How Do You Develop A Character For A Story?
• Keep a notebook close, and write down little details about real people. Does your friend have a strange way of twisting her hair when she’s excited? Do you notice how your brother has a comeback for everything? These little details make up the character. • Think of creative names. In your notebook, keep a record of names you might like to use one day. These include your friends’ names, your relatives’ names, and names you spot one day while you’re reading or surfing the net. Names like Katie and Joel are common and easy to remember, but you should record names like Arista and Montague, which you don’t see very often. • Names should be relevant to the setting of the story. A post-modern Japanese woman would be named Sakura and a teenage boy in Harlem would have a common name, like Tom. Fancy and syllable-heavy names should be saved for Fantasy and Sci-Fi Stories, and should be used sparingly. • Flesh out your character. If you are developing one very important character, have fun with
