/children, boss/workers, friends, lovers, rivals, or whatever.
2. Look up "character actors" on line (try http://www.playbrass.com/kingpud/index_live.html ). King Spud has a huge collection of character actors which have a bio of each, almost always a head shot of him/her. The bio includes a brief description of the usual types of characters s/he plays and a list of dozens of movies, TV appearances, etc. I sometimes have "cast" a character based on the over-all personality of the actor, sometimes as someone based on a particular character s/he has played. I've even lifted character names---sometimes from a role played, other times from their middle name, or an aka no one knows much about. Besides, it's good fun just reading the site. I'm sure there are other sites that would also have useful info on various actors, but this one has great depth and tons of information from a knowledgeable and detail-oriented "fan".
Enjoy! Brenda
Call me weird, but I collect things like this. Here's some of the ideas I've collected:
Write a day in their life. This is kinda like your Journal idea, but it doesn't have to be first person. I like starting by describing their name on a nametag. Then zoom out and describe their clothes and their physical characteristics. Then zoom out and describe where they are and why. Who else is there? What do they think about these people? Etc. At some point they leave and go home. Why do they leave? How do they travel? How far do they travel? What do they drive/ride? What do they do in the car? Do they listen to music? Do they sing? Do they get angry? Describe their home. They listen to their voice mail or check their email. What messages do they have? Who are they from? How do they feel about them? Then they go to bed. Describe their nighttime rituals if any? What do they dream about?
* Define their possessions. Start writing about the things they own, the things they treasure, the things they want to own and or the things they used to own or the things they would never-in-a-million- years get caught dead with. And why.
* Describe their surroundings. This is similar to defining their possessions only in this case you describe where they work and live. Describe their office/desk, kitchen, bedroom, garage, yard, etc.
* Write a biography. Pretend you are a biographer and write a story from the person's life. Pick something the character finds important. You can also do this like a journalist writing an article. In this case, YOU get to pick the topic--a topic that will be interesting to a general audience.
* Interview them. Someone already mentioned that they go online and find character questions and interview the character. Another fun thing you can do is to have one of your characters interview the other. Then you can begin to see the relationships between the characters as well. Some of my characters will answer one way if a parent or teacher interviews them and a different way if their best friend (or a romantic interest) interviews them.
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Brainstorming. Sit down and type everything you know about the character. When you feel the "flow" has gotten slow, set a timer for 10-15 minutes and keep going, writing anything that pops into your head until the timer goes off. It is sometimes surprising what you come up with once the "well is dry". After you are done brainstorming, go back and delete all the stuff that doesn't make sense.
* Pictures. Go through magazines or look online for pictures. What does the character look like? Who do they wish they looked like? What do they drive? Where do they live? What do they wear? Where would they like to go on vacation? If you are doing this online, copy the picture into word and then write a short piece about why the character resonates with that picture.
* Real People. Try to think of real people the character reminds you of and see if there is anything in that real person's personality that you can "borrow" for this character. Make sure to use traits from several different people so the original sources aren't obvious, especially if you are working on a villain. (Unless it's me, I'd love to be a villain in your book.)
* Bio Sheets. There are hundreds of character sheets online. Pick one. Fill it out. This is different than the Interview mentioned above because in an interview you are answering in the character's voice and point of view. In the bio sheet you are answering as the novelist with an omniscient point of view.
There are some variations on each of the themes, but the ideas I've gathered fit into one of these. I would be interested if anyone has found other ideas.
For me, creating a character is a bit different each time, but I get the most mileage out of the first option.
I hope this helps.
JOHNF
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