The best characters are put through hell and yet can still carry the story forward on their broken shoulders. Your plot will fall flat if your characters are one dimensional and strong characters can make a cliché story really shine; characterisation takes work and thought.
The key to character development is to ask questions. Maybe spend time thinking about the scenarios that have happened to your character which won’t make the final cut of the novel. The questions below are designed to test that (to some degree).
[NOW CLOSED, REVIEWS PENDING] Answer at least 5 of these in a comment with a link to your story and I’ll give you an in-depth review. Reviews are approximately 1000 words and take me well over an hour, so if you’re looking to polish up your manuscript then don’t miss out.
Also, the opening chapter with the most interesting and well-developed character will be featured on this blog!
Feel free to write about anyone as long as they feature in the same story. You can answer either as if the character is being interviewed or from your expert perspective.
I can’t wait to read who you guys have cooked up. Here are your questions:
1) What is their strongest personality feature?
2) And their most striking physical characteristic?
3) What is most important to this character?
4) What do other characters in your novel care about which this one doesn’t (or doesn’t agree about its importance)?
5) How would they react if they missed their train (to somewhere important, of course)?
6) How would they react if they tripped over a chair in public?
7) Throughout the novel, what do they strive for?
8) How do they change/develop throughout the story?
9) What animal are they most like and why?
10) Who in their family (if anyone) are they closest to?
11) How do they react when being told a juicy secret?
The key to character development is to ask questions. Maybe spend time thinking about the scenarios that have happened to your character which won’t make the final cut of the novel. The questions below are designed to test that (to some degree).
[NOW CLOSED, REVIEWS PENDING] Answer at least 5 of these in a comment with a link to your story and I’ll give you an in-depth review. Reviews are approximately 1000 words and take me well over an hour, so if you’re looking to polish up your manuscript then don’t miss out.
Also, the opening chapter with the most interesting and well-developed character will be featured on this blog!
Feel free to write about anyone as long as they feature in the same story. You can answer either as if the character is being interviewed or from your expert perspective.
I can’t wait to read who you guys have cooked up. Here are your questions:
1) What is their strongest personality feature?
2) And their most striking physical characteristic?
3) What is most important to this character?
4) What do other characters in your novel care about which this one doesn’t (or doesn’t agree about its importance)?
5) How would they react if they missed their train (to somewhere important, of course)?
6) How would they react if they tripped over a chair in public?
7) Throughout the novel, what do they strive for?
8) How do they change/develop throughout the story?
9) What animal are they most like and why?
10) Who in their family (if anyone) are they closest to?
11) How do they react when being told a juicy secret?
12) How do they react when meeting someone new?
Good luck!
Good luck!
Kitty Lewis, from the Mortician's Boy
ReplyDelete1) What is their strongest personality feature?
Kitty - my warm and friendly nature, of course!
Rose - her sharp wit. Kitty has a put down or a witty come back for almost any situation.
2) And their most striking physical characteristic?
Kitty - Sauce! You can't expect me to show you that after just one drink!
Rose - She's short. Pretty short, even in boots. This means people don't always take her as seriously as they possibly should.
3) What is most important to this character?
Kitty - Glory, riches. Getting the better of Toby. Another drink would be a good start.
Rose - Living life. Working in a mortuary, Kitty has seen a lot of life cut short, or squandered. She believes in making the most of things and striving to do what makes her happiest.
4) What do other characters in your novel care about which this one doesn’t (or doesn’t agree about its importance)?
Kitty - Doilys. They are the most pointless, snobbish things in existence. A cup of tea is not improved by sitting the teapot on a frilly circle.
Rose - Kitty doesn't care for rules, social or legal, that get in the way of her philosophy on life
5) How would they react if they missed their train (to somewhere important, of course)?
Kitty - Blame Toby.
Rose - Shrug and move on. There's always something else important to do. She probably would blame Toby though.
7) Throughout the novel, what do they strive for?
Kitty - to find out who caused this whole sorry mess and put my boot up their arse for it.
Rose - To support and protect Toby. To bring him out of his shell and help him to see her way of living.
9) What animal are they most like and why?
Kitty - A graceful cat. A puma or a leopard or something.
Rose - One of those small, yappy dogs that thinks it is several times larger than it actually is.Tenacious and ferocious.
11) How do they react when being told a juicy secret?
Kitty - You can trust your secrets with me! Why, have you got one?
Rose - Pay careful attention and store it away to be used to her advantage at a later date.
Sorry, completely forgot the link:
Deletehttp://figment.com/books/643403-The-Mortician-s-Boy
Thanks for your consideration!
Rose
My interesting character would be Conner Mitchell ,from Blue.
ReplyDeletehttp://figment.com/books/633624
What is most important to this character?
Conner is a bit of a split bag, here. He cares so much about the elusive Her, the one he always talks about ,the one he loves. She was the only thing he had his entire life and once he loses her he is completely lost. But also, I think the other thing Conner is looking for is also something to believe in. That's pretty important to him. he lost the one thing he believed in, and without finding another thing, he may be lost forever.
How would they react when meeting someone new?
Ouch. That one would be tough on Conner. It depends on the person. The only people he would give the time of day are people willing to talk to him. He'd probably try to be nice at firs,t but then be convinced they wouldn't like him and then get icy. He doesn't really understand how to be social or how to be happy anymore, so it would be tough.
How do they change/develop throughout the story?
Conner begins to recognize that he's paved way for his own destruction, but he's realized it only once its too late. He becomes more self-aware and more loving, but on the flip side he never quite figures out how to get out of his own depression before its too late.
Throughout the novel, what do they strive for?
If Conner was talking, I'm sure he would say Her. But I think he's more striving to not be his father. He's so afraid of becoming this image that he thinks his father is, abandoning them, being cruel, ruining their lives, being a felon, that he's beyond focused on that and even though he strives for it its very uncertain if he really will avoid becoming a man just like his father.
Who in their family are they closest to?
His mother, by far. But at the same time, they are worlds apart but also on the same planet. Conner got his depressive tendencies from his mother, and they truly do love each other, but at the same time they can hardly get over their own feelings to see how the other person feels.
*Note; Blue may undergo great renovation soon for I may be adding in his mother's point of view, so just a warning*
Thank you for your time and have a lovely day. :)
Ooh, fun, another one of these. I think I'll enter with Lady Ylen Morwen, in my new WIP "Winner Takes All". I'm going to copy Rose and do both my and Ylen's opinions.
ReplyDeleteLink: http://figment.com/books/740133-Winner-Takes-All
1) What is their strongest personality feature?
Ylen: Forbearance. It's served me well in court.
Me: Ylen is always very calm and masks her emotions well. The only person who really gets her out of her shell is her son Henri.
2) And their most striking physical characteristic?
Ylen: I'd like to think I'm not striking at all. In my position, it's important to be inconspicuous.
Me: In her world, Ylen's yellow skin (akin to an Asian) sets her apart since whites dominate the political sphere she's in.
3) What is most important to this character?
Ylen: My son Henri. He's all I live for and the only reason I'm still alive.
Me: What she said. Ylen is as awesome a mum as she can be in her circumstances.
4) What do other characters in your novel care about which this one doesn’t (or doesn’t agree about its importance)?
Ylen: Outwardly, I agree with everything the state says.
Me: And inwardly, she still cares about her former friend Talisa, who is denounced as a traitor by the state. This is, in fact, what Winner Takes All is about: Ylen's discovery of the truth of her friend.
5) How would they react if they missed their train (to somewhere important, of course)?
Ylen: There's always another train.
Me: Mirror her white husband Eamon's movements. That would probably be wait for another train.
6) How would they react if they tripped over a chair in public?
Ylen: Stay calm. I've put up with seven years of discrimination, I can stand a little humiliation.
Me: Wait and see if her husband laughs, and if so laugh along.
7) Throughout the novel, what do they strive for?
Ylen: What novel?
Me: *patching fourth wall* Oops. Ylen is hoping to uncover the truth of what really happened to her late friend Talisa, whose memory history has destroyed completely. Through this, she also hopes to at least partially restore her race's status, which reached an all-time low after Talisa was defeated.
9) What animal are they most like and why?
Ylen: According to the state, my race is no better than animals. Similes are rather unnecessary here, don't you think?
Me: An Arctic fox. Ylen is good at camouflaging herself, surviving in difficult circumstances, and very agile (mentally, not physically).
10) Who in their family (if anyone) are they closest to?
Ylen: My son Henri. Like I said above, he's the only reason I'm here at all.
Me: Nothing to add, again.
11) How do they react when being told a juicy secret?
Ylen: I've lived enough secrets for a lifetime.
Me: Listen carefully and file it away for future use. It's not blackmail, it's ownership.
Thanks for your consideration!
oh thank you so much for doing this!! This is my link to my story: http://figment.com/books/737865
ReplyDeleteand this is for my character Seraphina
) What is their strongest personality feature?
3) What is most important to this character?
At the moment, following her orders
4) What do other characters in your novel care about which this one doesn’t (or doesn’t agree about its importance)?
Human life, Seraphina can easily kill others if the higher officers demand it.
6) How would they react if they tripped over a chair in public?
She would most likely throw the chair across the room and burn it
9) What animal are they most like and why? She is most like her companion Hami, (dragon) because she is strong and brave but mostly likes to keep to herself
10) Who in their family (if anyone) are they closest to?
She doesn't have a family, but at the moment she is closest to the Doc
12) How do they react when meeting someone new? Seraphina is very untrustworthy, always on her guard, so if she meets someone new she is most likely going to try and secure her dominance
Hope that you will read my story, Chasing the Blue Sky, that it would so much help. Thanks!!! (btw this is a novel in progress so some of these questions may change over time)
http://figment.com/books/716798-Wakefulness
ReplyDeleteThis is an interview with the main character, Wesley.
5) How would they react if they missed their train (to somewhere important, of course)?
Miss my train? Oh, I don't take trains. I suppose it's nice to look out the window and all, but I much prefer business class on a plane. So, suppose I did miss my train? No problem. I'll fly. But if I can't, I'll be pretty damn sad. Would I show my sadness? No.
10) Who in their family (if anyone) are they closest to?
My dear sister Charlotte. She's dead now, so I guess that leaves my father, but he's too old to understand today's society. If he doesn't 'get' Instagram, he probably won't 'get' why I dumped my last girlfriend. Oh, if only Char hadn't. Shit would be different. Shit would be very different. You know how hard it is to make your own decisions? It's very hard and therapists are full of shit.
2) And their most striking physical characteristic?
People seem to think I'm hot. When I look in the mirror, I just see myself, looking the same as the day before. Sometimes I wonder what it's like to be under society's definition of ugly. I wonder what that pain is like. But it's not something you can just do. It's not like shooting up heroin for a research paper. (True story: Mary Kate's cousin did that once for his masters thesis. I met the guy, he's unbelievably weird and innovative.)
8) How do they change/develop throughout the story?
Eventually, I start to realize that I'm maybe a shallow asshole and that I should be more considerate of other people, even if I think they're the archetype of stupid people who will never be as good as they appear on Facebook. But I get better. I do some bad shit here and there. Hurt some people. But trust me, I have an epiphany thanks to Nevada.
4) What do other characters in your novel care about which this one doesn’t (or doesn’t agree about its importance)?
Everyone seems to care about how they are perceived. I could not give less of a shit. Do you see me posting selfies on Facebook whenever I think I look hot? I don't even label myself when I look in the mirror. So I got less than ten likes on my instagram? Who the fuck cares? And even offline people are so annoying. Come to my school. Even the guys pluck their eyebrows. The girls actually think it's cool to be known as the girl who throws up her meal. Stay out of my world if you can. It's a lot sadder than that new show "#RichKids of Beverly Hills.'
I'm breaking mine in half because it won't let me post it even though according to Word I'm under the character count.
ReplyDelete6) How would they react if they tripped over a chair in public?
Laugh and make a joke out of it. Ross handles embarrassment pretty well, and would probably say something like, ‘Did you see that jump out at me?’ to show she thought it was funny too. However, embarrassment differs from humiliation. The latter she refuses to suffer, and has a habit of putting people who treat her that way in their place.
7) Throughout the novel, what do they strive for?
A reason. Ross is thrown into a world she didn’t know existed, and has absolutely no reason to care about the place or the people in it. But she needs to be doing something, serving some purpose; otherwise she might as well go back to her father. Besides that, she has nowhere else to go. Of course this is just initially. Ross quickly finds herself growing attached to Haven City and the people she’s met there, and decides this could be her new start, her new home. By this point she’s so wrapped up in its inner workings she couldn’t leave if she wanted to. But she does not want to. She wants – strives to – help the people who are slowly becoming her friends, and the city they call home.
8) How do they change/develop throughout the story?
Ross slowly lets her guard down around the people she meets. She never stops being her sarcastic, brazen self, but after a while she doesn’t mind that it’s not driving these people away. She begins to enjoy being around them, becoming closer to them, making friends for the first time in a long time. She begins to see Haven as a home, and one that she will lay her life down for.
11) How do they react when being told a juicy secret?
Ross doesn’t gossip, and she has no interest the pettiness of it. If it’s coming from the person who it’s about, Ross is an attentive listener, and will try to help if she can. She has a tendency to want to fix things for people. If it’s coming from someone else, then it just depends on what it’s about. Overall though, Ross does like to pry, but once she knows something, she keeps people’s secrets indefinitely
LINK: http://figment.com/books/523103-The-Underground
Thanks!
I broke mine into two comments, because it send I was over the character limit but word said I wasn't O.o
ReplyDeleteMC: Rossalyn Delshero
1) What is their strongest personality feature?
Speaking her mind, candidly. It’s a defensive mechanism, resulting from a subconscious desire never to get close to anyone again. Ross has spent most her life making friends and then leaving them, and after a while she promised herself never to do it again. After discovering that being blunt bordering on rude made people less likely to attempt to befriend her, sarcasm became like a second language, and a lot of what she says has a tendency to offend.
2) And their most striking physical characteristic?
Amber eyes, bordering on golden. They’re a step away from being unusual, but within’ the common confines enough that she only occasionally gets the question, ‘Are those contacts?’ She shares them with her father, a trait she used to enjoy, but now detests. Now she doesn’t want a single thing in common with him. The eye color results from her race, known as Zhar-Ptitsa, or firebird, which is similar to a phoenix. However, Ross has no idea this is what she is.
3) What is most important to this character?
Finding a home. All she can remember is moving. Backwoods shack, to attic apartment, to shabby hotel room. Her parents refused to answer any questions, resulting in argument after argument. Why couldn’t she have a cellphone? They had enough money, why not by a normal house? Why did they have to move so freaking much? After leaving home at the beginning of the story, Ross think she’s just trying to get away from her father, but what she really wants is to find somewhere she belongs.
5) How would they react if they missed their train (to somewhere important, of course)?
After cursing briefly, she’d walk straight back out to the street and hitch a ride. Ross is very resourceful, and lacks a healthy sense of fear. This could be because she has a very atypical upbringing – her parents taught her to fight, and her father taught her to wield knives, two other questions they refused to answer – or because she doesn’t always consider consequences.
Kaleb Morningstar from The Archangel Sword:
ReplyDeletehttp://figment.com/books/646037-The-Archangel-Sword
1. Who in their family are they closest to?
Though they've had their differences and Kaleb went through a traumatic childhood because of his mother Lilith, he genuinely cares for her and has pushed past all the negativity, because, well, when you're immortal, who better to spend eternity with than your family?
2. What do other characters in your novel care about which this one does not?
Religion. As the son of Lucifer, and an immortal, Kaleb has seen religions rise and fall and couldn't care less who's Baptist, Satanic, or Taoist. He has his beliefs and that's good enough for him.
3. Their most striking physical feature?
The grotesque scar marring the lower left side of his face from where his mother set her hellhounds on him and the tissue has never healed. Either the scar is ignored, or there are stares.
4. What is most important to this character?
Many wouldn't guess it, but Kaleb desperately wants to prove himself to his father, and show him that he's a worthy heir to the kingdom of Hell.
5. What is their strongest personality feature?
Kaleb's ability to control his bloodlust/anger. It used to be a driving force in his life, but since he changed, he's had to hold it down.