Have fun with your characters. When you get stuck, try a
little exercise. I start by praying for God’s leading. Close your eyes and see
your character. Where is he/she? Think about the sights, sounds and smells
around them, putting yourself in their shoes. Now, what is your character
doing? Talking to someone? Looking for something? Painting a picture or just a
wall? Playing a musical instrument? Running down a road?
You may find new things out about your character you never
thought of before. I had a character, who had a lost love she hadn’t told me
about before. He returned to her life. I wound up with a whole new twist to my
plot. My character actually winds up marrying this lost love, who becomes a
stepfather to her son. This complicates family relationships and holds her back for a
time from making important decisions she needs to make about her commitment to God.
It’s funny how a simple five or ten minute exercise of the
imagination can help breathe new life into a story, give more depth to a
character and guide them down paths we hadn’t originally planned.
Do you have a “stuck” two-dimensional character that needs
to have more depth of “life” breathed into them?
Last week's prompt
I took about five minutes to write about last week's prompt,
which was fresh-baked bread. It led me to reminisce about
my bread baking days, when my sons were younger. Here are
my results, with little editing:
I miss baking bread. When the boys were little, I ground my
own white wheat berries in a grain mill, making it into flour. Then I used my
mixer with the dough hook to create lovely, pliable dough. The dough had a
grainy texture and a nutty taste.
As the dough sat in a warm spot to rise, you could smell the
yeast. Then as each loaf baked and was removed from the oven, the scent of
honey and wheat blended with the yeasty goodness. I couldn’t wait until it
cooled enough to slice and slather with butter. And my boys, big and
little lined up for a chance to sample the golden-brown bread.
Did you use last week's prompt and find it helpful? Here's a new prompt--write
about: Sunshine
WE HAVE A WINNER FOR LAST WEEK'S DRAWING!
Davalynn Spencer is the winner of the Amazon Gift Card! Congratulations!
Thank you to everyone who participated!
This week, please leave a comment for a chance to win an ebook edition
of Linda Glaz's Miss Fishfly, which Lily will be reviewing on Wednesday.
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