Some characters are already fully fledged by the time you write them, but others take more time to figure out.
Should you go ahead and write them, finding out along the way, or should you wait until you know everything before writing?
Some characters are already fully fledged by the time you write them, but others take more time to figure out.
Should you go ahead and write them, finding out along the way, or should you wait until you know everything before writing?
I wrote a character in my first book who was never meant to be more than a bit of a rogue designed to lead the main character astray. As I wrote the sequels I got to know him better. All his behaviour was explained and he turned out to have a much better moral compass than the guy he was leading astray. In fact, he's ended up being a bit of a hero in the back end of the series.
I agree with the guys above because I think quite often a character you believe to be complete is merely one you haven't used to their full potential yet.
Even if you write a two to three page synopsis on your characters like Malorie Blackman, I do not believe a round character is ever fully fledged. Characters learn and grow throughout a novel. As they evolve you may find that it is they who guide your pen.
Charlotte Bronte - 'The writer who possesses the creative gift owns something of which he is not always master.'
It depends, many people choose different ways, but I personally just like to think about the character's basic traits and behavior, childhood, pains etc. After I'm done with that I just question myself, "What if?", by imagining the character in a variety of situations, I think, what would he or she do, "What if he knows he will die very soon?", "What if he has to choose between saving his friends or family?" etc and I also try to think up their reason's for their choices( Thus the need to explore their upbringing and past and pains etc.). After I choose their answers I understand the character very well, so I write just about him or her. And in any situation- what would they do; that is how I keep going and when I finish I end up with a complete character- complete because I know what he or she might do, and I understand and sympathize with the character and their actions and reactions.