Creating A Fictional Character

I am in the process of building a bible for my WIP. Since this is the first book in what will be a series, I am starting small - the main character, two ancillary characters, and a bit of background. What I would like to discuss today is how I am defining my characters - what information I feel that  I need to know about them, so that they will come across as real/believable.

Some of the information that I include is:

1. Character's full name and birth date.
2. Physical description of the character.
3. Physical location of the character.
4. Physical description of their home.
5. Background information: Where they were born, where they went to school, where they have worked, who their parents are, who their siblings are.
6.  What are their goals - what is important to them?
7. What is their moral compass?
8. What are their strong points?
9. What are their weak points?
10. What is this character's relationship with the other characters in the story?

When we are building our characters, we need to keep in mind whether they are meant to be a: protagonist, antagonist, background person, background person that moves the story along.

Above all - know the purpose of your character to your story. Without purpose, the character will be ill defined, and your story will flounder.

If you would like to sign up for my (recently birthed) author's newsletter, you will find the form on my site.

(c) August 2017 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission of the author.

Where Does Time Go?

Time really has been flying by! I had hoped to put more work into a chapter that I am writing for a book that I am co-authoring, but that is not to be. I realized, albeit a bit late, that I had set a goal last week to write the outline for the Christmas themed novel that I plan to write in September. (That will get done, becuase I need to have it edited before I can put it up on Create Space and Kindle.)  

I have the bones of the book in my head. It will take place all in one night, at a Christmas party. I intend to introduce my main character, and two or three supporting characters, as I have fond hopes that I can turn this into a series. 

I also hope to introduce a bit of the nuance between my characters, how they know each other, and just what they have the power to accomplish.  Cats - as well as a dog or two - will have prominent roles. This will be a vry loose outline, as I am not what coult be considered a "plotter" - one who creates a plot and then sticks to it. I am a "pantser" - someone who writes by the seat of their pants! My work goes with the flow - which is sometimes good and sometimes ... challenging. 

What this series is going to be like has changed drastically over the past two weeks - primarily because how it "could be" flew full blown into my head! I will be introducng the characters,  creating a light tension between certain characters, placing a few false clues, and letting the ending evolve. Well, I know what the ending is, but getting there is where the evolution comes from.

I would like to mention that I have just started writing a monthly newsletter aimed at writers, and am running a contest through the end of August. Anyone who signs up before the end of August will have their names tossed into a hat, with the winner receiving a copy of Barbara Berger's "Find and Follow Your INNER COMPASS". You can sign up for my newsletter here. (Look on the right hand side, under apps.)

(c) August 2017 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written consent of the author.