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It’s 10 PM: Do You Know Where Your Character Is?

When you think about your favorite novels or stories, perhaps you think about the settings or the story lines; however, it is more likely that you are drawn, with some level of love or hate, to the characters. If you’re anything like me, the characters I read become my friends and part of my contemplative world. I’ll give them advice as I read about their dilemmas, and I’ll wonder what their reactions would be to my day-to-day problems.

Fiction, unlike poetry, is best when there is a strong protagonist who is so believable that the words on the page portray a fully fleshed-out, three-dimensional, relatable human being with flaws and vices, with dreams, anxieties, and passion. But we all know that a character doesn’t automatically become a real person just because the writer has imagined it. Characterization takes time to cultivate. As Virginia Woolf discusses in her essay “Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Brown,” a character’s depth must establish the realism of a story in order to convince a variety of readers. Therefore, it is the job of the writer to create an intricately stitched coat of nuances that illustrate a multifaceted psyche and “the human experience” for each character.

Characterization is difficult to achieve for all writers. However, by embodying the characters, writers can more effectively strategize plot structure. So, how can we teach students to uncover the inner psyche of a fictional character?

In my creative writing courses, I guide students through an activity that presents them with personality and psychology tests—all of which must be answered through the perspective of a character in their story. I conduct this activity some time during the first draft. On the board, I write: “How well do you know your characters?” Students take a few moments to free-write to this question first. Then I suggest that the remaining activity will be a fun way to conceptualize their characters further and is not meant to become new scenes in their stories.

Here are some of the prompts my students have fun pondering:

  • Is your character more likely to go on a job interview, have a blind date, or stand in front of a judge?
  • True or False: I always read the directions first.
  • What does your character do for fun?
  • Where is your character’s “happy place”?
  • Is your character an early bird or a night owl?
  • True or False: I need the praise of others.
  • How would your character react to X event in this week’s news?
  • Word associate the following (symbolism in parentheses): dog (self), cat (partner), rat (enemy), coffee (sex life), sea (life).
  • Write a social media post.
  • True or False: I make a mess of things.

It is important that the students feel inspired to discover new aspects of their characters’ personalities. Students share answers throughout the activity, which further provokes intrigue and excitement for each other’s stories.

Margot DeSalvo (EdM, MFA) is a college composition and creative writing instructor in New York and New Jersey. She has spent over a decade of her career focusing on process and student-centered theories, basic writing, and college composition. Some of her poetry and other work has been picked up by Ghost City ReviewCalifragile, KYSO FlashNothing SubstantialSonic BoomClarendon House Publications, The Pangolin Review, Soft Cartel, Streetlight Press, Dying Dahlia, Flatbush Review, and Teaching English in the Two-Year College. In addition, Margot was the poetry editor for Flatbush Review, Issues 2 and 3. She is known for her amazing Italian Sunday sauce, her incredible organizing skills, and her love for coffee.

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