“When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people not characters. A character is a caricature.” – Ernest Hemingway
As a short fiction writer, I have never concerned myself with character development. I start writing, and the character comes out subconsciously. When the first draft is complete, I have gotten to know my character. I’ve spent time with him and know who he is. During the second draft, I bring him more into focus in the early parts of the story.
The good side of this is that it is very organic and spontaneous. It is beautiful, like watching a flower bud bloom before me in time-lapse vision. The bad side is that I am flying blind, and significant parts of the story will have to be re-written.
When I wrote my novel, I felt I needed to do a little more planning. I decided to utilize something closer to my method when writing screenplays. The way I was taught, in order to write a screenplay, you need to do a lot of preparation. You have to know your character before you start the first page because you don’t have the luxury of finding him in that format. Instead, you write character biographies, as in depth as you can, about the character and his life.
This is written as quickly as you can write it, much like laying down a short story. You don’t want to over-think the biography. Let it flow. Let the character speak through you. Don’t speak for him. If you think too much, you run the risk of making your character seem to convenient, or too stock. Don’t concentrate on the character’s actions within your conflict. Look at his characteristics away from it. What was your character like before his life went to Hell? You may not use it all, but you never know what may become important later.
If you are a writer, chances are you are a people-watcher, as well. Your mind has picked up various ways of speak, mannerisms, habits, and all sorts of character traits that you aren’t even aware you saw. As you work, these will flow through you. (more…)