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You have the plot laid out in your head. Maybe you've done an outline or treatment and you know where the story's going. But you can't get a fix on your protagonist.
Sometimes doing a character history helps. Even if you don't use one thing you've put down the act of writing stuff about a fictional character gets you back on track.
I've seen lousy ones that say things like "Her favorite color is read and she likes to sleep late and she's had a crush on her camp counsellor. The best ones are long and detailed. Oh, and personal. They start when the character is a child and work up until the current age. Specifics always make a difference. Pretend he/she is in therapy and is talking about the dark moments of the past. Or the happy ones. Or the crazy eccentricities and phobias. Likes and dislikes. Smokes too much. Drinks too much. Closet eater. Closet spendthrift. Closet whatever.
What you want is a complex person with lots of shadings and contours.
The deeper you get the richer your character will be. |
