hey everyone, today i wanted to share some of my favorite ways to... DEVELOP CHARACTERS!
characters are my favorite thing about reading, writing, and storytelling. diving into my characters really helps me when i want to write a strong story that readers enjoy. they are, in my opinion, the most important part to having an impactful and engaging book.
so here are some of my favorite wats to develop characters (especially the ones that make you want to tare your eyes out lol) let's do this!
character interviews/ character questionnaires
here is how i do each of these!
i let other writer friends interview my characters & ask them questions (but you can do this yourself too! i just prefer having others help me so i can fully be in my characters minds without having to switch between interviewer & character)
i will use character questionnaire & just go through & answer the questions! (i LOVE abbie emmons character sheets, especially the one for figuring out internal conflict ;))
asking questions and answering AS your character is super helpful and can really help you figure out their personality, their mannerisms, and thought process. i would recommend doing interviews and questionnaires if you are trying to figure out their personality and more about them!
roleplaying
while roleplaying can be a distraction to people, it is super helpful for figuring out how your character will react in certain situations, treat people, and it is just... fun haha. if you are looking to learn more about your character and how they will react in certain situations and figure out little things about them, this is super fun and helpful.
pinterest boards & playlists
yes. pinterest and playlists really help figure out my characters. one of the first things i do when i get a character idea, is make a board/section on pinterest from them. here are some of the things i save to my boards that spark further inspiration
quotes that remind me of them & their personality or past
face claims
aesthetic photos that bring all the vibes of that characters (like draggers on a wooden table, dramatic ocean waves, feet in the sand, etc etc.)
as for playlists, i love to curate playlists on spotify (or youtube) that make me think of my characters. it is quite simple:
make a new playlist
name it after your character
put a photo of them for the cover if you have one
add songs that give you all the vibes for your moody, angst boi or sweet, sunshine girlie ;)
write snippets from their past
figuring out the backstory of your characters is crucial for crafting a character who is flawed and relatable. i have found that writing (or simply KNOWING) my character's pasts and backstories, have really helped me know my characters and write situations that MEAN something to them personally because of the things they faced in the past.
~
well that is it! i hope you guys found some things to help you figure out your characters more! have you done any of these things before? how do YOU develop your characters? let me know in the comments!
i also have some exciting things to share soon *winks* so stay on the look out for updates on that!
until next time
~mackenzie
(photos from internet & pinterest)
