NaNoWriMo Prep 2011

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Character dev

Add your own tasks to this list!

D1 - Who is your main character(s)? Write about what is most important, interesting, and flawed about this character. Ignore plot for now.

D2 - Write a character sketch of one of your main character(s).

D3 - Write a character sketch of one of your main character(s).

D4 - Write a character sketch of one of your minor character(s).

D5 - Write a character sketch of one of your minor character(s).

D6 - Write a story that happened to one of your main characters before your novel. (This is for background and won’t appear in your novel.)

D7 - Write a few pages about your main character that “show rather than tell” about their personality, what’s important to them, their hopes and fears, etc. (This is for background and won’t appear in your novel.)

D8 - Choose a character from your novel and write a page of dialogue with that person talking to a stranger they meet at a bus stop (or another stranger of your choice.)

** NEW -  D9 - Figure out all your characters' names.

Task Discussion


  • Bonita DeAmicis, Ed. D.   Oct. 13, 2011, 11:28 p.m.

    My character is teasing me.

  • Bonita DeAmicis, Ed. D.   Oct. 13, 2011, 11:28 p.m.
    In Reply To:   Bonita DeAmicis, Ed. D.   Oct. 13, 2011, 11:28 p.m.

    Not sure if I like her.

  • karen   Oct. 6, 2011, 6:05 p.m.

    How do you flesh out your character sketches?

    Below is an outline I've used before. I also generally do a timeline of major life events for each person.

    Name:

    Age:

    Gender:

    Physical:

    Occupation:

    Friends, family, and love interests:

    Living space description:

    Hobbies:

    What were they doing a year ago? Five years ago?

    Values and politics:

    Main conflict and resolution in novel:
     

  • Bonita DeAmicis, Ed. D.   Oct. 8, 2011, 9:49 p.m.
    In Reply To:   karen   Oct. 6, 2011, 6:05 p.m.

    Wow--this could be helpful to me.  I tend to just fly along and as I am writing I find out things about my characters.

  • karen   Oct. 14, 2011, 10:47 a.m.
    In Reply To:   Bonita DeAmicis, Ed. D.   Oct. 8, 2011, 9:49 p.m.

    I hear that's a better way to go for many folks. Just not how I work though.