The Cafe Corner

How well do you know your character? 

Basics are a given. You know their eye color, hair color, and maybe even their height and clothing preference. You know she isn’t a morning person. You know he has a preference for dogs over cats. But how well do you really know them?

Obviously, every character is not going to need all this information, and some will not be applicable for every character. Use your better judgement. I know you have it.

Basics:

Character’s Name

Character’s Nickname(s)

Age

Ethnicity

Sex/Gender

Hair color

Eye color

Height

Weight

Scars

Tattoos

Birthmarks

Piercings

Dress/clothing preferences

Right/left handed/ambidextrous

Glasses/contacts

Family and Relationships:

Parents

Siblings

Grandparents

Marital Status

Significant Other

Children

Pets

Other family members

Friends

Enemies

Religion:

The religion they follow (if any)

Beliefs

Superstitions

Location:

Country of Birth

Place of Birth (State, city, etc)

First Language

Accents

Schooling:

Highest Education

Degrees

Work:

Occupation

Salary

Employment history

Work space

Mode of Transportation

Home:

Rent or Own

House, apartment, etc

Mode of transportation

Living space

Address

Inner Workings Of Your Character:

Secrets

Fears

Worries

Eating Habits

Food preferences

Sleep preferences

Work preferences

Book preferences

Music preferences

Introverted/extroverted

Optimist/pessimist

Hobbies

Pet peeves

Prejudices

Proud of

Biggest vulnerability

Embarrassed by

Worst memory

Best memory

Skilled at

Unskilled at

Attitude

Obsessions

Stresses

Addictions

Handicaps (physical)

Handicaps (emotional/psychological)

Allergies

Medical history

Habits:

Verbal quirks

Physical quirks

Gestures

Work habits

Sleeping habits

Annoying habits

Irrational habits

Eating habits

Healthy habits

Unhealthy habits

Mannerisms

Drinking habits

Objects Kept In - And Why:

Their closet

Their bedroom

Their purse/bag

Their fridge

Their car

Their desk

Their pockets

Their junk drawer

Their glove compartment

Their backpack

Their locker

Other:

Talents

Political preference

Strengths

Flaws

Prized possessions

Special/favorite memories

Time and date of birth

What they love

What they hate

Favorite season

Social class

Me:

Hello! I’ll tell you what my experiences are with movement and athletics as well as give you some ideas on how to break overall movement down into categories and think about which of those categories are required for dance or walking then which your character struggles with and which they are good at.

I experience a fair bit of dyspraxia with gross motor movements (the difficulty integrating proprioception, or the perception of what angles joints are bent at which can make gross motor skills or quick movement very confusing). I have to pay attention to one limb at a time in order to learn a movement, and my other limbs could be doing whatever and I wouldn’t be able to tell very well/quickly. I have to practice movements over and over again and pay attention to different parts of my body in order to make sure that part is cooperating. My gross motor skills are very rough as a result, yet my fine motor skills are very precise. Consider whether or not your character has trouble with either, or if none.

The motor skills required for dancing don’t transpose well to walking. Something though, depending on the type of dance which would translate, is foot placement and general leg movement while walking. For example, someone who has trained in ballet may extend their leg fully before making contact on the ground using their toe or ball of their foot to make contact, imitating a bit the point a ballerina/o would make. 

I have some experience with many sports (I found I was bad at many of them because team sports require attention to too many things at once and I don’t learn very quickly). I found that my movement style transposed between sports. I have a lot of strength behind my movements, so I can over-exaggerate certain movements. I have trouble with understanding how far away I need to be from something or someone in order to have a certain effect. I have a very easy time with sports requiring balance, strength, and repetitive motions or holding a position i.e. skiing, water skiing, biking, running. So that translates to too much power during dancing and martial arts and not enough control, and ability to walk steadily but very strongly if that makes sense.

Think about these general aspects of movement and how they apply to dancing and/or other types of movement:

fluidity or choppiness, also called gracefulness

rhythm

angles of joints during certain motions

big or small movements

fine motor (being able to isolate one muscle group to work in a certain way and/or hands and feet detail movement)

gross motor (being able to use multiple muscle groups at a time to perform a certain function, especially with multiple body parts at a time)

strength

what body part makes contact with which part of the environment

when body parts make contact

lightness or heaviness of movement, i.e. how hard does a foot fall on the ground? Does it make sound?

speed of movement

balance

how long someone is able to hold a certain position

flexibility and stability, and are these things about equal? Too much flexibility without stability is hypermobility. Too much stability without flexibility is tension.

These are just some examples, I hope this was helpful! You can also check out our tag motor skills for more posts with ideas.

 - Mod Siena

I did make all teams but I was always a screw up in the end and if I get nervous my mental schematics of how to move get jittery and I miss steps or a miscalculate strength or distance, and I end up hitting someone in the face or something. The one thing I do well is resistance and stamina. Once I get a rhythm going I can go for kilometres as long as I breath properly, because I let my mind go somewhere else and block the pain and tiredness.

I also have that too much strength thing. If I’m not paying attention I rip things to pieces, break windows or dent walls with my elbow. My mother to this day brings up the time I moved too fast and put my foot through the hallway wall (plaster/drywall) and broke through to the other side. I didn’t even feel it. I wanted to show off my new shoes and I was so excited I miscalculated.

Because of yoga I’ve learnt to balance better. Like the leg stretched behind me as I lean down or an arm to keep balance.

Appetite - 

craving, demand, gluttony, greed, hunger, inclination, insatiable, longing, lust, passion, ravenousness, relish, taste, thirst, urge, voracity, weakness, willingness, yearning, ardor, dedication, desire, devotion, enthusiasm, excitement, fervor, horny, intensity, keenness, wholeheartedness, zeal

Arouse - agitate, awaken, electrify, enliven, excite, entice, foment, goad, incite, inflame, instigate, kindle, provoke, rally, rouse, spark, stimulate, stir, thrill, waken, warm, whet, attract, charm, coax, fire up, fuel, heat up, lure, produce, stir up, tantalize, tease, tempt, thrum, torment, wind up, work up

Assault - attack, advancing, aggressive, assailing, charging, incursion, inundated, invasion, offensive, onset, onslaught, overwhelmed, ruinous, tempestuous, strike, violation, ambush, assail, barrage, bombard, bombardment, crackdown, wound Beautiful - admirable, alluring, angelic, appealing, bewitching, charming, dazzling, delicate, delightful, divine, elegant, enticing, exquisite, fascinating, gorgeous, graceful, grand, magnificent, marvelous, pleasing, radiant, ravishing, resplendent, splendid, stunning, sublime, attractive, beguiling, captivating, enchanting, engaging, enthralling, eye-catching, fetching, fine, fine-looking, good-looking, handsome, inviting, lovely, mesmeric, mesmerizing, pretty, rakish, refined, striking, tantalizing, tempting Brutal - atrocious, barbarous, bloodthirsty, callous, cruel, feral, ferocious, hard, harsh, heartless, inhuman, merciless, murderous, pitiless, remorseless, rough, rude, ruthless, savage, severe, terrible, unmerciful, vicious, bestial, brute, brutish, cold-blooded, fierce, gory, nasty, rancorous, sadistic, uncompromising, unfeeling, unforgiving, unpitying, violent, wild Burly – able-bodied, athletic, beefy, big, brawny, broad-shouldered, bulky, dense, enormous, great, hard, hardy, hearty, heavily built, heavy, hefty, huge, husky, immense, large, massive, muscular, mighty, outsized, oversized, powerful, powerfully built, prodigious, robust, solid, stalwart, stocky, stout, strapping, strong, strongly built, sturdy, thick, thickset, tough, well-built, well-developed Carnal - animalistic, bodily, impure, lascivious, lecherous, lewd, libidinous, licentious, lustful, physical, prurient, salacious, sensuous, voluptuous, vulgar, wanton, , coarse, crude, dirty, raunchy, rough, unclean Dangerous - alarming, critical, fatal, formidable, impending, malignant, menacing, mortal, nasty, perilous, precarious, pressing, serious, terrible, threatening, treacherous, urgent, vulnerable, wicked, acute, damaging, deadly, death-defying, deathly, destructive, detrimental, explosive, grave, harmful, hazardous, injurious, lethal, life-threatening, noxious, poisonous, risky, severe, terrifying, toxic, unsafe, unstable, venomous Dark - atrocious, corrupt, forbidding, foul, infernal, midnight, morbid, ominous, sinful, sinister, somber, threatening, twilight, vile, wicked, abject, alarming, appalling, baleful, bizarre, bleak, bloodcurdling, boding evil, chilling, cold, condemned, creepy, damned, daunting, demented, desolate, dire, dismal, disturbing, doomed, dour, dread, dreary, dusk, eerie, fear, fearsome, frightening, ghastly, ghostly, ghoulish, gloom, gloomy, grave, grim, grisly, gruesome, hair-raising, haunted, hideous, hopeless, horrendous, horrible, horrid, horrific, horrifying, horror, ill-fated, ill-omened, ill-starred, inauspicious, inhospitable, looming, lost, macabre, malice, malignant, menacing, murky, mysterious, night, panic, pessimistic, petrifying, scary, shadows, shadowy, shade, shady, shocking, soul-destroying, sour, spine-chilling, spine-tingling, strange, terrifying, uncanny, unearthly, unlucky, unnatural, unnerving, weird, wretched Delicious - enticing, exquisite, luscious, lush, rich, savory, sweet, tasty, tempting, appetizing, delectable, flavorsome, full of flavor, juicy, lip-smacking, mouth-watering, piquant, relish, ripe, salty, spicy, scrummy, scrumptious, succulent, tangy, tart, tasty, yummy, zesty Ecstasy - delectation, delirium, elation, euphoria, fervor, frenzy, joy, rapture, transport, bliss, excitement, happiness, heaven, high, paradise, rhapsody, thrill, blissful, delighted, elated, extremely happy, in raptures (of delight), in seventh heaven, jubilant, on cloud nine, overexcited, overjoyed, rapturous, thrilled Ecstatic - delirious, enraptured, euphoric, fervent, frenzied, joyous, transported, wild Erotic - amatory, amorous, aphrodisiac, carnal, earthy, erogenous, fervid, filthy, hot, impassioned, lascivious, lecherous, lewd, raw, romantic, rousing, salacious, seductive, sensual, sexual, spicy, steamy, stimulating, suggestive, titillating, voluptuous, tantalizing Gasp - catch of breath, choke, gulp, heave, inhale, pant, puff, snort, wheeze, huff, rasp, sharp intake of air, short of breath, struggle for breath, swallow, winded Heated - ardent, avid, excited, fervent, fervid, fierce, fiery, frenzied, furious, impassioned, intense, passionate, raging, scalding, scorched, stormy, tempestuous, vehement, violent, ablaze, aflame, all-consuming, blazing, blistering, burning, crazed, explosive, febrile, feverish, fired up, flaming, flushed, frantic, hot, hot-blooded, impatient, incensed, maddening, obsessed, possessed, randy, searing, sizzling, smoldering, sweltering, torrid, turbulent, volatile, worked up, zealous Hunger - appetite, ache, craving, gluttony, greed, longing, lust, mania, mouth-watering, ravenous, voracious, want, yearning, thirst Hungry - avid, carnivorous, covetous, craving, eager, greedy, hungered, rapacious, ravenous, starved, unsatisfied, voracious, avaricious, desirous, famished, grasping, insatiable, keen, longing, predatory, ravening, starving, thirsty, wanting Intense - forceful, severe, passionate, acute, agonizing, ardent, anxious, biting, bitter, burning, close, consuming, cutting, deep, eager, earnest, excessive, exquisite, extreme, fervent, fervid, fierce, forcible, great, harsh, impassioned, keen, marked, piercing, powerful, profound, severe, sharp, strong, vehement, violent, vivid, vigorous Liquid - damp, cream, creamy, dripping, ichorous, juicy, moist, luscious, melted, moist, pulpy, sappy, soaking, solvent, sopping, succulent, viscous, wet / aqueous, broth, elixir, extract, flux, juice, liquor, nectar, sap, sauce, secretion, solution, vitae, awash, moisture, boggy, dewy, drenched, drip, drop, droplet, drowning, flood, flooded, flowing, fountain, jewel, leaky, milky, overflowing, saturated, slick, slippery, soaked, sodden, soggy, stream, swamp, tear, teardrop, torrent, waterlogged, watery, weeping Lithe - agile, lean, pliant, slight, spare, sinewy, slender, supple, deft, fit, flexible, lanky, leggy, limber, lissom, lissome, nimble, sinuous, skinny, sleek, slender, slim, svelte, trim, thin, willowy, wiry Moan - beef, cry, gripe, grouse, grumble, lament, lamentation, plaint, sob, wail, whine, bemoan, bewail, carp, deplore, grieve, gripe, grouse, grumble, keen, lament, sigh, sob, wail, whine, mewl Moving - (exciting,) affecting, effective  arousing, awakening, breathless, dynamic, eloquent, emotional, emotive, expressive, fecund, far-out, felt in gut, grabbed by, gripping, heartbreaking, heartrending, impelling, impressive, inspirational, meaningful, mind-bending, mind-blowing, motivating, persuasive, poignant, propelling, provoking, quickening, rallying, rousing, significant, stimulating, simulative, stirring, stunning, touching, awe-inspiring, energizing, exhilarating, fascinating, heart pounding, heart stopping, inspiring, riveting, thrilling Need - compulsion, demand, desperate, devoir, extremity, impatient longing, must, urge, urgency / desire, appetite, avid, burn, craving, eagerness, fascination, greed, hunger, insatiable, longing, lust, taste, thirst, voracious, want, yearning, ache, addiction, aspiration, desire, fever, fixation, hankering, hope, impulse, inclination, infatuation, itch, obsession, passion, pining, wish, yen Pain - ache, afflict, affliction, agony, agonize, anguish, bite, burn, chafe, distress, fever, grief, hurt, inflame, laceration, misery, pang, punish, sting, suffering, tenderness, throb, throe, torment, torture, smart Painful - aching, agonizing, arduous, awful, biting, burning, caustic, dire, distressing, dreadful, excruciating, extreme, grievous, inflamed, piercing, raw, sensitive, severe, sharp, tender, terrible, throbbing, tormenting, angry, bleeding, bloody, bruised, cutting, hurting, injured, irritated, prickly, skinned, smarting, sore, stinging, unbearable, uncomfortable, upsetting, wounded Perverted - aberrant, abnormal, corrupt, debased, debauched, defiling, depraved, deviant, monstrous, tainted, twisted, vicious, warped, wicked, abhorrent, base, decadent, degenerate, degrading, dirty, disgusting, dissipated, dissolute, distasteful, hedonistic, immodest, immoral, indecent, indulgent, licentious, nasty, profligate, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, shameful, shameless, sickening, sinful, smutty, sordid, unscrupulous, vile Pleasurable - charming, gratifying, luscious, satisfying, savory, agreeable, delicious, delightful, enjoyable, nice, pleasant, pleasing, soothing, succulent Pleasure - bliss, delight, gluttony, gratification, relish, satisfaction, thrill, adventure, amusement, buzz, contentment, delight, desire, ecstasy, enjoyment, excitement, fun, happiness, harmony, heaven, joy, kick, liking, paradise, seventh heaven Rapacious- avaricious, ferocious, furious, greedy, predatory, ravening, ravenous, savage, voracious, aggressive, gluttonous, grasping, insatiable, marauding, plundering Rapture - bliss, ecstasy, elation, exaltation, glory, gratification, passion, pleasure, floating, unbridled joy Rigid - adamant, austere, definite, determined, exact, firm, hard, rigorous, solid, stern, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, concrete, fixed, harsh, immovable, inflexible, obstinate, resolute, resolved, severe, steadfast, steady, stiff, strong, strict, stubborn, taut, tense, tight, tough, unbending, unchangeable, unwavering Sudden - abrupt, accelerated, acute, fast, flashing, fleeting, hasty, headlong, hurried, immediate, impetuous, impulsive, quick, quickening, rapid, rash, rushing, swift, brash, brisk, brusque, instant, instantaneous, out of the blue, reckless, rushed, sharp, spontaneous, urgent, without warning Thrust - (forward) advance, drive, forge, impetus, impulsion, lunge, momentum, onslaught, poke, pressure, prod, propulsion, punch, push, shove, power, proceed, progress, propel (push hard) assail, assault, attack, bear down, buck, drive, force, heave, impale, impel, jab, lunge, plunge, press, pound, prod, ram, shove, stab, transfix, urge, bang, burrow, cram, gouge, jam, pierce, punch, slam, spear, spike, stick Thunder-struck - amazed, astonished, aghast, astounded, awestruck, confounded, dazed, dazed, dismayed, overwhelmed, shocked, staggered, startled, stunned, gob-smacked, bewildered, dumbfounded, flabbergasted, horrified, incredulous, surprised, taken aback Torment - agony, anguish, hurt, misery, pain, punishment, suffering, afflict, angst, conflict, distress, grief, heartache, misfortune, nightmare, persecute, plague, sorrow, strife, tease, test, trial, tribulation, torture, turmoil, vex, woe Touch - (physical) - blow, brush, caress, collide, come together, contact, converge, crash, cuddle, embrace, feel, feel up, finger, fondle, frisk, glance, glide, graze, grope, handle, hit, hug, impact, join, junction, kiss, lick, line, manipulate, march, massage, meet, nudge, palm, partake, pat, paw, peck, pet, pinch, probe, push, reach, rub, scratch, skim, slide, smooth, strike, stroke, suck, sweep, tag, tap, taste, thumb, tickle, tip, touching, toy, bite, bump, burrow, buss, bury, circle, claw, clean, clutch, cover, creep, crush, cup, curl, delve, dig, drag, draw, ease, edge, fiddle with, flick, flit, fumble, grind, grip, grub, hold, huddle, knead, lap, lave, lay a hand on, maneuver, manhandle, mash, mold, muzzle, neck, nestle, nibble, nip, nuzzle, outline, play, polish, press, pull, rasp, ravish, ream, rim, run, scoop, scrabble, scrape, scrub, shave, shift, shunt, skate, slip, slither, smack, snake, snuggle, soothe, spank, splay, spread, squeeze, stretch, swipe, tangle, tease, thump, tongue, trace, trail, tunnel twiddle, twirl, twist, tug, work, wrap (mental) - communicate, examine, inspect, perception, scrutinize Wet - bathe, bleed, burst, cascade, course, cover, cream, damp, dampen, deluge, dip, douse, drench, dribble, drip, drizzle, drool, drop, drown, dunk, erupt, flood, flow, gush, immerse, issue, jet, leach, leak, moisten, ooze, overflow, permeate, plunge, pour, rain, rinse, run, salivate, saturate, secrete, seep, shower, shoot, slaver, slobber, slop, slosh, sluice, spill, soak, souse, spew, spit, splash, splatter, spout, spray, sprinkle, spurt, squirt, steep, stream, submerge, surge, swab, swamp, swill, swim, trickle, wash, water Wicked - abominable, amoral, atrocious, awful, base, barbarous, dangerous, debased, depraved, distressing, dreadful, evil, fearful, fiendish, fierce, foul, heartless, hazardous, heinous, immoral, indecent, intense, mean, nasty, naughty, nefarious, offensive, profane, scandalous, severe, shameful, shameless, sinful, terrible, unholy, vicious, vile, villainous, wayward, bad, criminal, cruel, deplorable, despicable, devious, ill-intentioned, impious, impish, iniquitous, irreverent, loathsome, Machiavellian, mad, malevolent, malicious, merciless, mischievous, monstrous, perverse, ruthless, spiteful, uncaring, unkind, unscrupulous, vindictive, virulent, wretched Writhe - agonize, bend, jerk, recoil, lurch, plunge, slither, squirm, struggle, suffer, thrash, thresh, twist, wiggle, wriggle, angle, arc, bow, buck, coil, contort, convulse, curl, curve, fidget, fight, flex, go into spasm, grind, heave, jiggle, jolt, kick, rear, reel, ripple, resist, roll, lash, lash out, screw up, shake, shift, slide, spasm, stir, strain, stretch, surge, swell, swivel, thrust, turn violently, tussle, twitch, undulate, warp, worm, wrench, wrestle, yank

Source x

Write Your Novel In A Year – Week 40: 3 Rules You Can Break To Start Your Story

Welcome to week 40 of Anthony’s series that aims to help you write a novel in a year. Read last week’s post here.

Goal setting

Spend an hour or so reworking the opening scene of your novel.

Breaking it down

As we wrap up work on our first drafts, it might be a good idea to look at some of the writing ‘rules’ we’re told not to violate in the opening pages of our novels – whether it’s a plot device, style, or characterisation. When do we follow the rules? When do we ignore them?

 1. Never start your novel with a prologue

Somewhere in the past ‘prologue’ became a dirty word although no one really knows why. Maybe, like any device, it was simply overused. We’re told never to use prologues if we can help it. On a recent trip to my favourite book store, I browsed through the titles on the shelf.

I can’t tell you how many started with a prologue – from bestsellers to more literary works. Maybe not all of them were explicitly marked as a ‘prologue’, but they were definitely ‘teasers’ or ‘hooks’ to rouse the curiosity of readers.

If the opening chapters of your novel are a bit slow, perhaps a prologue would work for you – almost like some bloodied chum in the water to pull the reader in. For my novel, I have a prologue – a taste of the climax or flash-forward. Whether it will survive the final draft, I don’t know.  Perhaps I need to look at making the beginning of the first chapter stronger.

I think a simple litmus test is: Does it actually help the story? Or is it window-dressing? If you feel your story can’t live without a prologue, there’s no reason why you can’t you use it to its full, if blatant, effect.

2. Never start your novel with a description of the weather

I think this one started with the infamous line, ‘It was a dark and stormy night.’  We’re cautioned not to start with lengthy setting description, but to rather have the character or characters doing something.  However, if done right, where’s the harm in it?

I think readers like a certain amount of familiarity when they pick up a book for the first time. They don’t want something that’s going to intimidate them from the opening line. So It was raining in Paris may not be the worst place to start your book.

Just as long as you bring in some action soon after your well-crafted description of the weather.  So It was raining in Paris and the sniper on the roof of the Hotel Bertillon trained his rifle on the presidential limo below is probably a bit better.

In my prologue, I commit this ‘sin’ – the opening scene starts with a cold winter rain storm. But I think if the weather is extreme enough and suits the tone and mood of the story, this is another rule you can break. However, perhaps I’m pushing my luck here with two strikes against my opening. It may be time to re-think those first few pages.

3. Never start your novel with your main character alone in bed

Back at that same book shop, some of the titles I picked up started with a character alone in bed or waking up. Not that many, I’ll admit, but even in the mega-successful The Hunger Games, Katniss wakes up alone on the day of the reaping.

However, I’ll concede that it’s probably a lazy way to start a book – having your character in a state of inertia. It’s probably because we want to start the story on the day everything changes. But maybe skip ahead – your character is brushing his teeth, jumping in a cab, rushing to the office.

Of course you don’t have to have your character alone in bed.  You could open with a sex scene. Many would say this is another ‘cheap trick’ but if it works for your story, it can be an intriguing start.  Pacific Heights by Paul Harper does this very well and sets the tone for a great psycho thriller.

Timelock — 1 to 2 hours

Spend one or two hours reworking your opening pages, chapter or – wait for it – prologue.

5 Quick Hacks

Rewrite the opening scene of famous novel just for fun and to get over your nerves. Try Rebecca, Lolita, Anna Karenina, or Moby Dick.

Try to remove as many of the adverbs and adjectives as you can from the opening scene.

Make sure the first time you introduce your character, he or she is as compelling as possible.

Try to orientate the reader as quickly as possible. Who is the character you want them to focus on? Where is the story taking place?

Build in some intrigue to the opening pages – don’t over explain or overplay your hand. You want the reader to be anticipating ‘what happens next?’

Pin it, quote it, believe it:

me: haha time for another