Vagary
Noun:
-A whimsical, wild, or unusual idea
Today I am going to delve deep into my stash of writing prompts and character inspiration for some writing practice! I am going to present you with three challenges, each with different steps. It's up to you to piece together a short story out of all three of them. Feel free to comment your stories below!!!
(You might want a notebook to write your ideas down)
The character
In this challenge I am going to present you with four names. With each name I'm going to present you with a few random facts about the character. When you've read everything about them, take a moment to pause and imagine what that character might look like. Write down what you see.
-Raya
Raya works at a local coffee shop, owns a black Labradoodle, and once aspired to pursue professional ballet.
-Carina
Carina has inclination towards a degree in business, is vegan, and has an older brother named Zachary.
-Theon
Theon is a talented soccer player, volunteers at a local animal shelter, and is deathly allergic to bananas.
-Eric
Eric recently joined the military, has an obsession with Pokémon, and is agnostic.
DON'T FORGET TO STOP AND WRITE DOWN YOUR NOTES!!!
Now that you have a general idea of what your characters look like I want you to figure out their personality.
- When faced with an overwhelming problem, how do they fix/work though it?
- If someone were to confess romantic feelings towards them, how would they react?
- What is their work ethic?
- What makes them get out of bed in the morning?
- Are they optimistic? realistic? or pessimistic?
- What keeps them up at night?
Personalities are super fun, but once you have that you have to decide why they act the way they do. So it's time for HISTORY!!!!!! *Horns and whistles blowing* *Confetti flying everywhere* *Record screech* Ok, now back to business.
- What is their family/home life like?
- What is their financial background?
- What country do they live in?
- How old are they?
- What is their relationship with their friends?
- How many times have they moved?
- What tragedies have befallen them/their family?
- Public school, private school, homeschool, or no school?
- Are they popular at school?
Sweet! Now that that is done it's time to move on to the second challenge.
The world
In this challenge I am going to give you several different genres to chose from, then for each genre a section of questions. Remember that whichever genre you choose will also be a large factor in the third challenge.
- Fantasy
Fiction in a unreal setting that often includes magic, magical creatures, or the supernatural. Sometimes set in other dimensions or an alternate universe.
- Romance
Fiction that follows two individuals (normally from the view of one) who fall in love wth each other. With the Romance being the main conflict.
- Science fiction
Fiction based on the impact of actual, imagined, or potential science, often set in the future, alternate dimension, or on other planets.
- Mysteries & Crime
Fiction dealing with the solution of a crime, the revealing of secrets, how the criminal gets caught, and the repercussions of the crime.
- Thrillers
Fiction of harm about to befall a person or group and the attempts made to evade it.
Once you have chosen from one of these genres find the corresponding list and begin.
Fantasy
- How do the characters get sucked into the story?
- Were any of them in it from the beginning?
- What other creatures exist in this other world?
- Do any of the characters have or gain special powers?
- How does this alternate world/dimension/universe have a long term affect on your characters?
- What is the conflict in your story?
Romance
- How do the characters meet?
- Why/how do they stay in contact?
- What keeps them from being together?
- What helps them grow closer?
- What tears them apart?
- What do they find attractive about each other?
- What annoys them about each other?
- When do they realize their feelings?
- How does their past affect their relationship?
Science fiction
- What world does this take place on?
- How has technology evolved?
- How do the characters get sucked into the story?
- Were any of them in it from the beginning?
- How does technology positively affect your world?
- How does technology negatively affect your world?
- How does technology affect your characters?
Mysteries & Crime
- What is the crime?
- How does your character get sucked into the mystery?
- What major plot twist occurs?
- How is your character involved with the mystery/crime?
- Were they in it from the beginning?
- Do any of the characters get in trouble?
- Are any of the characters in danger?
- What is the power dynamic between your characters?
Thrillers
- How do the characters get sucked into the story?
- What harm is about to befall them?
- How do they try to avoid it?
- What form does help take?
- What form does the harm take?
- Is a character alone?
- Are the characters in a group?
- What primary emotion does the harm play off of?
Now that you have your genre chosen, it’s time to write. *Relieved sighs* Don’t worry, this isn’t an essay assignment. It’s simply an exercise in creating a character. Now, on your mark, get set…GO!