Reply To: WRITING EXERCISE #1 – Continuing to Explore Character Back Story

[catherine.chant]

What question( questions) might one ask characters of the past who really didn’t have much choice? Girls could dream of going to university or being a doctor or lawyer– but universities were male only in England until the 20th century. Yes, I know of a few females who dressed as males but the majority didn’t. What question might be substituted for the first one for those writing novels set in the past?

Hi Nancy,

That’s a good point. 🙂 You could ask the character about their aspirations (to see if they might differ from the “plan” their birthright has set out for them).

From there you might explore how they feel about their duty to their family and perhaps get into areas involving family relationships, who the character admires, fears, is closest to, confides in. Things of that nature.

And this could also lead to exploring the character’s views on society in general and their position in it. All of those things will no doubt have some influence on how the character behaves in the story and what choices the character would make in different situations.

Cathy

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Catherine Chant, http://www.catherinechant.com/
Rock 'n' Roll Time Travel Romance for Young Adults
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