When watching a favorite series, say Highlander or The Midwives, you get connected to the characters. You care for them. In between episodes, you wonder how they’re doing; maybe you worry for them. Then, you realize it’s just a story, not a friend or relative. That’s when the scriptwriters have done their job. That’s the point you want to reach with characters you write.
How? First, get to know them yourself. You’re going to live with your characters for six to twelve months, so write out everything about them. Create a character bio including physical and personality traits, background, and likes, dislikes, quirks and habits, etc.etc. Find a photo of someone who resembles the character in your mind and visit it regularly.
Talk to your character… ”So, what are you doing today?” That conversation will move the action along and enable you to jump into your writing for the day. Make the main character a part of your life. Put yourself in their shoes. How would she react to action in the story? What does she smell, feel on her skin, or hear in the background? What does she do with her hands? Every little thing counts —but don’t dump it all in at once. Weave it through the story and stick to the bio.
I’m now writing an historical novel, so I baked bread from a recipe my new friend, Marie, might have used in 1650. I wonder how they washed. How did their shoeless feet feel? I know I’m in the zone when I get the urge to call her as if it was my turn to make contact. She has become real for me. Now my goal is to make her real for my readers.
When I’m in the zone, it’s like time-travel. I’m there in France in 1650, and my real world slips by unnoticed. When I am immersed in the characters’ world, writing the story is thrilling.
Jeanne Meeks ~ Fiction Author 