Novel Kicks Writing Room: Character Challenge – The Secret
Welcome back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
It’s week three of our character challenge.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll take a character from a simple idea and gradually develop them into someone with a personality, history, relationships, flaws, fears and a meaningful character arc.
You don’t need to be writing a novel to take part. Your character can be created specifically for these exercises, or you can use a character from a story you’re already working on.
WEEK 3 — The Secret
Everyone has things they don’t tell other people.
Give your character a secret.
It could be:
- Something they’ve done.
- Something they haven’t done.
- Something they’re ashamed of.
- Something they know.
- Something they are afraid someone will discover.
- Something from their past.
by 
Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: The Wrong Name
Welcome to Fiction Friday, our weekly flash fiction challenge.
Here’s how it works:
Set a timer for five minutes and start writing
Keep going for as long as you can once the timer goes off
No editing allowed—raw writing only
When you’re finished, feel free to share in the comments (but there’s no pressure.)
Today’s prompt: The Wrong Name.
Every morning, a woman visits the same little café on her way to work. She orders the same coffee, sits at the same table and exchanges a few words with the owner.
One Tuesday, the owner greets her by a different name.
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: 10 Week Character Challenge – What Do They Want?
Welcome back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
It’s week two of our character challenge.
Over the next ten weeks, we’ll take a character from a simple idea and gradually develop them into someone with a personality, history, relationships, flaws, fears and a meaningful character arc.
You don’t need to be writing a novel to take part. Your character can be created specifically for these exercises, or you can use a character from a story you’re already working on.
WEEK 2 — What Do They Want?
Every interesting character wants something. But sometimes what they think they want isn’t what they actually need.
First, complete these sentences:
My character wants…
They believe getting it will make them…
What they actually need is…
They don’t realise this because…
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: The Name on the Ticket
Welcome to Fiction Friday, our weekly flash fiction challenge.
Here’s how it works:
Set a timer for five minutes and start writing
Keep going for as long as you can once the timer goes off
No editing allowed—raw writing only
When you’re finished, feel free to share in the comments (but there’s no pressure.)
Today’s prompt: The Name on the Ticket
Your character arrives at a train station and buys a ticket for the next train. Everything seems ordinary until the ticket prints.
The destination is correct. The time is correct.
But underneath the passenger’s name is a handwritten message:
“Whatever happens, don’t get off at the third stop.”
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: 10 Week Character Challenge – Meet You Character
Welcome back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
Following on from the plot challenge we did, today is the beginning of a 10 week character challenge. If you’d like to take a look at the plot challenge, click here.
Over the next ten weeks, we’ll take a character from a simple idea and gradually develop them into someone with a personality, history, relationships, flaws, fears and a meaningful character arc.
You don’t need to be writing a novel to take part. Your character can be created specifically for these exercises, or you can use a character from a story you’re already working on.
WEEK 1 — Meet Your Character
The task this week is to create a character who wants something very badly.
First, answer these questions:
- What’s their name?
- How old are they?
- What do they do?
- What do they look like?
- What do they love?
- What annoys them?
- What do they want more than anything?
- What are they afraid of?
- What’s their biggest flaw?
- What secret are they keeping?
by Book Club
