Friday, August 1, 2008
Tips for Young Writers 3: Let your characters think and speak for themselves.
This may sound strange, but if you're stuck while writing a story, try talking to your characters. Ask them what they would do next. Let them live. When they start answering you back, you’ll know one of two things – either they’ve truly come to life in your imagination, or it’s time to see a doctor!
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9 comments:
Hehehehehe.
I tried doing that, but it didn't work, so either they haven't come to life in my imagination very well, or I have a disposition to making up their replies as well as the questions.
Oh well. Good tip once again.
Cya round... well perhaps I'll only... Ehh... See your typing around... Either one :)
Yeah, this is a sort of advanced tip really, by which I mean, it can take a lot of writing before you really start to see the characters. I can be working on a story for days before any of it really 'fades into view', but it does eventually. Then the characters really start to spring to life (I find getting photos of people who look like the characters really helpful). Then you can find yourself just sort of 'observing' them playing out a scene - sort of like having a troupe of actors working on your story as if it's a play. When that happens, it's REALLY exciting.
But did I mention that being a little bit mad is kind of crucial to being an author? :^)
Sorry, that should have been 'troop'. I always get that wrong!!
Hey Michael, cool blog, I hadn't seen it before today. Keep it up!
Very kind of you, Simon. Thanks so much!!
Hah.
I'm glad that you have to be a little bit mad to be an author. That may explain why I'm so strange... or being strange might explain why I like writing...
Sorry about the late reply :P I didn't see this until now
No probs, A.
BTW, being REALLY mad only makes you a better author!! :^)
Of that I am very glad :P
Me too. :^P
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