Why do you do the things you do? Did
a bad experience as a youngster make you wary of otherwise normal situations
now as an adult? Think of the things you fear, the things that bring you comfort
and the things that anger you; do any of these emotional responses link to your
past?
Your characters, as the “real” people
you want your readers to care about, had lives before page one and there has been
some conditioning that affects the way they feel and respond to things. Even if
you don’t utilize the character’s backstory, it needs to be there and no matter
how peculiar or unreasonable the character’s response might be it needs to be
an ingrained trait. And unless something significant happens to your character
in between incidents, the responses need to be consistent. BTW, if a part of
the backstory is significant to the tale you are telling, then do find a way to
tell it within your pages, it would be a great insight to give your readers.
Actors and actresses are often taught
The Stanislavski Method; the methodthat was originally created and used by Constantin Stanislavski from 1911 to1916 was based on the concept of emotional memory for which an actor focusesinternally to portray a character's emotions onstage. You need to understand who your
characters are and where they are
coming from. Build a history for each of your characters, know their likes and
dislikes AND why they have those preferences. As you write your story use your
characters’ motives (emotional memories)
to let them each decide how they will react to the hurdles you put in their
way.
As a writer, the author and creator
of the people who run through the pages of your book, you can produce the life-altering
event that does make their reactions change — romance writers do it all the
time; the independent, committed bachelor finally meets THE ONE that he can no
longer live without and so his formerly cynical view of marriage (inspired by
his parents’ multiple remarriages and testy divorces) now becomes something he
yearns for.
Writing Exercise: Create
three friends: One friend was raised in a large, loving, and financially
depressed family; The second friend was one of two children, grew up in a
mansion with servants and had little contact with jet-setting and wealthy parents;
The third friend was abandoned at a local firehouse and was raised in a large
and super-strict orphanage. Choose a recent real conflict from your own life.
Write a few paragraphs about these three friends and how each of them reacts to
YOUR conflict, they can be in it together or write about each separately.
Writing Prompt: Think
back to the most comforting/happy time you ever experienced. Make a list of the
sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings (touch) that you associate with
that time.
Challenge Assignment:
Put yourself into the last novel you read (or short story). Re-write at least one
chapter with yourself as the main protagonist and use your own history and
motivations to make any decisions the original character was faced with.
