Character Development

[Steve Harrison]

I don't go into a great deal of analysis, because I start with the story and create my characters after I begin writing. They are essentially me when they step onto the page, but then take a slight or major twist, in that they will react to an ordinary, everyday situation in a way that I would not. And that's enough for me to create and run with a character.

As I get older it is becoming easier to recognise basic character types - there really aren't too many of them - and the action of a new character will bring to mind people I have known. Or ones I used to be.

 

[ckatt]

@The Big Peat

1- sff.onlinewritingworkshop.com is where I do a lot of my workshopping. and yeah there certainly are some "poor" reviewers out there. but I think I'm good at spotting them. They have a sort of experience point system and I do put too much faith in negative reviews from low ranked members.

2- I guess I think of character development as a catch-all term for characters. Maybe I've miss-used it.

3- I searched for Jim Butcher's writing blogs and only found a live journal last updated in Jan of 2015 and another site with no blog.

4- yes, I know of the is approach and I think it's a good one but maybe sidesteps the issue a little.

6- Not sure I follow on the tags bit. I write them down just for my own reference?

8- I like writing exercises but every time I start one it turns into a novel I don't have time to finish.

9- It's a bit tough for me to say. When I think of my favourite books I can't say they are my favourite characters or that I even loved the characters. I think what I love is what the characters do in the situations. So, favourite books, well Sprawl trilogy, Dune trilogy, Broken Earth trilogy. I thought Annihilation (the book not the movie) was excellent. The Forever War, Do androids dream of electric sheep, Dawn, Hmm I think I'm getting caught up in list making. Anyway, I'm looking at these and trying to think of something that links all the characters. They all make intense choices in extreme situations, and often they are where they are, not because of their own choices, but someone has forced them into the situation.

 

[CTRandall]

. I think what I love is what the characters do

They all make intense choices in extreme situations, and often they are where they are, not because of their own choices, but someone has forced them into the situation.

If that is what makes a character interesting to you, do it. Focus on actions, not internal dialogue. Big actions, little actions, no actions, re-actions: when used carefully, these reveal everything about a character. It's not easy to write this way but, with your theatre background, it might be a more natural choice for you.

Yes, the ability to get inside character's head is one of literature's great strengths but, used poorly, it can utterly ruin a book. I couldn't finish Brandon Sanderson's Warbreaker in large part because the internal voices never shut up.

 

[ckatt]

@CTRandall Thanks for your encouraging words. And I think you are right about what I ultimately want to do. But I can't just give up on internal voice. I know it's my weakness so that's why I'm trying to improve it. I don't expect I will make it the forefront of my writing but I do want to get better at it regardless.

the internal voices never shut up.

I too find this annoying, especially in a story where something big is right about to happen and the action stops for the POV character to reflect. It's not the good kind of suspense IMO

 

[CTRandall]

I know it's my weakness so that's why I'm trying to improve it.

Fair 'nough and more power to ya. To be honest, it's one of my weaknesses, as well, and I've struggled to find a balance of internal/external that works for me.

 

[The Big Peat]

6- Not sure I follow on the tags bit. I write them down just for my own reference?

Mostly for your own reference, but it can work as working in a tag reference shortly after introducing a character or when they've been absent for a few chapters - Butcher does that with his characters' physical traits, Robert Jordan did too.