Next month, National Novel Writing Month will begin for 2020. To help prepare for it, our local group had a virtual meeting to go over the preparation guide. In week two, the focus is on developing characters.
I was not able to attend the online discussion for this when it happened, but I followed up and did it on my own at a later time. Since I may be spending my NaNo month revamping an old manuscript, I already have a good idea about who the characters are--however, the questionnaires have been beneficial in directing my thoughts and plans towards deepening those existing characters and making them pop off the page better.
The guide offers four different sections to fill out for each character. Section one is intended for all the important characters. Here's one of the ones for my upcoming project. My main character is a rich pop diva in a futuristic city, who finds out that she's really a clone.
Name: Mary Evelyn Lowe. Often called Mary-Lo by fans.
Age: Well, she's a clone, so her physical age is five years but she looks 28.
Height: 5' 8"
Eye Color: Russet (or, a reddish brown color).
Physical Appearance: Long blonde hair. Athletic and voluptuous build--literally designed that way for public performances and dance.
Strange or Unique Physical Attributes: As a clone, she has an invisible marker on her forehead that can be revealed with certain scanners, or with the application of chemicals or enzymes.
Favorite Clothing Style / Outfit: An emerald-green evening dress, manufactured from genetically-engineered spidersilk.
Where Does She Live / What Is It Like? Initially, Mary lives in an upscale penthouse suite in the wealthy sector of Cascade City. It is clean, sleek, and luxurious. It has a chic bedroom. The living room has hardwood floors and huge windows with views of the city skyline. Kitchen has a modest fridge, shiny metallic appliances, good counters--but Mary never cooks for herself, so she uses it more like a minibar.
Defining Gestures / Movements: Mary has a way of commanding attention through her posture and pose. She will stand with her hands on her hips. Or she'll cross her arms. She may have a tendency to speak with her hands somewhat.
Things About Her Appearance She Would Most Like To Change: Breast reduction surgery.
Speaking Style: Mary has a lyrical contralto voice--lower-pitched and deep, similar to Amy Winehouse. Mary's voice has a smooth, sultry texture. Her word choice is often confrontational or loaded with attitude. It's an even, level voice that's neither too fast or too slow.
Pet Peeves: Not getting her way.
Fondest Memory: Celebrating the release of her first studio album.
Hobbies: Athletic activities to ensure she's in shape for dance and performance--typically running, dance, and tennis. Mary is a night owl and a party animal who will venture into bars and nightclubs almost every night.
Special Skills: Trained singer and dancer. Has no stage fright and no fear of engaging with people.
Insecurities: Without street smarts, Mary is clueless about how many things are in the working class environment. She relies on her manager, producers, and AI assistant to take care of her--on her own, she's lost.
Quirks: Often says or does provocative and suggestive things as a way to throw other people off-balance or tear down inhibitions. She is especially gifted with dishing out innuendos.
Temperament: Impulsive and quick to anger.
Negative Traits: Will find ways to escape reality (such as through substance abuse or engaging in numerous one-night stands). As a clone, there's always the question of whether there's an inhuman monster lurking within her, and when she's pushed too far or excessively enraged, it can come out and Mary will show no mercy, remorse, or empathy towards people in her way. In a way, I consider her part Frankenstein-monster, and there are moments where she goes on a rampage.
Things That Upset Her: People lying or not being their real selves (which is funny because she's never sure about what her real self is either between her public/private personas and the "monster" side of her). As the story goes on, she'll be further upset by the governing system that oppresses the city and wronged her. Their control over her music has always sparked outrage over artistic limitation and censorship.
Things That Embarrass Her: The past, in the sense that she's caused trouble and done stupid things to land her in the tabloids. As time goes on, she'll become more embarrassed by the persona and image she once put on for the public, and she eventually comes to hate the music she used to create.
Opinionated About: Music and singers, fashion, food, and art. Maybe politics later on.
Phobias: Filth in general, she's accustomed to living in cleanliness. However, she is not a germophobe.
Things That Make Her Happy: Clothes, drugs, drinks, records, accessories, makeup, cars, toys, gadgets, jewelry--you know, anything that money can buy. However, this changes as the story goes on.
Family: None. Her producers and manager would be the closest thing she has to a family, but they betray her. At a later point, she'll look up to other characters who help her as a kind of family. If sequels are possible, she might even be able to have a real family of her own.
Deepest, Darkest Secret: At an early concert gig, Mary beat up an overly-zealous fan. And she liked hurting him.
Reason She Kept This Secret So Long: Because it's bad for her public image. More importantly though, it's the moment she became aware of what evil she may be capable of and she scares herself knowing that it's always there.
Other People's Opinions Of This Character: Fans are drawn to Mary's body, showmanship, and voice. To them, she is a divine idol that embodies all their dreams and fantasies--including their most intimate ones. Rivals and critics consider her hollow, mean, entitled, materialistic, and toxic.
Favorite Bands / Songs / Types of Music: No opinion until she's exposed to older, pre-flood records. To her, the modern pop scene is business as usual, and it's always cobbled together with digital tools and components. In time, she will be intrigued by songs of the past, especially from an age before digital. She'll be inspired by raw, natural voices untainted and unchanged by technology.
Favorite Movies: Most films bore Mary. Since North Island embodies both movie and recording studios, she can see up close how fake most movies are (and most in Cascade City are done on green screen stages with a lot of digital compositing to fill in the sets and locations). Comedies are too sweet for her. Dramas too boring. Action movies too dumb. The only movies that she'd fancy are horror and thrillers.
Favorite TV Shows: Entertainment news.
Favorite Books: Mary doesn't read.
Favorite Foods: Mary adheres to a strict diet to keep in shape, but her food is typically bloated with artificial supplements. Will splurge on luxury dishes like caviar, fancy steaks, shark fin soup, anything with truffles, or one of those deserts with gold flakes on top.
Favorite Sports: She's not interested.
Political Views: She didn't have any political views until she's made to realize how powerful and corrupt her government actually is. After they try to change and condition her, she'll support any movement that fights the system, even going so far as instigating violent revolution.
Life Philosophy: Hedonist. She lives to please herself.
Health: Artificially enhanced for beauty and pleasure. As such, she's fit, has a natural immunity to many diseases, and she can stay healthier than most normal people. She even has a slight boost in strength due to her gene manipulation. However, she was not designed to live long, and will age fast.
Dream Vacation: One of the cities to the east.
Description Of Her Home: Seriously, I like described it already way up at the top. It's a rich apartment.
Description Of Where She Sleeps: The bed is a soft memory foam mattress with silky sheets.
Pets: Just a robot assistant in the form of a hovering orb. Its name is Priscilla.
Best Thing That Happened To This Character: She's a successful singer with multi-platinum albums and all the riches and fame that comes with it. She's spent most of her life being at the top of the world already.
Worst Thing That Happened: As part of the story, Mary will be taken against her will and confined in harsh conditions in the city's hidden labs. She'll undergo a painful series of procedures designed to brainwash and condition her into an obedient wife for the mayor--essentially, becoming somebody she is not.
Superstitions: Has a mistrust of white lighters. Hates the phrase "break a leg."
Three Words To Describe Her: Impulsive, sensual, vindictive.
If A Song Played Every Time This Character Walked Into The Room, What Would It Be? Madonna's "Material World."
There are additional questions to be asked for the protagonist, which I've tacked onto this questionnaire below.
What Does She Want More Than Anything? Justice.
What Does She Need To Grow As A Person? Mary will experience and learn how it is to be among the poor and the have-nots, and the experience will change her attitude towards people and life. She'll learn to fend for herself and stand on her own. She'll even learn some street smarts and combat skills. She'll discover the value of hard work and earning her own living. When she finally confronts the people who wronged her, she'll find out the hard way that revenge and justice are not the same thing.What Flaws And Obstacles Stand In Her Way? Mary is a creature of habit and it'll take much learning and experience to change her impulsive, entitled ways. She will act often without thinking. She has less of a filter than most. Obstacles exist in many forms--there is a whole police state in the city, plus a mafia that the police use to monitor the poor districts in a low-key way. Mary will have bounty hunters, gangsters, cops, and maybe even actual monsters hunting her.
What Major Flaws Stand In Her Way? Mary will land in trouble repeatedly through her own sense of entitlement and a certain lack of self control.
Additional sections are available for the antagonist(s) and supporting characters. Many of these questions are directed at their connections to the protagonist. For me, these are still works in progress.
For the intents and purposes of fleshing out the protagonist, the questionnaire has been immensely valuable in forcing me to think about this character in fresher and deeper ways. I thought I knew this character well, but I did need to address deeper issues concerning her origins and career. After this exercise, I now feel like there's a more fully developed person to work with. Once November starts, it will be a pleasure to work with Mary again.
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