Bwwm book club {Open}

Character Building by NoirEleven

Hello Everyone! It's been a long time since I have updated the book club but I am happy to announce that it is back up and running. (Please see the rules section on how to submit)

NoirEleven thought it would be a good idea to kick off the return with a little advice on character building/structuring here it is.

"Building your characters identity and personality is hard and to be able to accurately portray that through words is a skill! 

However, one of the reasons why I love (and hate sometimes) Wattpad stories is due to the array of stories that portray the same character. 

There is only so many times that someone can read a story with a girl whose shy and struggles to show emotion until this amazing guy comes into her life; I am guilty of this too (see Sara’s Diary). Needless to say, I have learnt better and want to share my wisdom with you!

Once you have an inkling of an idea of what your story is about or the central plot, you can begin to construct the identity of your characters. This is because you need to know how they will behave, react, speak, feel etc. to your plot. 

Envision your character running in empty, cold woodland at midnight; what is going through their mind, what are they feeling, how are they reacting to this situation - remember to show and not tell. Show us their behaviour in detail, avoid telling the reader. 

E.g. ‘She was scared.’ or ‘Her bare arms were prickled with goosebumps as she ran through the dark forest. Curiosity edged her to look behind, to see if the monster was  still following in pursuit but her sight remained transfixed ahead as her heartbeat accelerated fuelling her sprint.’

As writers we have creative license to write whatever we want, whatever we desire and to us the portrayal of our characters is so unique and unheard of. Often we forget who we are writing for - the reader. In this case, it’s our duty to ensure that our character’s reek of interest. What makes them stand out? What makes them unique? What makes them quirky? Sad? Happy? Devoted? Evil?

Use other characters in your story to build on your main characters. How does one poor decision from your protagonist help your antagonist succeed in their evil plan? How does a long lost parent returning to your story affect the relationship of your MC and their adopted parents? 

Think of yourself as a puppet master. In your hands you hold the strings of all the puppets in the show; use this power to make your characters entertaining, worthwhile someone reading and never wanting your story to end."

Special thanks to NoirEleven  who not only wrote this piece but also for kicking the book club off from it's hiatus.