What a Character!

Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go. -- E.L. Doctorow

So, yesterday I was reading our Whipped Cream Author Spotlight post from Mysti Holiday -- it's "Ten Things You May Not Know About Mysti" -- and had a bit of an epiphany, partly from the post and partly from the comments.

Most of the commenters shared something about themselves that was similar but different than something Mysti shared. Not surprising, really, since we're all different. But ... wouldn't it be interesting to do a "Ten Things You May Not Know About (insert character name here)"? Sometimes I think we forget to round out our characters, especially when we write short stories. We forget to give them quirks, or habits, or fears.

I think I'm going to go back and do just that for my characters in all my WIPs. Not only will it make them more real, it'll probably get the juices flowing for new scene ideas because I'll want to incorporate those things. Right?

================

In other news, and my Facebook friends already know this, we heard back from DD's new school. She not only aced her assessment tests, but the teachers found her confident and unafraid to speak her thoughts. She apparently fits in well with the current 7th grade, in both temperament and academically and is cleared to start 8th grade in the fall. Yay!

=================

You Are a Mirror

You are a very private person. You need your alone time to introspect and recharge. You don't mind being around others, but you prefer to spend the bulk of your time by yourself. You are a slow and critical thinker. You need to mull things over for a long time. You hold yourself accountable for your actions. You are constantly evaluating your life and trying to improve.

Are You a Mirror or a Window?

Yep .. that's about right.

===============