Ways To Get To Know Your Characters:

Ways to get to know your characters:

These are just some ways I do t, feel free to add your own tips!

Google sheets. Just google sheets. Make a sheet for your story and create categories to fill on your character's traits. Very simple example:

2. Making Pinterest boards. Listen maybe I'm biased because I'm on Pinterest more than I'm on Tumblr and it gives me the most intense nostalgia of any website/app ever, but it may be my most helpful tactic. This works in plenty of ways. Making a board for one story's character designs and making individual categories for each character in that board. Making individual board for each character's design, aesthetic, personality, whatever. No example but I think you get it.

3. I might sound like you lame ass ELA teacher from 9th grade or whatever when I say this, but plot mountains are really helpful. Now I don't mean the plot plot for all you, "I just start writing and am as surprised as my characters when everything goes to shit." writers like me, I'm talking about an internal plot. To explain, there is an external plot (exposition, rising action, climax, etc.) and internal plot (character development,) making external plot mountains isn't helpful for me because I want freedom in my writing. I know where it starts and sometimes where it stops and that's good enough, but writing the development of a character is good to outline just for the foreshadowing and because CHARACTER FLAWS ARE FUCKING IMPORTANT. (Cue the one post about eating mayo packets)

4. Mark their birthdays in your calendar. Like google calendar or whatever the fuck you use. Anyway, dedicate their birthday to just getting to know them. Make a wish list of presents they'd like, or a slideshow about the party activities they'd like, or a pinterest board about what their party theme would be. It's fun, I swear.

5. Make lists of a bunch of stuff. Their flaws, their strengths, their favourite thing, their pet peeves, their favourite people, their pets, their little quirks they have, etc.

6. Physical objects. Make them, buy them, or just stuff you already have. Make a little box of things they'd like or have. Treat them like a friend. A real person. It'll inspire you to write or draw more and you can come up with little backstories on the items.

7. Give them a catchphrase. Even if they never say it, it's cute. I like them. Most people do, I think.