In a book you want your characters to be real, to be someone your readers can connect with. But in order for that to happen you need to connect with them first.
Believe it or not you can actually grow distant with your characters just like real people. So what do you do when you know your character still hasn't forgiven you, for what ever reason. Or you just never clicked with your main character. If you can't click with a character chances are your readers won't either.
-Sometimes you just need to say goodbye. You may find that changing or cutting the character was a good thing to do. Who knows, maybe they will appear in another one of your stories.
-While in more fortunate times you just need to get to know your character. So just go and grab yourself some coffee (or tea), get a notepad, and ask some questions. Since your character can't really speak, you need to for him/her. Think up some questions and think how your character would answer. And if that doesn't work you can always:
-Be your character. Have some fun and get all dressed up as your character and try to look at the world through his/her eyes. I know it sound silly but it's really fun and beneficial.
Although these are not the most professional ways to get to know your characters, these have worked for me. ☺
1 comment:
I think these ideas are great and, really, they are what many professional writers actually do. I've talked to a few and they all said they do exactly what you've described :)
I've got four favorite characters that turn up in lots of my stories but with different names and slightly adjusted backgrounds :)
So has Dickens... can you tell I'm kind of "into" him at the moment? :D lol...
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