16 Days Until...

[ladyseishou]

Before I write down one word, I have to have the character in my mind through and through.
I must penetrate into the last wrinkle of his soul.

- Henrik Ibsen



16 Days until the start of NaNoWriMo, Nano Writers! We've been looking at different ways to fine-tune our characters this week. Come this way for additional suggestions as to how you might get to better know your characters...

Writing from your character's mini biography (Monday), Enneagram personality profile (Tuesday), subconscious impressions with the Tarot (Wednesday) or random insights from the roll of the dice (Thursday), let's bring it all together by selecting an exercise from column A and a writing response method from column B...

Column A

• Describe five items that you might find in this character's pocket, bag, carry-all, etc. Why does s/he carry it around?
  
• Describe a typical day for this character. When and where does s/he wake up? What does s/he dress in? Eat? Work or play? When does the day end?
  
• Describe what your character is doing just before your story begins - your choice whether this time frame is the minute, day or week before.
  
• Write out the full name for your character. For each letter, write down five words that begins with that letter. These words will be the only words you can use as your character's response for the writing exercise.
  
• Describe a dream (or nightmare)that your character just experienced.

Column B

• Write your response as a letter written by the character to his or her parent or childhood friend.
  
• Write your response as a series of e-mail exchanged with the antagonist of your story.
  
• Write your response as a series of short messages (via Twitter or your IM service of choice - carrier pigeon?) exchanged with your character's best friend.
  
• Write your response as an argument - dialogue only - between your character and his or her mentor or possible love interest.
  
• Write your response as a series of entries for your character's Dreamwidth Journal. Note the date, mood, location, music and tags for each entry. List two people who have access to this journal.

Was the exercise easy? Hard? Questions? Suggestions? Tell us about it!


Next week we travel onward into the strange lands of our story's setting. Until then Nano Writer, keep writing!