Getting to Know You.

I’ve been working on the first draft of my book for a long time now and it’s been plagued with its share of false starts. There have been moments where I’ve wanted to give up altogether but if there’s been one thing that has stopped me from abandoning it, it’s my main character.

Carrie is like a constant voice in my head – a voice that refuses to shut up. It’s similar to having a legitimate imaginary friend except that this one is constantly nagging me to write.

When I submitted my first RNA New Writers Scheme project last year, one of the comments from the reader was that my characters needed development. I didn’t know Carrie very well and I should do.

Carrie is going to be someone who’s going to be around for a while (she doesn’t seem to want to go anywhere,) and so I really should get to know her. So that’s where I’m at, at the moment. I’ve been getting to know Carrie with the aid of Ready Set Novel (which I’m finding helpful for making notes on the novel.) Carrie is my new friend. She is no different to someone I meet in real life. I need to know things about her, even if they don’t end up in the book.

I’m not brilliant at planning. It sets off this anxiety that tells me planning is simply procrastination and that I am using it as an excuse not to write (as if I’ve not got enough things distracting me. Cough, Facebook.)

However, having been developing Carrie over the past few weeks, I am finding it helpful and making her a little more three dimensional is somehow helping with the story – knowing how she’d react, what she likes, dislikes, her favourite things. Who her friends are, her relationship with her parents. I’m having fun getting to know my new friend and am now gaining an understanding as to how important character development is to me and my writing process and that doing this isn’t a waste of time. It helps stall me less in the long run.

Are you a planner? How do you develop your characters?

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.