Quote For The Week #2

 

"Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe." 

                                   - St. Augustine

Quote For The Week

                  

"Worry Does Not Empty Tomorrow of Its Sorrows; It Empties Today of Its Strength." 

                  - Corrie Ten Boom

 

Character Building

Your Character Matters (Pun Intended)

    The main characters in a story matter, especially if it's character-driven, but it's imperative in plot-driven stories as well. The action of your main protagonists have a huge impact on your manuscript. Thus saying, it's very important how you shape your characters. Though it may take some extra time it will not only make your writing easier, but will also allow the reader to enjoy your book more. 

     

    There are numerous styles for building your characters...uh...character. I suggest that you investigate different techniques for character building, for as I previously stated, several exist and it's important to find the one that best suites your writing style. Or you may decide to make up your own unique style. But a writing (or graphing) out a character, you must always list their strengths and weakness.

  

    Piecing together your character is imperative. It gives you insight in how they will react to certain situations, what choices they will make, what would be considered a daring feat, etc. The reader of your manuscript will also be able to tell if you've put time into building up the characters. It wouldn't make sense if a shy, withdrawn young woman fleeing from an abusive relationship would suddenly pledge her life to a man she just met. That isn't real. Or is it? 😲Maybe this young woman though shy, is far too trusting. That would tie in pretty good with what we've said about her so far. (See what I'm getting at?)

 

    Whether you are writing fiction or non-fiction it's important that you take the time to form your characters accordingly. Once you've found a method that suites you, it might be helpful to get a bulletin board and pin up the character structures of your main protagonists...and antagonists, so that you can refer to them quickly and easily. Or perhaps store them in a binder, where you can easily flip through to refer back to how your character would logically react to a situation. 

     

    Just a warning. If you're like me, you may start adding one thing after another to your character's inabilities or abilities. I'm telling you right now: spare yourself the trouble. Set aside a good chunk of time to thoroughly build up your character...and stick with it. Don't start adding new things to it every week or else your character will have attributes that contradict his/herself

    

     Hope this was helpful! Write a comment down below of what method you like to use when forming your characters. 

 

 ~Lydia Sherren