• Home
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Link to Me
  • Contact & Comments

ENHANCING CHARACTERS WITH LISTS

Posted on June 18, 2013 by writ7707 Posted in Uncategorized 3 Comments

A WRITING BLOG About Playing Around with a Story Line in Different Literary Genres and Different Literary Modes

Writing Leap #23     Enhancing Characters with Lists

It’s lovely when your character evolves under your very “writing pen.”  Making a List of his or her traits can deepen the process.  Sometimes listing vivid physical descriptions, passions old and new, peeves, grudges and talents can trigger new ideas about the person you are creating, even as you jot them down.

Making character lists can evoke inner valleys and hills that may not even appear in the story.  But they may deepen your overall perception of how your character experiences his or her life.

Keep the items on your list brief!  Otherwise you might as well write a paragraph.

I really get to know my characters with my lists.

The Story Line is

Discovery!

Here’s my list for my character Cap’n Hatch

 84 years old.

 Medium build, in good physical health, energetic

White hair that curls over the rim of his baseball cap–that he wears backwards

Born and raised in Nantucket

Grew up learning lobster fishing from his father

Has always loved the sea because it takes him away from people

A successful fisherman

Bonded with his golden retriever 

Shy with girls when younger

In school together with Grammy Apple when they were children.

She showed him a magical world where he could hear the conversations of fish and mermaids

When they grew up he asked her to marry him.

She loved him like a brother and married someone else.

He never got over her.

Outwardly very grouchy and has that reputation around town

Secretly conducting an internet romance with 86 year old lady from Boston

Terrified people will find out and laugh at him because of his age.

***

I am adding and crossing out on this list and others as I write.  In daydreams and on the page.  I love my lists.

Happy Writing all you Creative People, 

Autograph

LINKING THE ARTS

Good Verb:  to spark, as in one list item can spark the next and the next and the next

This journal is meant as a means to organize an autobiography.  But I think it can be used to explore  character traits in your fictional character as well.

 By Lisa Nola and Nathanial Russell This journal is meant as a means to organize an autobiography but it can be used for categories to explore in your fictional character as well.


By Lisa Nola and Nathanial Russell
 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

« WRITING CHILDREN’S BOOK REVIEWS
DESCRIBING WHAT YOU SEE »

3 thoughts on “ENHANCING CHARACTERS WITH LISTS”

  1. Denise says:
    June 19, 2013 at 3:36 am

    What a great list, Cynthia! It really does shape his character a lot! I can just picture him and his apparenace and his actions. I can’t wait to read more. 🙂

    Reply
    • writ7707 says:
      June 19, 2013 at 1:59 pm

      Thanks Denise! Grumpy old Cap’n Hatch would love you. He’s a teddy bear underneath.

      Reply
  2. Carol Bell says:
    June 20, 2013 at 6:11 pm

    Cynthia, your site is so helpful in so many ways. You cover a lot of ground, both in genres and ideas. Becuase I’m starting a second book, I’m eager to start my lists. THANKS!

    Reply

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow Me

Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket

Recent Posts

  • WRITING ABOUT OUR ANCESTORS
  • WRITERS AND ACTUALLY WRITING
  • WRITERS AND OUR LEGACY
  • WRITERS AND SANTA
  • WRITERS AND BOOK PUBLISHING

Subscribe to theNewsletter

Latest Tweets

Tweets by @writingCMW

Archives

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Link to Me
  • Contact & Comments
© Writing Like a Dancer