The characters in depth:
Once again this is just how I work. If you are writing a period piece, fantasy or a drama it makes no difference. People are the same wherever you go. They loved, they hated, they experienced love and jealousy the same as we did. They are the basics of the great novels of the past. I simply like thinking my way as far as characters go.
Just like we came up with one character, one needs to establish all the characters in your story, poem, blog, or article. Sometimes those characters are fictional and other times they are real living people that need to be addressed in proper ways.
Up to now I have never sat down and interviewed anyone famous but this assignment was given to me by the only person who ever coached me in writing and so I am passing it on. I have mentioned Larry in my blogs, but I do not remember his real name.
I have decided on his name so let’s go. Larry himself was a unique character. He was a writer and had optioned a few scripts and made some good money. I don’t know if any ever got made but it does not matter.
Larry had a few quirks and so I’ll share them because it may help you. Larry worked full-time from home. This was way before work from home was a thing but let’s assume most writers who work full time can or do work from home. Larry had one problem and I am bringing this up because I personally feel that for a character to be memorable they need to have some quirks.
We all have a quirk or a certain trait that makes us who we are. OCD, PTSD, Tourrettes, anxiety, fear, and so on. Well, Larry could only get work done when he went to work. So each morning he showered, shaved and put on his dress pants, dress shoes and a shirt and tie.
Without his routine, he could not work. Larry needed to go to work, dressed for work and be ready to work even though he was only a few steps from his office across the hall.
The point is, that Larry’s character had depth. We can tell he was and is an organized person. If Larry were to commit murder, we could assume he would be very detail-oriented.
We get back to Lucky for a minute before we move on. This is something I love doing. Taking two different strands of the story and tying them together. Why don’t we make Larry, Lucky’s father?
Larry is a specific type of person and we know that from what little I told you about him. Larry would always get dressed for work, Larry is precise and we will assume clean-shaven and intelligent since he is a writer.
In the short time I have typed this we are giving depth and character to Larry and we can take a guess as to why Lucky is sad. Maybe, just maybe Larry is also a strict father who may or may not let Lucky sleep over at a friend’s house and that is the reason Lucky was so sad. You see how this is all coming together now.
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Zsolt Zsemba 