Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Characterization: Exercises from Maass
I'm working some of the exercises in the Donald Maass WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL WORKBOOK in order to strengthen my protagonist.
If you've never read the book on which the workbook is based, don't worry. You can get by without the main text. The workbook alone has valuable exercises and examples, and you won't feel lost.
I did a couple of the exercises yesterday, but this is the one that really helped me clarify some fuzzy bits about my main character:
I didn't find it agonizingly tough to come up with the answers. Just a little hard. :) I think that's cause I've spent three months thinking about my main character--even when I wasn't writing about her.
Yep, I already knew enough about my main character to know what her past has been like and why she was in the situation she was at present and what she feared. That's a good basis for figuring out the answers to the say/think/do questions.
Do this with your protagonist(s). I think it will help you come up with ways to add not only depth, but conflict. It helps with characterization AND plotting. If you can come up with situations where theu have to think/say/do things they never thought they would, then you'll have thought up plot complications, events and situations that stress your character and make them act like real people--who sometimes do things they never imagined they would.
If you can't afford to buy the workbook (tight budget?), then consider visiting Bonnie Calhoun's blog archives. She covered the entirety of the workbook on her blog last year. You can start here:
Bonnie Writes, June 2006
If you'd rather have your own copy to scribble in, use this link and support my blog:
Thanks. Happy exercise-ing.
If you've never read the book on which the workbook is based, don't worry. You can get by without the main text. The workbook alone has valuable exercises and examples, and you won't feel lost.
I did a couple of the exercises yesterday, but this is the one that really helped me clarify some fuzzy bits about my main character:
Step 1--What is the one thing that your protagonist would never, ever say?
Step 2--What is the one thing that your protagonist would never, ever do?
Step 3--What is the one thing your protagonist would never, ever think?
Step 4-- find places in your story in which your protagonist will say, do and think those very things. What circumstances? What consequences? Make notes on this NOW.
I didn't find it agonizingly tough to come up with the answers. Just a little hard. :) I think that's cause I've spent three months thinking about my main character--even when I wasn't writing about her.
Yep, I already knew enough about my main character to know what her past has been like and why she was in the situation she was at present and what she feared. That's a good basis for figuring out the answers to the say/think/do questions.
Do this with your protagonist(s). I think it will help you come up with ways to add not only depth, but conflict. It helps with characterization AND plotting. If you can come up with situations where theu have to think/say/do things they never thought they would, then you'll have thought up plot complications, events and situations that stress your character and make them act like real people--who sometimes do things they never imagined they would.
If you can't afford to buy the workbook (tight budget?), then consider visiting Bonnie Calhoun's blog archives. She covered the entirety of the workbook on her blog last year. You can start here:
Bonnie Writes, June 2006
If you'd rather have your own copy to scribble in, use this link and support my blog:
Thanks. Happy exercise-ing.
Labels: characterization, Donald Maass, writing exercises
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2 Comments:
Thanks for the shout out Mir!
Donald Maass is fabulous at teaching technique. You've given me an idea that I should put up a proper link to that series of posts!
Yes, Bonnie, you should! On the sidebar! I had to google it up. :) I remembered you did it, but not exactly when.
Mir
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