Make Your Characters Come to Life

In fiction writing, one of the easiest ways to write or revise is to let your characters write themselves. Start by writing down some vital stats on your character, including physical description and current career and relationship status. Then delve deeper by compiling entire backgrounds on your main two or three characters. Backgrounds comprise vital childhood memories that helped shape the character, education, previous relationships, philosophy and religion. You could even write journal or diary entries for the characters.

After you've written these profiles, the characters and their motivations will write their own dialogue and actions within the plot of your novel. This texturing allows you to show nuances of your characters without giving everything away. Your reader will thank you for letting her use her imagination.

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