Here’s an interesting character!
GETTING INTO CHARACTER!
As a teenager I wanted to be an actor and did lots of drama classes where you inhabited a character’s body and became them, to really understand what they were about and become them on stage.
I’ve adapted these theatre exercises to help me get inside the heads, and bodies of my characters. I’ve used this practice for over a decade myself and used it in workshops on my retreats, with really great results for my participants’ stories.
LET’S DO IT!
- Sit quietly, feet on the floor with a pen and paper or your computer ready to go. But not yet. Hands in your lap, eyes closed, take some deep breaths or do one of my Youtube meditations to get into your “creative zone”.Â
- Once you’re relaxed and that shitty inner critic has shut up, imagine you are inviting your character to come and say hello. Some will appear in front of you quickly, keen to have their say. Others can be reluctant (they’re usually the ones that really need help to come alive on the page) so tempt them with their favourite treats. Eg: Beer for a footy-player, lollies for a kid, a cup of tea for a grandma. This can work for fictional characters and those in your memoir – particularly useful for family histories where you’d love to get inside Granny’s head.
- When they’re standing in front of you, get a good look at them, what they’re wearing, the smell of them, any unexpected clothing details, what kind of shoes do they wear, etc. After the pleasantries, ask their permission to enter their body. (I told you this exercise was freaky!) In your minds’ eye, step forward and into the body of your character.
- Once you’re imaginatively inhabiting them, FEEL what it’s like to be in their body. How is it different from yours? How do they breathe? How do they move? Where are their aches and pains? How do they walk? Talk? Eat? Think? How busy is their mind? What are their predominant thoughts? Their self esteem? Their self talk? Their thoughts about others?
- Then feel deeply into their heart centre. What is their predominant emotion? When I did this with my castaway cabin boy character, I was surprised to learn he was filled with rage, more than fear, which was what I had thought. Don’t be afraid, you are still you and don’t have to be stuck in their bodies and feelings forever. What are they FEELING?
- To finish put a hand in their pocket, or handbag, or under their hat, and pull out a talisman, lucky charm or other special object that they hold dear. What is it? A photograph, old and worn? A love note? A broken watch? A ring?
- Still inhabiting the character, get them to write a monologue in first person about that talisman, telling the story of why it’s important to them. Free-write for as long as it takes to get that story told.
- Once they’ve finished, come back into your own body. Visualise stepping back out and into your own body, then tap your heart centre several times, also stamping your feet on the ground to make sure you’re back grounded being you!
What’s her lucky charm? What’s in that handbag?
This talisman story should give you vital clues, not only to the character’s emotional goals, but also to their voice. We need each of our characters to have a clearly individual voice and getting them to tell a story in first person is the best way I know to find their unique traits.
You don’t need to include the story in your book, but it will give you great clues to the character’s motivations and how to use their unique voice in dialogue and point of view chapters. You can easily change the monologue into third person if necessary.
Want more tips on character development? Try these extra articles:
CREATE COMPLEX CHARACTERS IN 5 EASY STEPS
And THE C WORD METHOD FOR CREATING CHARACTER DRIVEN NARRATIVES
Let me know how you go with this freaky, but fun, exercise of the imagination.
What works best for you when developing characters? I’d love to learn.
Lots of love
Edwina xxx
PS. Early bird prices for our fabulous Heavenly Hoi An Retreat Feb 2- 7 2024 end on 30 September. Don’t miss out!
Edwina Shaw 