Breathing Life into a Character

(This is a continuation of handouts that I recently distributed at a writing seminar.)

–a part of us is in every character

–who are we called to write about?

(Could be someone in our life, could be someone we see in a news report, someone in a dream/imagination)

QUESTIONS TO ASK

Who do you personally root for?

What kind of people do you root for?

How do you or people around you feel misunderstood?

Elements of Voice:

POV and tone
Dialogue
Metaphors

Revealing Relationships:

Intimate
Family
Co-workers, Team Members
Nemesis
Strangers

Naming your character:

Something unique and personal
Something meaningful
Something cultural appropriate
Something with a good rhythm
Google to check