Is your NaNoWriMo story going nowhere? Here’s one possible solution:
Throw in a new character.
Don’t have time to create a new character? Here are some quick ways to create a new character for your work-in-progress:
- Index Card Shuffle: Take 10-15 index cards. On each card, write one character trait (ex. loves cars; wears homemade dresses; talks in a whisper, etc.). Randomly draw three cards. There’s your character. Draw three more. There’s another character.
- Myers-Briggs: Google descriptions of Myers-Briggs types. Pick one for which no character in your novel is represented. Turn that description into your character.
- Writer’s Guide to Character Traits by Linda Edelstein: She has broken down personality types into easy to understand descriptions. Pick one and use it to create a new character.
- Foil: Create a character who is the total opposite of your protagonist. If you already have one, create one for another character who needs some shaking up.
- Character Generator: Google “character generator” and try one you like. I use SeventhSanctum.com.
These are just a few ways to quickly create a character if your novel needs to break out it’s monotony. Don’t worry if they don’t seem fully developed at first. You get to develop them more in your second draft. And your third!
Photo by Engin Akyurt from Pexels
Andrew M. Friday 