Editing: Week 2
I completed my read-through (and commenting session) on March 24th, and I really love what I have so far. Now, this isn’t to say that everything is perfect—ha! Far from it, actually—but Draft 4 was a success, and I estimate I only have two or three more drafts to go before my child—er, book—is ready for publication.
So what’s next? The dreaded character profiles, that’s what. Remember how I revamped my profiles about six months ago? (A little longer ago than that, but I’m too lazy to fact check right now.) Well, I don’t really like them for what I’m trying to do, so I get to start completely from scratch and compile a list of questions that are relevant specifically to my story and go from there. So… that will be fun! (That’s a joke, one I find no humor in. T.T) I’m expecting character profiles to take me at least two weeks, realistically more, but hopefully less.
(Okay, let’s be real, this is going to take me all of April.)
But… good things come to those who wait, and work, and don’t complain. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and my characters can’t be, either. (Is that too many metaphors in a paragraph? Sorry, guys.) I’ll share the profiles I end up making so you guys can take what works for you and apply it to your stories.
Speaking of character profiles, I have a new technique I’m going to try out. I give you… character interviews. Funky, isn’t it? See, what better way to get to know your characters than to answer questions about them from their perspective? (Or at least, in their voice.) I was going through my four year bullet journal with my friend the other day (I started this journal around the same time that I started writing SMV) and, along with some very crude drawings of my Draft 1 characters, I found a list of questions that are far more helpful than anything I’ve thought of in quite a while. Here are a few:
Do you have any childhood trauma?
Who do you look up to most in your life?
How easily do you make friends?
What do you do in your spare time?
Although they’re not as fun and light as my other character profile list—that’s right, I’m looking at you, Question Number One—they skip the small talk and get straight into the core of the characters. Now all I need to do is gather a longer list of questions and BAM! Instant character development.
(You can thank me later.)
See you all next week! Bye!
