The Characters of Life

If you think about it we are surrounded by characters.

Lets get down to the brass tax, many of you have already heard this and are probably tired of getting it drilled into your heads, but the truth is many successful authors get their characters' little flaws and attributes, from the people they meet or see.

What most author won't tell you is that, they will take these little things and exaggerate them, if it's a personality quirk they will make it into a major flaw, if it's a physical movement they will make it blatantly obvious. Character developement is also about day-dreaming as well. Sometimes authors will write the entire life's story for a character (especially for mains), it's not that difficult really and it helps the writer to develope a bond between himself and his character.

Simple Exercise 2:

Time to get out your sketch books again. This one can actually happen at your desk or at home. Sit and take someone you know (your boss, children, partner, ect.), and start writing about what makes them, them. Describe what makes them attractive, or ugly to you, the little things they do to make you happy, or angry, their flaws and attributes, the physical gestures they don't realize they do that annoy you or turn you on. Once you have done that, erase what you know of this person, it is now a character and you must give it a back story, start out with a new name, something embarassing or romantic, and keep going, give your character life.

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