Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter — What if? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers prompts —
The Exercise: Work with one of your completed stories that has a character who needs fleshing out. Take out a sheet of paper and number from one to thirty-four. At the top of the page, write in the title of your story and the main character's name — and start filling in the blanks.
No doubt you will be able to add to this list printed below.
Note: This exercise should be done after you have written your story. It is not a way to conceive a character, but rather a way to reconceive a character. It is designed to discover what you know about your characters after you have written your story — and what you don’t know. For example, one writer, Samuel R. Delany, tells his students to know exactly how much money their characters make and how they make it. And why not apply this list to some of your favorite stories? Note how much is know about the unforgettable grandmother in Flannery O’Connor’s story “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” or about the compelling narrator in Peter Taylor’s story, “The Old Forest.”
The Objective:
To understand how much there is to know about a character that you have created. Of course, it is possible to write a successful story about a character without knowing everything on this list — or perhaps only knowing two or three things. On the other hand, beginning writers often don’t know more than a character’s age or gender — and frequently neglect an essential piece of information that would have greatly informed or shaped their story. You needn’t include these details in the story, but their presence in your mind will be “felt” by the reader.
Lost and Found
1. Character’s name: Waabooz (rabbit in the Ojibwe language)
2. Character’s nickname: Peter or Cotton Tail
3. Sex: Male
4. Age: forty-five
5. Looks: blue eyes, missing teeth, two teeth in front, blue bow tie
6. Education: life provided his education
7. Vocation/occupation: friend to a few and Patrick currently
8. Status and money: broke, supported by others
9. Marital status: not married right now
10. Family ethnicity: family Leporidae
11. Diction, accent, etc., purring, clucking, honking, growling, and thumping
12. Relationships: mutual affection and social interaction, nuzzling
13. Places (home, office, car, etc.): live in homes with others, can ride in vehicles, love the outdoors
14. Possessions: seen as a symbol of plenty and of growth, soft and cuddlely
15. Recreation, hobbies: exploration, grooming, chewing, play, foraging
16. Obsessions: hating loud noises, strong smells, and confined spaces. He likes to hop and explore, without confinement or extreme temperatures.
17. Beliefs: He highlights interconnectedness between humans and nature.
18. Politics: liberal
19. Sexual history: sexually receptive 14 out of every 16 days
20. Ambitions: abundance, fertility, and growth
21. Religion: spiritual
22. Superstitions: rabbit foot, good luck
23. Fears: predators
24. Attitudes: mutual affection
25. Character flaws: Don’t always know when enough is enough
26. Character strengths: loving, kind, meek, and mild
27. Pets: dogs, cats
28. Taste in books, music, etc: The same as mine… The Velveteen Rabbit
29. Journal entries: no
30. Correspondence: no
31. Food preferences: carrots, and leafy greens
32. Handwriting: no
33. Astrological sign: fourth zodiac sign on the Chinese zodiac symbolizing mercy, love, elegance, and beauty.
34. Talents: Many
~~~~
Published first by Mercury Press on medium.com
About the Creator
Denise E Lindquist
I am married with 7 children, 28 grands, and 13 great-grandchildren. I am a culture consultant part-time. I write A Poem a Day in February for 8 years now. I wrote 4 - 50,000 word stories in NaNoWriMo. I write on Vocal/Medium daily.
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Comments (5)
How wonderfully detailed. I'm curious to read more about this character in the actual story!
I really love how detailed this is. It shows just how much depth can be uncovered when you flesh out a character.
Oooo, I love that Wabooz has cats and dogs hehehehehe.
Can't wait to read this bunny tale. Good job.
Another fun writing exercise, Denise! I love all the details you fleshed out about the bunny, missing teeth and all other imperfections. My favorite feature is that he is liberal. My kind of bunny.