While reading Bird by Bird again, I came across this little bit about how we don't know our characters immediately. I've found this while writing. First there's the sketchy rough draft that pays more attention to the plot than to the characters. Two or maybe three drafts later, suddenly I know my characters. That is when the book suddenly falls into place.
Being a draft writer, I spend time figuring how the story will go. Not that it always follows that sketchy rough draft. That's because as the characters become more real they take on dimensions I didn't expect.
Right now I'm writing a book Wizards of Frye. Once again there's a dragon who suddenly developed a personality and because of this he has a viewpoint in the book. Didn't really expect that though in the second book in the series the dragons had personalities but they didn't have viewpoints the way this dragon has. This has spilled over onto the other characters in the book. At least to the hero and heroine. Becauseof the way then react and interact with the dragon who is so old he ca't remember his name when he was green and young. He is now yellowed with age.
So spend time with your characters. Listen to them and suddenly they will become animated and be more than the words on the paper. Also remember when you start the book you really don't know them. Knowing takes watching them grow and change.
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