Writers' Lodge 9: More on CHARACTERS

In this Issue:

• Reflections on Issue 8: Characters

• Kidnapping a character

• Some more exercises

• The importance of choice

Reflections

In the last issue of The Writers’ Lodge we talked about characters. We considered who they are and what they want, and talked about how to think about their flaws, and I finished with a few ideas for exercises you could try to take your own work forward.

Did you find it useful? How did you get on with the exercises? If you’re struggling, I can’t emphasise enough how useful it can be to apply these techniques to characters in books, films and TV shows you watch. Look particularly at their desires and flaws. Doing this can really help to hone your skills and make it easier to identify those things in the characters you’re writing. It can also be great fun!

Kidnapping a character

This is an exercise I did when I was at The Faber Academy, working on Before I Go to Sleep. I wrote about it in more detail here, but I think it’s worth revisiting it now.