Oh! You're still here! I'm glad you like, or at least respect, my stories!
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Thanks!
Well let's get to some more writing tips. There are some things I'm not as good at, as a writer. For instance, I couldn't write horror or straight-up comedy. I don't think I'm an exquisite writer of action scenes.
However, and I've been told, I write very strong characters. I love writing characters; they're the most important thing.
So how do you write strong ones?
You're often told to write what you know, but I wouldn't take that to heart. JK Rowling was never an 11-year old boy who turned out to be a famous wizard, who went to Hogwarts, and who defeated Lord Voldemort, yet she wrote about it all very successfully. The same thing can be said of virtually all fantasy and science fiction writers.
How do they do it? How do you do it?
Work out your imagination. I am a firm believer in working out your brain muscle. By working out your "writing brain," by staying creatively engaged, you will be a much better and more prepared writer.
Just the way athletes need to stay physically fit to play a sport, you need to stay mentally fit to write.
Here are some things you can do:
Play a roleplaying game. Any kind of roleplay or roleplaying game, but the more involved the better. BEING your character not only forces you to respond to human, dynamic situations, but helps you understand what it's like to be someone you're not. I play with such games my brother, weekly! There are a lot of roleplay books on Wattpad though for those without a super close friend or sibling, so maybe check out those.
Get out of your comfort zone. Rather than sticking to only what you know, do the opposite: write about something you have no idea about. Research it, think critically about the characters in this foreign environment, and imagine what a story in that setting would be like. This will help you develop a broader understanding of characters, genres, and personalities. Read a book you wouldn't normally read! Explore different perspectives.
And finally, observe people... especially those unlike yourself. Since you're writing people, watch people. But more importantly, imagine you as someone you don't understand, or don't like, or even outright despise. This will help you understand multiple view points, people with different disorders and interests, and even perhaps villains.
You write them all, so try to be them all!
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Of course, there are not only mind exercises to help you write better characters. There are also writing techniques and written exercises. Let's work through some of these in the next chapter!
