Broad strokes when it comes to building characters
will often lead to stereotypical ideas & two-dimensionality.
This is what every writer dreads.
I stand by this quote 100%
in that I firmly believe we’ll learn more about the character
who scowls at red pink roses
from a supposed ‘loved one’
than we will the character who
rips the accompanying card to shreds and tosses it in the air.
The fact that he wears a school ring and not his wedding ring
says more than him being late for dinner most nights…
It’s the subtleties of life that draw readers into our characters –
make us love and hate them.
The scar over the villain’s right lip that he gnaws on
tells me more about his pains and regrets
than the fact that he hates the protagonist…
that small detail gives a hint of back story and the knowledge that it’s a point of contention,
one that he refuses to let go of.
~
What small detail/BIG characteristic are you most proud of with one of your characters?
Categories: Notables
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