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A Character Development Writing Exercise
#TBT
Create a timeline of the significant moments of your character's life. Like many authors, you can use post-it notes or a big whiteboard to visualize your character's life. You can easily move or add events until you feel your character has a well-developed history. After you've finished the timeline, distill it into the top 5-10 moments that have shaped your character. For instance, if loss is a thematically important part of your book, perhaps a significant part of your character's past is when they lost a grandparent as a child.
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Similar exercises
Get your creative juices flowing with these similar writing prompts.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
A talk show is scripted to promote the guest and discuss topics with which the guest is comfortable. Imagine your protagonist on the Ellen Degeneres Show (or The Late Show With Stephen Colbert - whichever show you're familiar with). What questions would be asked of your protagonist? What funny anecdotes would your protagonist share? Write down the reactions of both your protagonist and the host.
Gossip Around Town
How people perceive your character may be markedly different from who your character really is. Think about what the average stranger might think - or hear - of your character. What's the gossip around town concerning your character? Write down a scene in which your protagonist is forced to confront this gossip, and the consequences of that confrontation.
But Why?
Keep asking your characters why. Here's an example:
- Why are you grumpy? I have a hangover.
- Why do you have a hangover? My friend was in a bad accident and I thought he might die?
- Why did you think he might die? His girlfriend lied to me about how serious the accident was.
- Why did she lie about that? She's jealous of our relationship.
- Why? I think she's insecure and has trust issues.
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Musicals
Your character's story has been Disney-fied. At what point in the arc does your protagonist break out into song - and what is that song about?
The Sorting
Your protagonist's name is called. They approach the stool, where an old and tattered hat lies. They put on the hat. They will next hear one of four words called out: Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Slytherin, or Hufflepuff. Which one is it? Write down the reasons detailing why.
