James Scott Bell’s Secret To Creating Memorable Characters
Hey there!
It’s no secret that voice is what makes a character memorable.
The style
The details
The personality
Unfortunately, most new authors struggle here.
James Scott Bell, winner of the International Thriller Writers Award and author of the #1 bestseller for writers, Plot & Structure, explains that authors struggle with voice primarily because they make the mistake of assuming their voice is THE voice of their novel and their characters. It's not. "Voice" doesn't come from the author alone.
No, every author needs help.
From who?
The characters in your story.
Voice Is Co-created With Your Characters
Similar to how an actor takes on a role in a movie, you take on the voice of a character in your story.
You feel what they feel, think what they think, and believe what they believe. You influence them through your life, but they are not you. And you are not them. But, together, you create the voice in your story.
To coax your character out of you and on to the page, Bell suggests you:
Answer five character questions
Create a picture of your character
Start a character voice journal
Let’s take a look at each one and how you can use AI to help.
1. The Character Questions
Character development starts with five questions:
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