Ok…you have your character be he a he or a she. Mine’s a he.
What is he doing? Where is he going? What mood is he in?
Then you have a place. Wher he is. What can he see, hear, smell? What is he thinking? How does what he is doing and his mood affect these things?
What happens?
How does he react to this? What does feel? How does he react? What does he do? What does he say?
Then what happens as a result?
How does he react to this? What does feel? How does he react? What does he do? What does he say?
THEN what happens?
…and so on.
What you have just done is to get in the skin of the character and enabled the reader to live the scene with that character.
Give it a go. Try it with your opening scene.
About Me
- Nick Poole
- Now over fifty (ulp!), Nick Poole has spent most of his adult life avoiding writing and drinking booze instead. The writing has finally caught up with him. He is a veteran of many Jobcentres, on both sides of the desk. He has signed on at Chatham, Purley, Croydon, Maidstone and probably another couple he has forgotten. He has (poacher turned gamekeeper) worked as an Advisor in Catford, New Addington, Greenwich and Forest Hill jobcentres. He has also devised and run courses for the long term unemployed. Despite these unproductive years, he still has delusions of genius and a grossly exaggerated idea of his own literary importance.
2 comments:
Hi Nick, it's Liam (LMJT) on Authonomy. Just thought I'd swing by and have a look at your blog and suggest 'The Writer's Idea Book' by Jack Heffrom, which a good reference book for plotting and working characters out through writing exercises.
Anyway, I've not been very active on Authonomy recently, but have been watching some of the tensions on the forums!
Liam
Alright Nick. Now I have visited your site. But, I have written non-fiction so I can offer little advice. haha advice from me is the last thing that you need!
Linda Lou long
Southern dis-Comfort
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