Tag: trying new things

Developing a New Character

On By Terry ConnellyIn prompt, Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

            It’s easy to reuse characters that we know and love. We’ve already established who they are, what they like and don’t like and the things they do. We’ve created friends, jobs, homes. And enemies as well as tension points.

            Your task is to create an entirely new character.

Do some online photo research by putting in age, skin color and gender. From that range of photos, choose one that seems the most likely to star in your next story.

Expand your search to include things they might wear, from top to bottom.

Add a quirk to their appearance. It might be a sprinkling of freckles or an entire constellation of them. Perhaps there’s a mustache turned up at the ends or maybe a hint of beard. Short hair, long, or none at all. Blonde, bleached blonde, tinted with blue or shaven completely off.

Choose height. Do you want your character to tower over others in an intimidating way or to be short and diminutive? Heavy or wiry? Muscular or flabby? Short neck or long? Wide square shoulders or droopy ones?

Next come up with about three likes and three dislikes. For example, hates bacon but loves rap music. Loves boots but hates the smell of coffee.

The more unusual the character, the more interesting the story will be.

Have fun with this one.

Play Acting

On By Terry ConnellyIn Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

Children love to pretend. They build forts out of sheets, dress up dolls, and talk to stuffed animals. The wearing of costumes is a real thrill, for when dressed as someone else, they assume personalities different than their own. They can bravely face foes when in the night they tremble at the thought of monsters in the closet. They can fly high into the sky despite being terrified of heights.

Many teens get involved in theater and choir during high school. They audition and hopefully win the roles they desired. On stage they are someone else. They might be the detective who solves the case, the soloist who normally only sings in the shower or the lover who woos a victim into a web.

Many adults enjoy play acting. Theater is a popular form of entertainment. Look at Broadway in NYC, big cities who lure in tours of Broadway plays and small local theaters who host events for crowds of a hundred. For thespians it’s a chance to be a child again, to put on the mantle of a character and to speak, move and behave like someone else.

Your task is to write a scene in which your protagonist is involved in theater or choir. There should be an audition so that readers will walk through the process, feeling the hopes, excitement and possible tears with the character. Give us the tension, the anxiety that accompanies being on the stage.

Not all things should run smoothly. Readers want to see glitches arise and watch how the character handles such events.

Have fun with this one.