Last time we talked about some ways to write a character that evokes a deep connection with the reader. Today’s article is a continuation. You can read part one here.
Character Worksheets
Has anyone ever said you need to do some character work? Did they suggest character worksheets and interviews? I can almost hear seat-of-the-pants writers groaning. Do I have to?
It depends. If filling out questionnaires about characters background feels like a waste of time to and the idea is repugnant, it’s perfectly acceptable to fill in characters’ history while writing the draft or during editing. The process can be as neat and structured from day one as the author wants it to be, or it can be messy.
There are no First Draft Police
The point is, a character needs to have life experiences, beliefs, history, cultural influences, deeply held moral beliefs, and a multitude of other things that impact their behavior in the story world. All these details are given in tiny bits along the way and provide a riche experience for the reader.
When I read a story, if I don’t get to travel on the emotional journey with a character, I quickly become frustrated. I expect to have a deeper and deeper understanding as the story goes along.
Finding The Stress Points and The Quiet Times
Does this mean you have to rewrite your whole story? No. Look for the places where the character is under a great deal of stress, especially emotional stress. Drop in a few lines of backstory, reactions, their belief system, what they think and feel in that moment. No need to overdo it. Do the same for quieter moments that naturally lend themselves to introspection.
I enjoy using this method to discover things about my characters. Two or three sentences that fit into the story in an organic way can reveal much about the deeper aspects and inner life of my main character.
I went through my first manuscript and made notes that mostly said, What is she feeling or thinking here?
Explaining what my character was feeling and thinking improved the story immensely, but in the next round of edits, adding in crumbs of backstory and rounding my character gave the whole novel a depth previously missing. Now I had a character my readers could understand. At this point, I needed to make sure the character was relatable, and give my readers someone to empathize with. (The character will also need a goal, which I talked about in a previous post on GMC.)
If you feel your work is lacking in the emotional exploration department, go ahead and put it all on the page. Don’t hold back, and don’t worry about too much introspection during the drafting or editing phase. If a writer goes overboard, it’s easy to trim.
These tips won’t guarantee you’ll get the coveted acceptance letter, but if you assess your manuscript and realize that these things are missing, going deeper with your character will improve your manuscript.
Do you have any tips for evoking a deep emotional connection with readers? Leave me a comment.
Donna Jo Stone is an award-winning author of young adult contemporary and adult historical fiction. She writes about tough issues but always ends her stories on a note of hope. Her novels are about common struggles and finding the faith to carry on through those battles.
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2 Comments
I used to be the groaner. But I’ve learned that doing at least a little of the backstory work in the beginning saves time later on. Sometimes I have to amend those worksheets because I do a lot of discovery writing. And I don’t usually go as deep as what flavor ice cream would my character order. But by the end of the story I should know those answers. Taking time to think through the character’s GMC and wound—at least somewhat—helps me to better seed in those internal thoughts and emotions that you mention.
More than once, my characters have deviated from the initial worksheet answers, but that’s not a bad thing if you are a discovery writer! Thinking over the GMC and wound is a good place to start for sure.