The Saturday Character Clinic - What is your character’s favorite season?
Asking the questions that bring your character to life.
Characters are memorable only when the author has taken time to consider the whole person. Emotions, flaws,and past experiences are important - details matter. While you can’t examine every aspect of a character’s life, each character must be considered carefully before writing your story.
THE SATURDAY CHARACTER CLINIC is dedicated to discovering how thoughtful questions help writers to better understand their character.
THE QUESTION CORNER
What is your character’s favorite season?
WHY THIS QUESTION MATTERS?
Thinking about this question may seem strange, but if you consider why a character chooses a particular time of year, it can help to reveal who a character is, or give the writer tools to reveal their character’s past.
It shows the individual’s personality without directly telling the reader what a character is like. Ex., if the maga loves spring, she could love the growth and healing it reflects after undergoing a long winter. This can be referenced by other character’s doing things around her.
This question is also a window into her current emotional state.. If a character’s favorite season is winter, it could reflect her feeling that the world is a cold dark place.
When someone picks a favorite season it is usually because of a memory of the past. A maga who hates the fall, may associate it with loss or despair. This could be because of a death of a loved one. The character’s favorite season may be the next season, because that is the time when they pulled themself out of their grief, and started to see the possibilities around them.
Revealing a character’s favorite season can strengthen the depth and symbolism in of the story. Readers already associate feelings to seasons. For example, winter is thought of as a time that survival is harder. If you’re maga’s favorite season is winter, and they are going on a heroic journey, it can help to reflect the harshness of their journey.
UNLOCKING THE CHARACTER - QUESTIONS BENEATH THE SURFACE.
Below are some of the basic questions when starting to plot a character. This is not a complete list, but it will start the conversation.
What is you’re character’s favorite season? What characteristic’s does she associate with this season?
How does her personality reflect her love of the season? For example, does she love the summer because it is warm? Is she a warm individual?
What things does you’re maga do in this season that she cannot in the others. Is there a festival that happens? Does she like the weather? Does someone come to visit? Is this a time when she is temporarily released from her obligations? Is this the reason the season is so important to her?
Does she look forward to the season all year? Does she dream about it? What does she think will happen once it arrives? Why is this important to her? What happens if what she dreams of does not happen? Does she become despondent?
Is your character trying to reconnect with the past? Does their love of this season reflect a time when a person or place made a major difference for them? Are they attempting to recapture a feeling from them? Would your character go back to the place the person lived, or where the activity happened?
POCKET-SIZED WORKOUT- TRY IT YOURSELF
What is your character’s favorite season. Think about someone in their past they remember deeply and who was in only there for the season you indicated. Write a dream sequence where she is remembering that time. Make sure you reflect the warmth, coolness, or other characteristics of the season, in your post.
CHECK IN
Do you have a season you love? Why? Is this reflected in the way you crafted a character in the past?
NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION?
What is the most significant thing that happened in your character’s past that shaped their personality?
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Bye for now. Have a great Saturday!
