Day Two - Your Characters and You

So you have this plot. Hopefully, you know your entire story like the back of your hand. Or at least you have good notes on it.
So the next thing you need to do is fill this story with an array of colorful characters. Not just weird ones who are all attractive for no reason and sparkle in sunlight, but characters who will get your point across.
The most important thing when developing your characters is to know them better than you know yourself. As one writer would say, "If you plug them into a situation and they look at you and say "I am NOT doing that," then you're doing it right." This means that you have to know every single detail of your character's life, even the unimportant ones. I like to use this character chart when developing my characters. It's very helpful and makes you think about and question things about them you wouldn't normally consider.


Another fun thing to do is pick two random characters and put them in a random situation to see how they would react. Not only is it good for development, but it helps get the juices flowing on days when you just can't think of anything to write.


So if you're following my regimen, spend today filling out the chart for all of your main characters. Know every last thing about them. And good luck!


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