Today I’ll be sharing with you my tips for developing your characters.
I used to hate character development, but now it is my favorite part of writing!
Let’s get started!
1. Roleplay
I will always recommend roleplaying. Not only is it really fun, but it is an amazing tool to developing your characters.
But what is roleplay?
It’s basically where you interact with another person, using your character. (And I’ll tell you this, cute romantic RPs are especially fun. 😉
Through RPing, I came up with the sequel to my novel, Starless, and discovered several small details about my character, Arendale.
2. Find a picture of your character
This step might sound a little strange, especially since its so hard to find a good picture of your character, so let me explain.
I came up with my character Violet (or Vi) through RP, and I wanted to know more about her.
The first thing I did was to search a picture of a little girl who loved tea parties. I found one that clicked when I thought “Violet” and the details started flooding in.
3. Character questionnaire/interview
Oh no, you might think. Not a boring character questionnaire.
I used to think that, too.
But it doesn’t have to be boring!
One question I love answering is “What is your character’s greatest fear?”
There are so many options to that question. *evil laughter*
Here are a few more interesting questions.
Who is someone your character would die for?
What is something your character might have in their pocket, purse, or backpack?
Do they have an object that’s special to them, and what is it?
Another thing you can do is pretend you’re a reporter and then interview your character. What would they say or do? Would they be nervous or excited?
My character Arendale would be scowling on the outside, but scared on the inside.
And my character Natasha would be perfectly at home and enjoying herself thoroughly.
4. Stick them into an unfamiliar setting
For instance, does your character live in modern times? Stick them into the past.
Do they live in fantasy world? Stick them into a shopping mall. (I did that once and it was awesome.)
5. Take a personality test as them
This one would probably be the least helpful of all, but it’s really fun and can help you pick up some small details about your character.
What’s your favorite part of writing? Do you have any character development tips of your own?
