Characters: Getting to know them

Episode 015

Welcome back to The Writing Apothecary podcast and to our next lesson about characters, and today we’re getting to know them. We’re looking at the symphony that it takes to make all of the working parts move in sync.

To craft a believable, fascinating and memorable characters there needs to be a point where you start with them. Most of the time we create characters from memory and the mind. Your characters emerge as different versions of the people in your life.

The major points of today’s podcast are:

• Characters are a version of ourselves and the people we see in our lives.
• The best way to tell your readers about your character is to show them.
• The four methods of showing are: Action, Speech, Appearance and Thought.
• Action is in demand because it reveals so much about a character
• Speech can tell you a lot about a character with both the things they say and don’t say and how they say them.
• Appearance allows you to draw conclusions about character from their physical looks, gait, clothing style and facial expressions.
• Thought allows your readers to see your character take up space and become their best friends.
• Names are important, don’t forget to take the time to pick wisely.

Tell me what did you take away from this week’s lesson?

I’d love to know.

Also, I would really appreciate it if you took the time to rate and review the podcast it helps people find our community and gets the podcast out into the world a little more.

Resources:

• Character Bio PDF
• Gotham Writer’s Workshop Writing Fiction Novel edited by Alexander Steele
• The Writer’s Digest Character Name Sourcebook by Sherrilyn Kenyon