3 of my Favorite Character Resources

 

It's the month of resolutions, and if yours is that you're going to finally get that novel written but your characters aren't quite popping off the page, then this is the post for you!

This isn't the basic list of getting to know you questions to ask your character (those are great too!). These are a little bit more off the beaten path and great to use after you've flushed out the major and minor chunks that will make up your fictional friend. 

The goal at the end of the day is to share that story floating around in your head, and the characters on the page are the vehicle to do just that. So, we might as well make those characters as visceral as we can. 

1) Writing a Good Gray Character: https://www.writingbeginner.com/how-to-write-morally-gray-characters/

Writing an all-the-way good or all-the-way bad character is pretty standard practice (and there's no shame in that game), but sometimes your story needs a character who is a bit more tricky to play both sides. Christopher does a really fabulous job of breaking down the basics of writing characters who dance the lines of morality, and he does so in an easy-to-understand way. 

2) Learning to Embarrass Your Character: https://www.bryndonovan.com/2017/02/21/cringe-25-creative-writing-prompts-to-help-you-embarrass-your-characters/

You've got the character motivation down, and you've flushed out the overall arc, but there's something that isn't quite working. You can see point B on the storyboard, but there's still a level of your character's inner workings that elude you. Try doing a quick writing session where you embarrass your main character. You might just learn something new!

3) The Lie Your Character Buys Into: https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/character-arcs-2/

This one works really well if you're writing any kind of hero story but can definitely work in other types of stories as well. Either way, understanding what misconceptions your protagonist has about themselves or the world they live in can add a lovely dimension to your overall story because there is so much potential to challenge their misconceptions in meaningful ways all the way up to an ultimately super satisfying climax. 

As an editor and book coach, these are some of my all-time favorite resources to share with my clients whose characters need a little more zest. And, I'll give you the same advice I give them: take what you love and leave the rest because there are endless (good) craft sources. I hope you've found a thing or two to add to your character-building mix. 

Happy writing!