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Kendra's Character Building Workshop
_______
Character makes plot.
All stories are about someone, whether that someone is a human, a dog, a moth or a
pet rock, and the events and details that surround this character are what makes your
story's plot. People ask me almost daily "how do you get ideas?" and while the answer
is almost as ambiguous as the question, the simplest way to sum it up is "from my
characters."
For some of us, characters come in flashes, for some of us, the characters march into
our mind fully formed and already talking at us. Whatever the form that you first see or
hear your characters, you now hold the building blocks of a great deal of your novel.
Where there is even one person, there is conflict.... conflict with others, with nature,
with their own spirit, with their past. It's your job to find that conflict and begin fleshing
out your plot by asking questions of your characters. Perhaps you're starting
completely from scratch, without even a specific character in mind. That's fine! Just
follow an exchange somewhat like this...
Is your character male or female?
--Female
Where does she work?
--A library
What is her favorite animal?
--A penguin
Is this woman single or married?
--Single
Does she live alone or with others?
--With others
Is she sociable?
--Yes, she has a lot of friends
What would happen if this woman found a penguin in her library?
As you can see, just asking even simple questions about your character can lead you
down some interesting avenues. You may not immediately think something like this will
generate ideas, but it most certainly will. If you can get someone to ask you questions
about your character, go for it. That second brain might spark things you wouldn't
normally think of, and sometimes working with another person frees you to be more
creative about your answers. If you don't have anyone else to ask questions, consider
using a set of questions like the ones found at
http://www.writingclasses.com/InformationPages/index.php/PageID/106 . Make up your
own questions, too! Feel free to throw around any and all possibilities-- the more
absurd, the better.
Once you have asked questions of and about your characters, you'll find that they
have families and jobs and homes and a favorite coffee shop. These details are the
world they live in and the people they interact with. This is where the conflict aspect
comes in. Maybe you casually noted that your character hates her sister. Why does
she hate her sister? How much does she hate her? What might this hate lead to?
Murder? Kidnapping? Insanity? A pillow fight? A stolen boyfriend?
Ideas are always generated by character. Even those that say, "I think of plot first!",
are thinking of characters in at least some respect. If you want to write a book about
the unfairness of some sort of political cause, for instance, you're still thinking of an
action that will impact people or animals or nature- your characters.
I'm always available for one-on-one "character-storming" or for classes. Email me if
you'd like to conduct a session, via the internet or in person. I have taught a more
in-depth version of this class at high schools and would love to make an appearance at
your school, bookstore, library, writing or reading group or event.
_______
Character makes plot.
All stories are about someone, whether that someone is a human, a dog, a moth or a
pet rock, and the events and details that surround this character are what makes your
story's plot. People ask me almost daily "how do you get ideas?" and while the answer
is almost as ambiguous as the question, the simplest way to sum it up is "from my
characters."
For some of us, characters come in flashes, for some of us, the characters march into
our mind fully formed and already talking at us. Whatever the form that you first see or
hear your characters, you now hold the building blocks of a great deal of your novel.
Where there is even one person, there is conflict.... conflict with others, with nature,
with their own spirit, with their past. It's your job to find that conflict and begin fleshing
out your plot by asking questions of your characters. Perhaps you're starting
completely from scratch, without even a specific character in mind. That's fine! Just
follow an exchange somewhat like this...
Is your character male or female?
--Female
Where does she work?
--A library
What is her favorite animal?
--A penguin
Is this woman single or married?
--Single
Does she live alone or with others?
--With others
Is she sociable?
--Yes, she has a lot of friends
What would happen if this woman found a penguin in her library?
As you can see, just asking even simple questions about your character can lead you
down some interesting avenues. You may not immediately think something like this will
generate ideas, but it most certainly will. If you can get someone to ask you questions
about your character, go for it. That second brain might spark things you wouldn't
normally think of, and sometimes working with another person frees you to be more
creative about your answers. If you don't have anyone else to ask questions, consider
using a set of questions like the ones found at
http://www.writingclasses.com/InformationPages/index.php/PageID/106 . Make up your
own questions, too! Feel free to throw around any and all possibilities-- the more
absurd, the better.
Once you have asked questions of and about your characters, you'll find that they
have families and jobs and homes and a favorite coffee shop. These details are the
world they live in and the people they interact with. This is where the conflict aspect
comes in. Maybe you casually noted that your character hates her sister. Why does
she hate her sister? How much does she hate her? What might this hate lead to?
Murder? Kidnapping? Insanity? A pillow fight? A stolen boyfriend?
Ideas are always generated by character. Even those that say, "I think of plot first!",
are thinking of characters in at least some respect. If you want to write a book about
the unfairness of some sort of political cause, for instance, you're still thinking of an
action that will impact people or animals or nature- your characters.
I'm always available for one-on-one "character-storming" or for classes. Email me if
you'd like to conduct a session, via the internet or in person. I have taught a more
in-depth version of this class at high schools and would love to make an appearance at
your school, bookstore, library, writing or reading group or event.
