writing, inspiration,

“Know Your Main Character” by Joan Y. Edwards

I believe it’s a good idea to know your main character well.

1. Perhaps you’d know the answer to these questions about your main character:

What kind of schedule does your main character follow?
What are his favorite foods?
What foods does he detest?
Does he eat healthy?
Does he drink alcoholic beverages?
Where did he go to high school?
Did he graduate from college?
What is the relationship with his parents? grandparents?
What is he deathly afraid of?
What is he proud of?
What kind of clothing does he wear to work? for fun? to bed?
What would your parents think of this character?
What does he do really well?
What skill is his very worst?
What are his three worst habits?

Here are three websites with other good interview questions and ideas.

Charlotte Dillon. “Character Chart:” http://www.charlottedillon.com/CharacterChart.html
Writing Classes.com. “Character Questionaires:” http://www.writingclasses.com/InformationPages/index.php/PageID/106

2. Cut out magazine pictures that you believe might look like them.

3. Write out a weekly journal pretending you are the character.

4. Ask the character questions in a letter. Have the character answer the questions in a letter. You can email them to yourself.

5. Give the character 3 props from his past. Ask him to tell you the story behind why they are significant to him.

6. If you see an actor that would fit the description of your character, rent a movie he acts in and pick up a quirky habit or two, or describe how they walk.

It’s fun to create a new character. These are only a few ideas to get you started or to add dimension to a character whose story you’ve already written. Good luck in your ventures to add life and reality to your characters.

Enjoy yourself. Life is a precious gift.

Thanks for reading my blog. Please comment telling me what you believe writers should know about their main character.

Put a Positive Spin on Your Writing Life
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards

“Put Your Main Character into a Pit and Watch Him Devise Ways to Get Out” by Joan Y. Edwards

If you’re at the bottom of the pit, climb up. Climb using the web from Spiderman.

Fly using the cape from Superman.

Crawl around using the magnifying glass of Sherlock Holmes.

But wait, how did you or your character get to the bottom of the pit anyhow:

Was it pride that you didn’t listen to the wisdom of others in the same position?

Was it error in that you thought your GPS system would lead you to the right spot?

Was it hatred that made you blind to the pit in the first place?

Was it plain stupidity that you didn’t even look where you were going?

It could have been one, all, or none of these that caused you to arrive at the bottom of this pit.

This pit is so dark and deep that they haven’t invented a light to show you the way out.

You’re going to have to climb up and feel your way, inch by inch from the bottom all the way to the top.

You might need a hammer and metal spikes to put in the sides of the pit to climb up.

Perhaps you can think of a way out or use one of the ways mentioned above from a Super Hero or a Super Sleuth.

You are great at getting yourself into messes. You might be hesitant about putting your character into a predicament like this. However, your characters are very clever and resourceful. They will show you the way out of this pit in a short span of time. Try it. Write a paragraph telling us how you would get out of this pit. You can describe it. You can tell us how your character got there. Then let your character dig his way out (so to speak).

Thanks for reading my blog. It’s fun to write for you.

Winners of the contest: Linda Andersen, Margaret Fieland, and Grace Rellie.

Flip Flap Floodle, the happy little duck who Never Gives Up

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Sing Your Song
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards

Writing, Inspiration