Building Character!

Character Building

1. How would you describe your characters' personality? Is she a risk taker or risk adverse? An optimist or a pessimist? Shy or outgoing? Brave or cowardly? Confident or insecure? Write examples from her behavior that let you know this.

2. What would others label your character? A princess, a geek, a joiner, a leader, a bully, a loser, a success? Write what others see that makes them choose the label.

3. What secret is your character keeping from someone? How does this dictate the behavior of the character around that person?

4. What does your character love? What does your character dislike?

5. Who are your character's family? Where do they live? What do they do?

6. Who are your character's friends? Where do they live? How do they connect with each other?

7. What is in your character's closet or purse or backpack or school locker or desk or car? Describe the contents and what the character thinks of them.

8. Have your character address a letter to a beloved friend. Have the character write about the circumstances in his or her life that led to the letter writing and why it feels good to let the recipient know about these things.

9. Have your character address a letter to a despised enemy. Have the character write about the circumstances in his or her life that led to the letter writing and why it feels good to let the recipient know about these things.

10. Write your characters' journal entries during a difficult time. Let them talk freely about the others in their lives and what their thoughts and next steps will be.