We kicked off Preptober last week so to help set up for success we’re doing a short series of one week writing challenges. This week our challenge is in character development. From the time you finish reading this article until Sunday, October 18th your goal is to create and develop five characters. 

If you’ve already picked out your November writing challenge, you may already have some characters in mind. Use this as a chance to develop them before you start your novel. 

Character Basics

I almost always recommend starting with a concept. An easy way to get a character concept is to come up with a word that describes them, and a role they fill. Descriptors can be anything from a single adjective to a short phrase like ‘world weary’ or ‘heart of gold’ to give you a good base to work with. Roles are a little more nebulous but it helps to think of them as things your characters could be. That might mean anything from a familial relationship such as a father, child or aunt. Roles might also be occupations such as teacher, pharmacist or princess. 

If you’re struggling to come up with a good character concept, start by coming up with a list of 5-10 descriptors that fit the theme you want your story to fill. Then come up with an equal number of roles that would matter to your story.* Once you’ve got both lists together, grab some dice or a random number generator and roll out some basic concepts. Pay attention to the ones that interest you the most. 

*Avoid using roles like ‘protagonist’ or ‘antagonist’ as these are mostly related to the specific techniques used in writing and won’t help much. 

Building on Basics

Now that you have some concepts it’s time to get start developing your characters. Treat your concept as a sort of title for your characters while you’re developing them. As an example if your concept was ‘Red Riding Hood’ you may ask yourself how they could have gotten the title and what people might assume about them due to that title. It may also help to ask yourself what you would expect the title to require. This is only for the purposes of character development! You don’t need to include it in your story. 

You should be about ready to start your character development. For some of us that means outlines, family trees and other worksheet-styled means of figuring out our characters. For others, you may find that trying to develop a character works best when you’re actively writing. Choose the method that best suits you for the next part: Plotter or Pantser

Writing Process Styles

I’ll pause here for a moment to explain: the writing process has a spectrum. At one end you have writers who plan, outline and organize before they start the story. Often these writers are called Plotters, Planners or Architects. On the other end of the spectrum you have writers that write the story first and figure out the plan later. These are called Pantsers, Gardeners or Discovery Writers. 

And some writers don’t fit neatly into one style or the other. They may outline a couple of scenes and then write until they get stuck and come back to do a little more outlining. They may also do a lighter version of outlining. They’re often called Planters. 

No matter how you approach the writing process, find what works for you. If you don’t know which one fits you the best: try different things! This week’s challenge is a good chance to test out your process and see what you like best Your process needs to work for you. 

Pantser or Discovery Writers

If you’re the kind of writer who figures out their characters best by writing about them, then you’re in luck: I have ten flash fiction prompts aimed at character development. Your goal this week is to write at least 5 flash fictions of up to 1,000 words to explore your characters. Try different prompts for different characters. 

Your prompts: 

1. The moment that scared them the most. 
2. The last conversation they had with a loved one. 
3. A time they unexpectedly succeeded. 
4. When they met their partner/lover/spouse for the first time.
5. What happened when they left home. 
6. The first time they broke a promise.
7. The last time they cried in front of someone. 
8. The most useful lesson they learned. 
9. When they met their childhood idol. 
10. When they discovered a terrible secret. 

Plotter or Architect Writers

If you’re the kind of writer who works best with a plan then your goal this week is to get 5 complete character profiles together. To do that you’ll need to write 3-5 sentences each on: 

• Their childhood or adolescence
• Their family or loved ones. 
• Their current occupation
• What they want most out of life
  • What’s stopping them from getting it
• Who in their life supports them
• Who in their life opposes them
• Who they support
• Who they oppose. 
• What motivates them
• What failure means for them. 

Don’t forget to include your characters’ names and a brief description in your profiles! 

Which path will you be taking this month: Plotter or Pantser? Let me know how you’re building your characters in the comments below!