It can be so easy to feel like you know your characters. Every time you sit down to write, you find yourself writing inside their heads - you know which characters they like and dislike, you know their family history, you know where they live and (hopefully) you know where they're going.
But sometimes, this isn't enough.
The more you know about your characters, the more three-dimensional your world will become. Readers thrive off characters - they like to know what makes Fagin tick, what Katniss fears, and why Ronald Weasley loves the colour orange. Even if you never include the extra information in your story, it helps you to form rounded characters on the page.
In fact, when Chris Columbus began casting for the film adaption of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone', J. K Rowling remarked that the director was 'slightly taken aback' with the amount of background information she gave him for Dean Thomas, since he was such a minor character.
Exercise
So, to start you off, I want you to go buy something for your character. A gift. As cheap or expensive as you like. And then I want you to write how your character really feels about receiving this gift.
Are they happy? Annoyed? Looking hopefully in the direction of your bag to see if a diamond ring will come next? What do they secretly think? Does the cat-rubber give them bad memories of being clawed as a child? Is the tomato peeler essentially useless since they hate tomatoes? Is the extra-large jumper completely insulting because they're only a large... and a bit... but it doesn't matter since the diet starts tomorrow..?
Post your thoughts below!
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