Successful Writing Habit #6 – The Character Sketch
The Case for Writing Character Sketches
I write detailed biographies on all of my major and sometimes minor characters. I like to really know the person in my stories. I gave them a birthday, know their favorite colors and foods and give them life experiences. Writing characters sketches results in more developed characters in my novels. I don’t know everything about my characters when I start writing but having a little background on what motivates them helps me in the book writing process.
When I am writing my novels I use information in my character sketches to give them a voice, perception and personality. Most novels are character driven. Readers want to know what a characters sounds like, what they look like and what life experiences made them react the way they did in your book. The main character even with their flaws must be likable. None of my characters are perfect however they do have full life experiences. I also add intrigue with my character sketches to keep readers interested. These qualities and personality traits won’t be fully understood until the next book.
Giving Characters a Face
Readers often want to know how the characters appears. We live in a world where Instagram and Pinterest are popular. A good writer has to weave in the description of the character. It is best to reveal through the story line what the character looks like instead of telling people outright. The example below is for my novel How Marguerite Becomes Rita.
Simon looked at the woman standing before him and smiled. Her coiled red hair hung down her back like a multitude of silky ropes. He reached out his hand touch it but held back when he saw the distrust in her honey brown eyes.
This is better than saying “Rita, age 32 has red hair and brown eyes.” I use the context of the story to reveal the appearance of the character.
Pinterest and Instagram are places where I get inspiration. I call put in search terms and see people that may look like my character. In How Marguerite Becomes Rita, the male lead Simon has locks in his hair. I used the pictures I found on Pinterest to help me with my character sketch. I go to the mall, park or other public place to people watch to get more ideas.
Characters drive the story. Please share in the comment box what techniques you use to write more developed characters.
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Successful Writing Habit #5 : The Outline
Successful Writing Habit#4: Use a Calendar
Successful Writing Habit#3: Accountability