Imagine Trying To Write Your Character's Background Information So You Know More About Them Before Throwing

imagine trying to write your character's background information so you know more about them before throwing them into a plot so chaotic they need therapy and ending up going down a rabbit hole of their whole lives-

ways you can further develop your main character

give them a misbelief

no characters have a personality when the plot starts. all of them have backstories, a past, and a mindset that they grew up with!

basically, a misbelief is the wrong mindset that they grew up with, and is also a belief that will be restructured by the end of your novel.

this not only shows character growth and development as their mind is "restructured" or they learn their life lesson, but also drives the internal plot of your story, which differs from the external (or action) plot that most people seem to read.

+ this gives readers a deeper insight to your character!

give them a goal

every character has a goal, or something they want in their lives. having them strive for it would essentially drive your plot, and may also help you dig deeper into your character's motivations!

this goal doesn't always need to be achieved, or may be impossible to (for example, someone wanting to meet a loved one who turns out to be dead; they may have not reached their goal, but it took them on a journey)

this goal should also be concrete if possible! vague ones like "they want to be happy," isn't very helpful. what do they think will make them happy?

(side note: wanting everything to be the way that it is can also be a goal, cause they're striving to make things go back to the way they were!)

more notes / explanations here! most of these notes in this post are taken from story genius by lisa cron, and i thought they might help. please take all this information with a grain of salt, and maybe use it in a way that'll work best for you! <3

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Subtext : What We're Not Saying

                Subtext in writing is everything characters don’t say. If you’ve been following me for a while you know one of my favourite things to say is “Characters never say what they mean” that’s subtext—it’s the implied, the unsaid, the hints picked up by readers, and it’s one of the most important parts of creating meaning in writing.

                Let me explain. A parent and their child are talking over the phone, maybe the context is the child moved out after a particularly bad argument and this is the first time they’re speaking since it happened. The kid says, “I really miss you and the rest of the family, I’m sorry for what happened, let’s not fight anymore.”

                The scene kind of falls flat. Where’s the conflict? The dynamic? The challenge? Through the child just saying exactly what they mean, we lose out on a lot of meaning—kind of ironically.

Instead, maybe they say, “They have daisies growing in the garden here, I think Clara would like them.” Better—we’re implying this kid is thinking of their sister, that they’re feeling a little homesick, or nostalgic for their old life. We’re saying they miss the family, they’re trying to connect again with Clara so they’re sorry for what happened, they’re calling because they don’t want to fight anymore.

                But without saying that, the parent can reply, “She’s into roses now.” A rejection of that connection, the portrayal that whatever that old life was has been tainted forever—it can’t just come back.

                That’s a very quick example, but there’s so much subtext you can create with the simplest of scenes. One of my favourite scenes I’ve ever written was two friends walking through a museum talking about the exhibits, but really they were talking about legacy, and their fear of their own mortality, all without ever saying that out loud.

                People never say what they mean because saying what you mean is scary. Had the child asked outright for that connection, they would have been opening up to outright rejection. Instead, the relationship can hide behind this implication—words between words. Subtext.

                Good luck!

this moment 🥹

Young Woo: Loving me is… hard.

Jun Ho: Yes, it appears so

Young Woo: But are you still going to?

Jun Ho: Yes.

building your main character

Hello :) I recently bought save the cat writes a novel but didn't have the motivation to read it until I came up with this new fantasy idea.

As a pantser, I really want to learn how to plot, and I thought this book was a good idea to give me some structure as to what goes into plotting (like know the rules so you can break them after pftt).

I decided to take some notes along the way so I don't have to keep re-reading this thing later down the road. It might be helpful, it might not be, but I thought it'd be a nice writing resource to put out to the world. ♥️

I think it's safe to say that most of us don't want to read, nor write, a perfect character - one who's good at everything, and has no problems in their lives.

Creating a flawed character, one that later transforms and learns a "universal lesson" is probably much more interesting to both read & write about (as most authors [like me] like to dump their trauma on characters lmao).

But to do so, your character needs:

A problem that needs fixing.

A want or goal that the hero is pursuing.

A need for their lesson to be learned.

Basically, a character's flaw (though doesn't need to be a HUGE one) or issue should be affecting, at least in their thoughts and possibly others, their world, relationships, and life. This is essentially their "problem," and one they hope to fix. It may also be seen as the start of their journey.

Aside from that, it's important for a character to want something, and be trying to get it. This is essentially what they think will fix their issues, but may turn out not to be true later on. This want should be tangible or specific in some way. And the fact that someone or something is preventing them from getting is, is part of their journey!

Side note: wants can also change throughout the novel. An example used was how Frankenstein goes from wanting to create life to wanting to destroy the very life he created. Not all characters get what they want, either. Take a character who wants to see their mother, for instance, only to find out she died in the end of the novel (sorry for this sad example lmaoo). Though she never gets to see her mother, she learns a few lessons along the way, and her getting to see her mother is what the novel may focus on more.

Characters can also be mistaken on what they think will make them happy, which is another reason why they think they want something.

That leads to what the hero really needs. Delve into their backstory.

Why is your hero so flawed?

What happened to them to make them the way they are?

What do they really need?

Essentially, this internal transformation (character development) combined with the actual plot and external action will create a plot/novel.

In the end, there may be some universal lesson or overarching perception that your character gains. Here's 10:

Forgiveness (of self and others)

Love (self-love, family, romantic)

Acceptance (of themselves, of circumstances, etc.)

Faith (oneself, others, world, religion)

Fear (overcoming or finding courage)

Trust (oneself, unknown, others)

Survival (will to live)

Selflessness (sacrifice, altruism, heroism, etc.)

Responsibility (duty, accepting one's fate, standing up for a cause)

Redemption (atonement, accepting blame, remorse, salvation)

Writeblr [Re-] introduction

I created a writeblr and then forgot what I wanted to do with it, oop -

Writing for the vibes, aesthetic, and concepts✨

Some basics about me;

You can call me Anthea, Ann and other variations are okay too

She/her

25+

WOC [first generation asian immigrant]

Queer

Neurodivergent

I love tag games, asks and events, and I like to return the favour💞

I try to plot, I try to pants, but mostly I cry

Looking to interact with;

readers and writers of fantasy, romance, and horror

lovers of fandom, found families, romances, stories dealing with trauma, magic systems with consequences and supernatural elements

people big on hopecore and "everything is about love"

Navigation;

This blog is tagged. I also add commentary in the tags on occasion.

My projects;

Novac [#wip: novac] NA, urban fantasy/mystery. The woods of Novac are haunted, and it's all Callum Sullivan's fault. Features: supernatural creatures, magic, trauma, queer characters of colour, found families, no romance, multiple POVs, exploring platonic and familial relationships, body horror, existential crisis, losing and finding yourself, coping mechanisms, the language of grief Or, What would I change about the show Supernatural? Almost everything but the general outline.

Grimm [#wip: grimm] NA, fantasy/romance. After Eris saves the world, who saves her? Features: magic, multiple POVs, court politics, corruption, the aftermath of war, coping with trauma, imprisonment, fairytale elements, life after being the Chosen One, the language of grief, love is both the question and the answer Or, What happens to the Chosen One after the prophecy is fulfilled?

Reaper [#wip: reaper] NA, urban fantasy/dark romance. The only humans who see Reapers are the ones who are already on their way to dead. Kat proves to be an exception. Features: magic, supernatural creatures, crime, body horror, corruption, grey to dark morality, bad influences, murder, revenge, pining, we can make each other worse Or, What happens when the only one who understands you is the personification of death? Kill more people, so you can keep hanging out, obviously.

Liar, liar [#wip: liar] NA, contemporary/romance. Just because she's a liar doesn't mean she's a quitter. Features: third-person POV, chronic pain, insecurity, loneliness, the early twenties romantic experience, depressed and anxious characters of colour, pining, therapy, fake dating Or, What happens when you accidentally fake date your unrequited crush? Hold onto why it's unrequited because they're out here trying to win Boyfriend of the Year, and you can't handle it.

Other media I like (in no particular order);

Hannibal

The Haunting of Hill House

What we do in the shadows

The Mandalorian

The Magnus Archives

The Umbrella Academy

Supernatural (fandom's version)

Teen Wolf (fandom's version)

Iron Man

Parks and Rec

The Witcher

Happiness

The Untamed

Demon slayer

Bleach

Avatar: The last airbender

Pride and Prejudice

Misc;

I follow and interact from my main @its-actually-withered

For a collection of my writing influences and inspiration, check out my side-blog @sunflower-soulstice

I've taken part in NaNoWriMo (will update with the link once it's November)

I have discord and twitter, feel free to ask for them😁

Other than that, it's nice to meet you all, I can't wait to interact and share our stories~