Bringing your characters to life

Writing characters that are so real, your fans feel like they know them personally, is every writers goal. I’ve found some great little quotes that can help you along that path:

“First, place an instance of self-talk very near your story’s opening to immediately build characterization.” ~ Nancy Kress

“The moment comes when a character does or says something you hadn’t thought about. At that moment he’s alive and you leave it to him.” ~ Graham Greene

from K. M. Weiland – Introduce your character from the POV of another player. What is the narrator’s first impression of the character? What conclusions does he draw from the way the character dresses, handles his body, speaks to those around him? Are the narrator’s conclusions correct? What does this tell you about both characters?

“The best books come from someplace deep inside…Become emotionally involved. If you don’t care about your characters, your readers won’t either.” ~ Judy Blume

“Try to key your descriptions to one or two features, an emotional sketch…Try recalling someone you met a long time ago; which features can you still visualize?” ~ Anne Perry

WRITING PROMPT:

Can you tell a complete story using only 10 words?