Guest post by B. Lynn Goodwin
Get Into Character
Would you like to get inside your character’s head?
Would you like to move and think as he or she does?
Would you like to take a flat character and make him or her three-dimensional?
Walk The Walk
Although this is actually an acting exercise, it’s an ideal way to get inside your character, discover multiple objectives, find obstacles, and turn the character into someone both likeable and flawed as well as universal and unique.
NOTE: Before you begin this exercise, breathe in your character (whatever that means) and exhale any negativity. Breathe her in again, and stand up in whatever way your character would. Begin walking as your character.
How is her walk different from yours?
Is her posture straighter?
Are her steps weaker?
Does she feel more weighted down or lighter than you?
Observe differences as you walk, and see what feels different about being your character than being yourself (whatever that means).
It’s fine to answer these questions in your head, but please don’t skip any.
Talk The Talk
When you feel comfortable in your character’s body, sit in front of your computer as she would sit, pick a font and color that she would use, and complete the sentence starts below.
Trust your character. The more you can become her physically, the more you will also be her mentally. There are no wrong answers. You’re just getting inside her head.
I recommend you either tape these sentence starts with space between them or have someone read them to you.
Speaking in the voice of your character, finish each sentence.
My full name is …
I live at …
I live with …
I am happiest when …
I daydream about …
My mind …
If I had my way …
I don’t understand why …
What I could do is …
Being scared makes me …
Sometimes I think that I …
I have a feeling that part of me …
A person’s family …
No one could help so …
If I were in charge …
I get angry when …
People perceive me as …
I hate …
People wouldn’t like it if …
I am afraid I …
I know …
I really am …
A person can’t be happy unless …
I’d love to hear how this works for you. Please let me know by using the Contact button at www.writeradvice.com. Thanks for participating.
B. Lynn Goodwin owns Writer Advice, www.writeradvice.com. Her memoir, Never Too Late: From Wannabe to Wife at 62 won a National Indie Excellence Award a Human Relations Indie Book Award, and a Pinnacle Book Award as well as being an Honorable Mention in other contests.
She is a reviewer and teacher at Story Circle Network as well as Writer Advice and is available to write guest blogs for your web site.
Connect with her on Twitter.
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