Play a game with your Characters

The Best Day/ Worst Day Game

Character development doesn't have to be dull. Try playing a game with your characters. In John Green's "Finding Alaska" his characters play a game of "Best Day, Worst Day" where each character told the others their best and worst day. I found this interesting because the answers each character gave told the reader the experiences that made them tick, gave them their drive and direction in life.

So . . . I thought, that may be a good character development game. Then I started to wonder what other games might be fun to play while getting to know our characters. hmmmmmmmm

Trying someting new: Developing character voice

Since I started this adventure in writing I learned pretty zippity-quick that in order to make it in this business, you have to have a strong voice. It took a while for me to get a grasp on "what" voice is. It's not the easiest to explain. However, KNOWING what voice is doesn't mean that it comes easy. I've finished my first Novel, UNSEEN, but I tried so hard to make sure all the words were perfect that I think the voice came across unnatural. I still love the story and will most likely go back to it one day and try to fix it. For now, I'm starting a new book. I'm aiming for a natural yet unique voice. So . . . before I begin the book, I've decided to get into my main characters head. I am starting a journal as if my main character were writing it. I'm hoping this will give me a good idea of who my character is, how she thinks, talks and even how the story will unfold. Usually I need an outline to write a book. But with this journal thing . . . I can just let the story take on a life of it's own. I'm hoping this journal will give me the structure for my outline. Who knows. It's worth a shot to try. That's part of the fun of writing . . . right?

So . . . what do you do to get to know your characters and develop their unique voice? I'd love to hear more ideas!