How much do you know about your MC?

Marlys · Jul 24, 2014

WeaselFire said:
Everyone better be or they will lose the readers.

It's important for an author to know these things about a character (and not just main) for that character to be real on the page. It's not usually necessary for the reader to know. But all the tidbits can work their way into the book to enhance the reader's understanding. For instance, the character is limping on a sprained ankle:

"You want a hydrocodone for that pain?"
"Nope. Ibuprofen works fine for me."

Just that exchange can explain the character to a reader better than three paragraphs of straight description.

Jeff

Totally agree with your point, but that exchange might not be the best example. Hydrocodone just makes some of us itch.

onesecondglance · Jul 24, 2014

As a UK reader, I'd be going, "what the hell is hydrocodone?"

While the point is valid, feeling like you need to know all this stuff before you get into writing is an easy trap for new writers to fall into. It's the same as outlining - if that works for you, great. But it's equally fine to find this stuff out as you go along writing.

I'm in the middle - I outline but don't sketch characters. They tell me about themselves in the first draft.

onesecondglance · Jul 24, 2014

Having just checked, it's not surprising I don't know what hydrocodone is - it's a Class A drug in the UK. That's the same class as heroine, cocaine, LSD... so not exactly over-the-counter stuff.

Namatu · Jul 24, 2014

I don't necessarily write up character development but I think about how my characters were at various points prior to the story, before the reader even meets them, about whether they liked school or are their parents alive, are they morning people or what's their favorite phrase when swearing. And if they're a main character, I consider where they're going after the story (regardless of whether there's a sequel). These sorts of things help me add layers and detail to the story that are unique to each character.

JGL101 · Jul 26, 2014

I'm relatively new in the writing game— I'm closing in on finishing my first novel—but one of things I realized is that while I had a rough idea of who my M.C. was to start, he didn't crystalize until the novel itself was being written. In the future I'm going to do my best to sketch my people out a little better, but honestly it was sort inspiring watching him take a life of his own as the page count increased.

How much do you know about your MC?

Marlys

Resist. Love. Go outside.

onesecondglance

pretending to be awake

onesecondglance

pretending to be awake

Namatu

Lost in mental space.

JGL101

Consummate reader, novice writer