Eat, Drink and Be Character

Want a bit of insight into your character's world, try eating food they would eat.  Really.  This is such a simple, yet fun way to uncover your character's tastes (literally). 

When we were doing Frankenstein, Flip - my husband - and I, dined on sauerkraut and sausages, we drank everything - including milk - out of beer steins.  It was an awesome way to get into character - before we started writing.  Oh and we had a blast sampling French pastries and Yule logs when we wrote BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.  

What if your character is from another planet?  No worries mate.  With a little imagination and a lot of food coloring, you can be dining offworld in no time.

With all the fears of obesity and heart disease and such, food has become the enemy.  It makes us fat.  It makes us sick.  But eating can be a gift if we treat it such.  It can be a simple ticket to new worlds right in our little corner.  Think about it.  When was the last time you went to an Indian restaurant or Thai or American and ordered something different? 

Come to think of it, I've never tasted green tea ice cream.  Just always seemed to me that green tea and sweet cream didn't go together.  But the next time I'm having a sushi fix, I'm gonna try it.  From there, who knows?  The world could be my oyster (no pun intended)

Characters can be created with a tweek of the voice

Okay, maybe this is a bit of shameless promotion, but this Youtube link was created by my son Finn; it's called  Shailick (check it out) 

But he got me thinking - playing with your voice can help create a character.  Especially if you're stuck. 

Okay, so here's the game...

Go to the mall. 
Sit and watch people.
Find someone who strikes your fancy. 
Now imagine the voice they'd have.  How would they sound?  Would they have a deep voice?  An accent? 
What would he talk about?  Be silly about this.  (oh but don't stalk - that could lead to jail time and a whole run of voices you'd rather not be impersonating.)

When you're watching this person.  Ask yourself:

How are they moving?  Fast or slow?  Heavy or light?
What are they doing?  Shopping happily?  Clinging to mom's arm? 
What's the energy they are putting out?  Angry?  Joyful? 

And here's the key question.  What do you think they want?  What's their intention?

Now see if you can pull that all together into a voice. 

And then last, go to any store counter and use that voice.  What's the reaction?  How do you feel using the voice?  (aside from silly) 

Finn looked at our dog Waiter.  He knew the pup didn't do much and he was sweet and funny.  Waiter's voice in the video reflects that. 

I know this seems like an actor's game, but I think we can use this idea as writers.  After all, aren't narrators characters in our story?  But who is this person telling the tale?  And what do they sound like?

Writing Games

Go to the library and check out five cd's.  Make sure it's music or sound or something you would not usually listen to.  For me it might be: opera, classical music, heavy metal, religious music and a comedy cd (this is weird cause I love to laugh).

Okay now here's the hardest part - take a half hour out of your schedule and listen to one cut from each cd.  Listen like you are from another planet and you've never heard this before.  Note how fidgety you might feel.  Let your mind wander.  It's okay.  Sometimes, it's really hard to just sit and listen. 

So, how did that feel?  Did you like some but not all?  Were you surprised at what moved you or annoyed you?  Do you think you might like to listen to more? 

Last - set a timer for five minutes - no more - and write about it. 

Acting Games

I love this game cause it gives you a chance to dimensionalize your character. 

Here's what you do - just say, "please and thank you" oh and hold open doors for people.  That's it.  Do this for an entire day. Be polite. 

Okay so how did that feel?  Did you like it?  Did you feel weird?  What kind of reaction did you get?  Do you want to do this again tomorrow?  Hmmmmm. 

And the final step is apply your newly found mannered-ness to your character.  Whenever there is opportunity to be polite - be polite.  Does this quality fit your character?  One time?  Maybe two or three times?  Maybe your character is polite all the time? 

Remember, every character, even the darkest Vampires have something redeeming about them.