In the midst of a wonderfully insane end-of-semester, creativity—at least as far as my book is concerned—had to be put on hold briefly. But before all the papers and lesson plans, I did start writing some characters (if you all remember…although it was a while back I posted about it).
I’ve been doing some research to flesh out my main characters, and I seem to be getting stuck on the details, or deciding which details are important and which can be left out. How important is it, really, to know what haircut the leading lady had in 5th grade? Is it really necessary for me, as the creator, to know how the main man’s first goldfish died? I suppose if these details were important to the development of the character throughout the story then, yes, they would be relevant and necessary pieces of knowledge.
Many of us (especially the English teachers!) have seen character development charts and questionnaires we should fill out to really know our characters. But how much is really necessary? So many details seem important! I want to ask you, what three traits do you believe are most necessary for a writer to know about her characters? (Beside the obvious, and generally necessary traits like names and approximate ages, etc.) What do you think are the most important pieces to understand about your characters?
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3 comments:
I must say i feel this blog is becoming a questionaire... just a tad... but i still like that you're sticking to it : )
Haha well Jess, the point for me is kinda to also hear what other people have to say. I'd say I talk about my own stuff as well as ask questions...yes?
Yes, you do talk about both things, but idk... a blog to me is always more about your work, and what you want for it, and asking questions on others opinions on what is or isnt' beneficial to a piece,for example: "Does the setting of my story help the overall tone of the piece?" versus "Where would you choose to write your book?"
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