Need help organizing the notes on your characters? Need ideas for creating a more fleshed-out character? I have created a Writer's Character Sheet inspired by character sheets for role-playing games. It contains sections for Basic Info, Appearance, Traits, Personality, History, Flaws, Weaknesses, Ideals/Goals, Character Role, Relationships, and Timeline in Your Work. This post can be paired with my "Creating Characters" post as the information there can help you fill in these sections. Feel free to download this file and share it with others. It is a front and back sheet, black and white.
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While "fantasy" seems pretty straight forward, and its definition quite simple, the word in the writing world is actually quite B R O A D. There are many different types of fantasy out there, and knowing which subgenre category your writing falls into will help you write and market! But, Erin, why do I really need to know about the different types of fantasy? Well, reader, that is a great question! When you learn about the specifics of fantasy, it can help your writing and marketing. You can read other works in the genre you write or plan to write in in order to get a feel for your book, and maybe even some ideas. When designing, you'll know how to make your work fit in but also unique! Furthermore, knowing the type of fantasy your work is will help you market to a more specific audience, which can help sales! So, without further ado, here's a list:
Maybe you have a great idea for the plot of the story, but you have no idea what kind of characters should belong in this plot. Maybe you’re just looking for ways to spruce up your character. Whatever the reason, when making a character, you need to consider your character's role in the story and what makes them human, unique. In this post, I give you lists on information to help you form your "children"! Characters need to appeal to your reader; they need to be human. Humans are unique, complicated, but also defined by purpose. They have a reason for their actions, usually anyway. And so, your character's reason is not just defined by their personality but also their role in your story. These are the two things you must consider when making characters: role and humanness. Making a very detailed character can take time, as there are many things to consider. Let's start with their role in your story:
How do you prepare before you write? Knowing what kind of organizer and planner you are before you write is essential. This way, you will find what works best for you while you're writing. You could organize too much and run out of your creative juices. Or, you could organize too little and not know where to start when you begin writing. How writers prepare before they write generally falls on a spectrum from pantser to plotter. A pantser is a writer who knows a few details and flies with them. They don't like to restrict their writing with too much detail from preparation. The idea of a pantser comes from writers who "fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants.” On the other hand, a plotter wants to know as much detail of their story that they can before they sit down and write. They outline the story, characters, scenes, locations, and maybe even more.
You should discover if you are more of a pantser, plotter, or even a "plantser," in order to most effectively use your writing time. This table should help you. While you can jump "write" in to a writing project, it's always better to outline first. This way, you don't feel lost or lose hope on your idea. There are different ways to approach outlining, but I will share my method of outlining with you. I will also give some general outlining tips to help you outline your piece. Outlining is an important part of the writing process, no matter what type of writer you are. With an outline, you are less likely to feel stuck or lose touch with your work. Outlining may be what you need to finally jump into a writing idea you've been holding onto for ages.
The type of writer you are can affect how you outline, but I argue it always important to outline a work before completing the first draft. As you outline, you can brainstorm your piece's story arc, character development, themes, and more. To help you outline, I will show you how I outline and give you some outlining tips: |
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More InfoErin blogs because she wants to help other young adult writers and new writers. It's aimed to educate others on the writing and self-publishing process. If there is anything you'd like to know that she hasn't covered yet, please contact her! |