Writing Exercise: You're an Animal!

One of the challenges of writing fiction is getting into the heads of your various characters.  Sure, you might only have one or two points of view, but in order to make all of the characters seem real, it's often necessary to figure out what they're thinking and feeling.  Here are some thoughts on that, and this month's assignment...

When I put together the cast of characters that would inhabit the Galahad series of books, I knew that they would bring an assortment of personalities and viewpoints to the tale.  So, how do you keep from making all of your characters seem like the same person?

The first step (something we covered in an earlier assignment) is to write a biography of each of the main characters.  Get inside them, find out what they're all about, discover what has happened in their lives to shape them into the people they are today.  Character bios are not just physical traits, but the stuff inside that makes them tick.

Also, if it helps, think of how different all of your friends are.  You obviously have things in common - that's why you're friends - but you also have unique characteristics that make each of you stand out.  Try thinking about how the characters in your story share those same qualities: things that make them similar, yet things that make them unique and interesting.

Your assignment this month will be great practice for this concept because we're going to go to the extreme.  Write a two-page story that is told from the viewpoint of an animal.  That's right, an animal!  Maybe you're the neighbor's dog, and the story is told from your perspective behind the chain link fence, watching what's going on in the next yard.  Or maybe you're a lion in the zoo, and the story is told from your vantage point of watching all of the funny things that these humans do when they line up to watch you sleep each day in your pen.

Let your imagination run wild.  Then, when you're finished, you might see how easy it is to now begin writing human characters from a different point of view.  The whole idea is to practice getting into someone else's head for a while.  Your various characters will soon come to life with a new sense of individuality.

Good luck, and have fun with it!

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