Thoughts on writing characters
10 June 2024
I enjoy getting to know my characters. What motivates them to get up in the morning? What do they eat for breakfast? What is their typical work day? Does their job simply pay the bills or is it their passion? What are their hopes and dreams? Who do they come home to at night? And so on.
I draw from real-life experiences and people I meet and know to create three-dimensional characters whom readers can empathise with. Personality tests also help me understand each character better. A novelist’s main characters, in particular, have to be understood on different dimensions. Do they seek out new experiences? How do they manage conflict? Do they follow a plan or allow their day to unfold without a schedule?
Writing The Probability of Everything has been a journey towards understanding these characters, and a journey coming home to myself as a writer.
