Show Some Author Appreciation From Your Characters With This #WritingPrompt

We are only a week and a half away from finishing out National Novel Writing Month 2020!

I don’t know if you are anywhere near as excited as I am about that, but I am ready to be done with this book of mine.

You may be feeling the same about your current work in progress, regardless of when you’re writing it.

It’s easy to get frustrated with first-draft manuscripts, which was why the first half of these writing prompts had us letting out our frustrations.

Today, we’re going to keep the love going and return to letters from our characters.

The first prompt of this category had our characters telling us everything they didn’t like about us, but it’s time for them to show some appreciation for the people bringing them to life!

How much do they love the story you’re putting out there?

How are they adjusting to the spotlight?

Just how thankful are they for you taking the time to write their story?

Let your characters shower you with the love of everything you’re doing right, then get write on in to your daily session.

See you tomorrow!

My Response

Dear Andrew,

Thanks for everything you’ve done for me. I know this struggle has been hard for you. I know that, since the start, you have rattled your brains trying to figure out who I am and how to tell my story. If it were up to me, I’d have told you everything you wanted to know from the start, but, as with any other book, is it not just part of the journey? If I’d have given you everything you wanted to know would you have treated this with less sincerity?

I doubt it, of course, because you always give your all to every project. That’s what I chose you. I knew that, even though you’d enter into this with an idea of me being an “example” story that you would treat it as more than such. And you have, haven’t you? You’ve cared more about this story than you’ve let on, and it’s gotten you into more than one temper tantrum along the way.

But that’s why I’m here with you. I picked you because of that passion. I knew you were going to throw yourself into this, look sleep, and get out on the internet looking like a raccoon. But I chose you because I knew you could do it. And would you look at that — you’re almost done.

-Vaeda

Use This #WritingPrompt To Promote Your Main Character to Your Best Friend

I hope you have decided to push through the first half of National Novel Writing Month 2020 and join me for the second.

Even if you’re not in NaNoWriMo, sometimes you just need an extra boost when it comes to your writing.

Our last few plots have let us get out all the frustrations we’ve had toward our characters, plots, and settings, but we’re going to brighten up everybody’s days a little and do the exact opposite.

Today, I’d love it if you could focus on everything you love about your main character or characters.

They’ve been with you from the start, so there has to be some redeemable qualities to them, even if they drive you crazy every so often.

What about them still intrigues you?

What about them makes you love more than characters in books you didn’t write?

If you could spend a day with them, what would you do?

Strengthen that bond with your character by sprinkling in some honey with your words, then get write on in to your daily session.

See you tomorrow!

My Response

I’ve obviously had my up and down struggles with Vaeda, my main character, especially if anyone has read what I’ve written about him so far. Since crafting him from the nothing, I feel like he’s given me a complete run for my money as far as being a writer goes. But the thing is, the more I get to know him, the more I find myself channeling him. I’ve been struggling with self-deprecation and depression during the writing of this novel — standard considering the themes — but I think of him any time I want to give up. Vaeda is in a position where he has to be the only person who has any hope and belief in what he’s doing, and in some ways, I’m in the same position.

He has those close to him, and it’s not like I’m completely alone, but I feel like Vaeda understands what it’s like to carry a burden you don’t want. I think he’s a much stronger character than I had anticipated when I first started writing him. He’s pretty quiet and reclusive, which allows me to spend a lot of time in his head, which is also kind of cool. I think he’s very connected with his mind, despite what’s going on, and I’m trying to find that all within myself, as well. Any time I want to give up hope, I remember how he carries on and how I have to carry on for him.

For someone I felt like chose me instead of the other way around, he could become one of my top five favorite characters by the end. I’m excited about the rest of his adventure and to see what he does. It’s still difficult to explain to non-writers how characters and stories take a life of their own. I’m just grateful that, the more life that’s breathed in to Vaeda, the more I like him. Otherwise, Lord knows I would have given up on this bitch after chapter 2.

My Main Character Drives Me Nuts

If you’re closing in on the halfway mark of National Novel Writing Month 2020 like I am, it’s hard telling how you feel right now.

Even if you’re on a novel writing journey of any sort, it’s hard to tell where you’ll be at.

Some of these prompts have had our characters looking at us as the authors with the magnifying glass.

Letting us know everything they didn’t like about us our how we were representing them. 

Today, we are going to turn the tables on them!

Today, we’re going to let our pesky little characters know just how much they annoy us.

Are they not doing what you’re telling them, even though you’re the one that’s supposed to be in control?

Did they give you too much attitude when you started to let them run free in your mind?

Are they just making your story that much harder to write?

Let them know how they can be a better character, then get write on in to your daily session.

See you tomorrow!

My Response

Vaeda is becoming very cyclical I feel. Or I fear, rather. He’s responsive enough to the things I tell him to do, and for a character that’s been constructed and designed out of the either, he’s not doing such a bad job. Apart from the fact that he’s really refusing to connecting with me, though. I’m doing a lot of effort and spending a lot of time trying to picture him, but he’s really taking this whole “I can’t see” thing seriously and not even letting me in on what he looks like.

These black energies that I’m writing about in my book are because of how distant I feel toward him. I want to feel more connected to him. I think he’s actually a pretty strong character, and I’d like to connect with him on a deeper level. Such is life, as with every other man, there is no deeper connection. Nothing more than whatever surface level crap he’s ushering me that’s supposed to help me make this into a good story.

Doesn’t he want to be represented better? Doesn’t he want people to be hanging on to every word of his story, scared they’ll miss a detail? He’s too focused on figuring out how he’s been wronged to think about ways to make his story more interesting. Only one of the two of us involved here actually cares about that. Sounds like he and my dog would be great friends.

Side Character Spotlight!

Hopefully, you haven’t lost too much sleep on this National Novel Writing Month 2020 adventure.

Or, hopefully you’re not too hard on yourself for wherever your word count is at whenever you are in your personal writing storyline.

Anyone who knows me knows I love me some good character-driven stories, and I’ve, personally, enjoyed responding to the character prompts from this month the most.

However, if you are anything like me, sometimes you can get stuck on just one character.

The main one, usually.

Today, whether you have one character that hold point of view screen time or multiple, choose a side character that we never get to spend time with and explore a side story for them.

What is something from their past that makes up who they are in the present?

How has that event shaped them as a character?

What relevance might it have to the story, even if you never get to physically write it out?

The main character is sometimes only as strong as their supporting cast, so delve into the minds of the people surrounding them, then get write on in to your daily session.

See you tomorrow!

My Response:

When Cochava was younger, she never asked to watch her sister get murdered. She never asked to feel like she was next, or to hide underneath her bed as she shook and waited for the murderer the leave. The murderer she had trusted at one point in her life. A man she could probably give thanks to for being alive. A man she once called father.

She never knew what her mother, her sister, nor her had done to upset her father so. But she’d never forgotten the last look on her sister’s face as her father sliced her neck open. The way their eyes met in a last look of pleading. Cochava wished, still to this day, that she could have done something to save her. It didn’t matter, for regardless of time — even that spent in the Lanniswell Hollow — she did not forget.

From that moment forward, she swore she would never trust anyone. Her father had looked at her after he killed her sister, and it seemed as though seeing her crouched underneath her bed forced him to realize what he had done. He let her go, for whatever that meant, and left her, alone and scared, to fend for herself. She was all of nine years old when that happened, and no amount of time passed could change the effect it had on her psyche. She’d never seen her father again after that, but she swore if she ever did, he’d never live to see another day.

Angry Characters? #GetWriteOnIn to Their Issues With This #WritingPrompt

If you’re here on publication day for this video, you’ve just made it through the first week of NaNoWriMo 2020.

One way or the other, so far, at least, we’ve all survived the first week of November 2020.

Hopefully.

Whenever you are, I hope your story is going well.

Our last few character prompts have seen us journaling as our characters and interviewing them, but today we’re going to turn around the spotlight.

Today, you’re going to let your character tell you all of the problems they have with you.

How much do you annoy them?

Are they happy with the way you’re representing them?

Do they think you’re giving them enough time and attention?

Are they bored and lonely?

Who’s really at fault for the disconnect here?

This is your time to let your character unleash all of their frustrations.

Once they’ve blown off some steam, it’s time for you to get write on in to your story.

See you tomorrow!

My Response

From Vaeda, my main character.

You better not screw this up, dude.

Seriously, I get it. I’m random. You had no idea who I was a few months ago, and it’s not like I just “came to you” like your other characters or whatever.

But do not for one moment forget that it was I that chose YOU.

So far, I think you’re doing a pretty good job, if I’m actually being honest. I chose you because I had faith in you, so don’t start getting twisted and egotistical thinking this is all your doing. If I hadn’t decided to make myself known to you through the randomness of the generators and by simply assuring that my name bore your favorite letter, this wouldn’t happen.

You’re welcome.

All of that being said, though, I’m getting a little tired of all of these comparisons you keep making to me and your other characters from other books.

When are you going to realize they have nothing to do with this?

This is OUR story — nope, I’m so sorry, scratch that — this is MY story, so if you would please desist with all of this self deprecation and just allow me to EXIST LIKE I ALREADY DO, that would be great. The story’s going fine, and it doesn’t matter if anyone is here or not. I’m with you on comfort levels when it comes to thinking about who may be here with us They may be your words on the line, but it’s my life people either attach to or don’t.

At least you (probably) don’t have to worry about people hoping you die.

Practice This #WritingPrompt to #GetWriteOnIn to Character Interviews

Getting into the mind of your character can be a bit tricky sometimes.

If you tried out the character journaling prompt the other day, it may have helped you connect with the mind of your character.

Today, we’re going to tweak that exercise, just a little bit.

Pick a character — perhaps a side one you haven’t spent as much time with for this one — and put them in the hot seat.

Play a detective and interrogate your character.

Ask them the questions to the answers they won’t offer themselves.

Dig deep into their psyches to see what makes them tick.

Sometimes, in journals, even when you act as your character, there are aspects of ourselves that remain in denial.

This is an exercise to “sit your character down” and have a chat with them.

Depending on the theme, mood, and character, this can vary in intensity, of course.

But talk some things out, get some answers you might be struggling with, then get write on in to your story.

See you tomorrow!

My Response:

Character: Runavan

Me: Why aren’t you telling me what you know?

Runavan: *After a shrug* I have told you what I know. It’s not my fault you don’t want to believe me. My memory isn’t what it once was, and it isn’t my fault.

Me: Aren’t you afraid of what’s going to happen?

Runavan: Of course I am. But what else am I to do? The future is always scary, but sometimes so’s the past.

Me: I feel like there’s more to this that you’re not telling me.

Runavan: Of course there is, but why would I tell you more? Wouldn’t that take away the fun of the exploration?

Me: But I feel stuck sometimes. I feel like I don’t know where to go because I feel like I don’t know how to connect to people like you. People who know more than they let off.

Runavan: You aren’t as right as you think. While I know plenty somewhere deep within me, neither of us know how to unlock that yet. Until you go forth and explore, neither of us will ever know the answer.