How many times have you read a description of a leading character that pretty much starts and stops with their physical beauty? I’ve got news…character is more than eye color.
Sure, if you’re a romance writer it’s important to give readers a bit of brain candy. Who doesn’t like to read about rippling muscles and the arms that reach out to hold his love? But don’t confuse physical description with character traits.
Here’s a fun quiz for you. Answer these five questions and you’ll discover some new traits about your character. These answers don’t have to find their way into your writing, but simply knowing them will help you define a more memorable character.
- How would he/she react to being rear-ended? Would your character get angry, cry, look skyward and sigh that it’s just one of those days?
- Where did they grow up? Do they have a rural or city background?
- Who would they invite around to dinner if they could choose anyone?
- If they had one more day to live, how would they choose to spend it?
- And here’s one for those of you determined to focus on physical attributes… How does your character’s physical appearance affect the way others perceive their personality? Is this a fair representation of your character?
Out of curiosity, who is your favorite literary character?
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