The first tool I put in my StoryBox is ‘Character,’ because Characters are the creative conduits that flow story to us through action and interaction – and if we don’t have ’em, we don’t have a story. So with that in mind, I’m sharing a little trick that I developed to focus my attention on ‘Character,’ and help get those creative StoryBox juices flowing.
- Create a word picture of what they look, and sound like.
- Name them, and give them a past.
- Describe where and how they live.
- Figure out what work they do.
- Write down who they love, fear and hang out with.
- Note how they move in the world – how they feel, think and behave.
- And finally jot down their most cherished dream/s – and their most terrible fear/s.
- Then top it off with anything else that comes to mind – the little details that show you their depth.
I have an old 5×8 index card box full of characters and their descriptions, some inspired by people I’ve met, some who popped into my imagination from god knows where. My philosophy is simple: The more characters I meet, the bigger my pool of possible storylines, since character is story – and story is character.
An effective StoryBox is chock full of Characters, but there are other vital creative elements that keep them company that I’ll share in upcoming posts. But for now I wish you happy scribbling!
Photo Credit: London Scout