Characters and where to find them!

So I was working on the beginnings of a novel. I had thought about my characters, written down their personalities and even picked out some pictures of their ideal appearance. It was all going quite swimmingly, but there were gaps in their persona and I was struggling. I could not pin down what I wanted and before i started studying most of my characters were written as I wrote. Of course I was suddenly in a position when I had to think about the ending before I had even written the beginning, Gulp!

It was through feedback I was advised to read a book, it's highly recommended for novel writers, and boy was I glad I'd invested in one...

THE WISDOM OF THE ENNEAGRAM

Why was it so helpful?

I can see the question forming through your mind. The answer is - it makes you answer questions about your character you hadn't even thought of. I was able to delve into the psychology, the sub conscious and conscious of them, and realise how different they were from each other.

I'm sure there are many more books out there to help with character building but I was surprised at how personal it became between me and my character. All of a sudden they weren't just living in my head, they were someone with feelings, needs, sexual instinct, social instinct and they had all sorts of ways they dealt with things.

It isn't a book about how novelists should write a character but it does make you put yourself in their shoes, for an hour, a night, a day, however long you want to work on them, and you'll be surprised at what you find out about them.

MY TIP: So if you've ever been like me, and found yourself needing to know your characters a little bit more, invest in one of these and you won't be disappointed. It's a book I would recommend you have on your shelf.

Happy reading and let me know what you think?