🤡 Character Development is Essential
How do you provide your readers with believable characters.
When I was very young, I was lucky enough to have a school visit from Michael Rosen. He said something that will stick with me for the rest of my life.
To be able to write fiction of any type, you need to imagine the story in your head like a movie and then write what you see.
It was the first time I realised that I could write a novel. I could see the characters and actions in stories as clearly as watching them on a TV screen.
Starting to write a novel can be a daunting task, which is why you need to start by putting the initial groundwork in.
Character development is one of those areas that can make or break a book. Without strong characters, readers will not continue reading. That does not mean that all the characters need to be perfect.
Imagine the character’s personalities, backstories and appearance. Know your character even if you don’t include all these details in your novel.
Some authors have several books full of facts about their characters that never make the novel. You have to live with your characters and know everything about them. Know them as you would a member of the family. If you are writing crime, you are going to have to live with your murderer as well as your detective.
J.K. Rowling shared a train ride home with an imaginary Harry Potter and, at that point, knew she had to write his story.
As the book progresses, allow your characters to face obstacles and problems. Allow your characters to develop their personality and grow.
It is wrong to think that all your lead characters should be perfect. Some of the best novels I have read have a flawed protagonist. Someone who isn’t perfect makes mistakes and deals with problems. Having a flawed main character is far more realistic than a perfect one.
Despite what some readers say, action is not always the best way to start a novel. Action which is out of context can bore readers.
This is why I would say start your novel with tension. A character’s dilemma or problem. This introduces your characters and makes the reader want to read further. Try to make the first line of every chapter as engaging as possible.
End every chapter on a slight cliffhanger. Again, this is an excellent way to keep the reader progressing through the book. My new book will be released next year, leaving you guessing at the end of every chapter.
I know many a long night where I have read way longer than I should have with the mentality, ‘Oh, just one more chapter.’
Over the next few weeks, I will share more tips and tricks I have learned through writing as I complete my fourth book.
If you enjoy this email, please share it so more readers can find it. You can find my reading journey on Ko-Fi.
Until next week, stay safe
Sam 😊
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Quote of the week
Write what interests you - Edward Anderson.
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He was right. I certainly have movies in my head when I write fiction.