More thoughts on character building

Characters are so crucial to storytelling that there is a lot of advice about how to build them. There’s D&D style charts, and there’s Meyers-Briggs personalities. Some writers use zodiacs, and some use tropes. When you have a trait, or a trope, what can often happen when you get down to the actual writing is stereotyping.

The root of avoiding stereotyping is brainstorming unique moments in your character’s past personal history, the ones that make up some part of who they are, how they think, and what they want/need in their life and set them apart from others who, on the surface, might be the same “rich playboy” or “barista.”

In today’s new addition to the writers resources, I’m sharing some ways to avoid stereotyping, create compelling characters, and energize your storytelling.

~ Lara