Heyo! This is Imogen speaking-well, typing.

Thank you for being so patient during this little break we've had. It was finals week for a lot of people, so we decided to take it easy and remove some of the pressure for everyone. 

This week I want to focus on characters. I am a massive advocate for solid, strong character development because they can really make or break your story. You can have intricate world building, great structure, and a roller coaster of an arc, but if you have an underdeveloped character, it totally weakens the overall story. And a fascinating thing about characterization is that, if it's strong enough, your plot can literally be so simple, but its that incredibly character that sucks you in (characters like Holden Caulfield come to mind). 

Take out a pen and paper (or crack open a fresh Word document).

I want you to think of a character (this can be a character you used in prior weeks or you can start fresh with a new one). For one minute, I want you to jot down every single piece of information you know about that character. Don't worry about having detailed backstory or explaining the terms that you write down. Just use simple words and phrases like "cold town", "big fish, small pond",  "ambitious", "loves hockey"...etc. 

Remember, just one minute.

After that, I want you to circle the most important words you wrote down. The ones that sparked your curiosity. The ones that you wanted to elaborate on, but didn't have time. Take those and write a paragraph or so of backstory.

Why are these few words/phrases important to your character's development? What made these stand out above the rest? 

Ruminate on these paragraphs. Really delve into your character. If you'd like, write out a full out backstory as if your character is giving an interview about their life. What made them who they are now? What do they want next?

Think about these things and I'll see you in the next chapter. :D