I’ve been pondering this topic ever since it came up in #WritersCoffeeClub on Mastodon earlier this week.
My response on Mastodon was to get a notebook and use it for everything writing related.
I love that advice still, but I’ve just thought of a better one that is also more writing related.
My advice is this: write letters from characters introducing themselves to you or each other. This can also take the form of a diary entry or two.
This is especially useful for discovery writers (aka pantsers) like me. It is part of my process either before I start working on an idea or when new characters show up.
It helps me tremendously to connect to those characters and I reference those letters often while writing.
As a poet who writes fantasy fiction, this is an important step to connect with a character’s emotional state and driving force. This, more than any standard character profile, helps me write my character.
And through this, I’m able to paint my characters vividly with simple words. They have nestled themselves in my mind, so it’s easy.
Give the character letters a try. Would love to hear what you think!
