What Exercises Help Writers Clarify Characters'Life Motivations?

I often notice writers are more consistent than innovative when they introduce sunshine in character design. As mentioned before, their recurring behavior and even the signature at the end of letters can create a very optimistic character. This can also be reflected in their priorities: whom they want to protect, whom they forgive and what makes them happy in difficult times. You can also see the trait of someone who brings sunshine to others by the roles that they play (morale booster, teacher, goofy class clown), the clothing that they wear and the nickname that they have earned. I find it wonderful how all of these subtle ways of expressing someone can make them someone that you enjoy spending time with long after the story is over.

One of the best ways to elicit pity from a reader is to let them see the situation through the eyes of someone neutral or even unsympathetic to the hero in the early going. If a hard-bitten, cynical character can change his or her perspective on the hero and come to feel sorry for them, then that can elicit a change of heart in the reader too. We read through the eyes of the other character as they come to realize the depth of the hero’s plight. We see the worn patches on their backpack, or the careful calculations that they make to determine how to spend their money to get the most nutritional value from their lunch funds. The reader’s feelings are plumbed by watching the other character come to realize the hero’s plight, in a ‘show not tell’ way.

Lilia’s interactions with the rest of the maids are fantastic. They think that she must come from the worst kind of poverty, and treat her accordingly, assuring her that she is too exhausted for more work, and trying to protect her, while Lilia secretly does the work with a flick of her hand. It is great to see normal human kindness compared to Lilia’s godlike abilities, and gives the story a soul.

Instead of going for an original plot/romance hybrid, dig around for historical unsolved crimes or really unusual court cases and write a mystery around them. Then determine what two people would have to work together in order to solve the real mystery. For example, a by-the-book archivist and a rebellious historian searching for evidence of a century-old theft, or a modern-day linguist and a modern-day security expert trying to crack a new cipher that was hidden in Victorian love letters. The mystery itself and the reason the two characters are working together lends itself to creating unique and fresh plot points, as well as making the romance between the two characters grow out of their differences and their obsessive goal to solve the mystery.

So often we get stuck in our conventional understanding of novels, seeing them only to entertain. Yet every novel is so very different from another, most of all from the epic fantasies like Mistborn and the contemporary novels like Normal People. Most of all I enjoy the problems that such novels throw at their characters and thus also at us readers in order to test their beliefs. Innovatively, many books also delve into aspects of our lives that perhaps we are yet to uncover or grapple with. Through novels we read, exploring a writer’s portrayal of love, of loss, of his/her search for identity, of human resilience – can most certainly offer insight, aid us in growing to a better understanding of ourselves, our current situation and the world in which we’re living. One sentence that resonates can stay in our minds for years to come. In summary, novels enable us to gain greater insight into our lives and more importantly, inspire our personal growth.

I looked up a free online version of ‘Little Seagull Handbook with Exercises’ through academic sharing platforms like ZLibrary and LibGen, but be aware that these sites may not have completely legal copies. You could also check your local library’s e-book collection and see if they have it available to borrow for free, or ask your classmate if they have a copy that you could borrow. I found that some of the exercises had examples in user-generated content on sites like Wattpad or Medium. It’s not the best, but it worked for now.

Regressive character arcs are a powerful but underused plot device in fiction. Rather than growing and improving, the main character can get worse and worse until he becomes the embodiment of his worst traits. The arc of Walter White in Breaking Bad and that of Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels are classic examples of this type of arc. They are powerful because they show how humans can sometimes fail in the same ways even when they have the chance to do better. In order to write a regressive character arc, you must first have a good idea of where your character started out and what made him vulnerable in the first place. Then you must be able to show how outside forces can slowly bring him down to a low point. First, work out what your character was like before they started to regress. Try to make them somewhat sympathetic and relatable to the audience before they start to decline. This could be a character who is ambitious but also insecure. They may be an idealistic character who is naive to the true nature of the world around them. A great example of this type of character development is Macbeth and his fall from king to murderer. Or perhaps the character of Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight, who was the idealistic district attorney of Gotham City before he was corrupted by the abuse of power of the Joker. It’s easier to make a tragic fall believable when your character starts off with virtues that are laudable to the audience. Of course, pacing is important as well. Usually, a slow-burning story is best for a regressive character arc, because you can illustrate how each compromise the character makes leads to greater moral failures. In the beginning, the character should be making somewhat positive choices for somewhat negative reasons. Compare how the character behaves at the beginning of the story to how he or she behaves at the end. (For example, Walter White told Jesse that he started making methamphetamine only to secure his family’s financial future, but by the end, he killed people simply to protect his own done-wrong self.) Surround your regressive character with foils, people who could have been just as good or better in the same situation. They may even attempt to pull your character back from the edge. How does the rest of the world react to your regressive character? Some people may enable his or her behavior, while others try to resist it. As for the end of your story, a regressive arc does not necessarily have to end with the death or decline of your main character. In fact, he or she could win everything he or she set out to achieve, but suffer such great losses that, in the end, the victory is hollow. It is a very chilling realization, watching a main character finally grasp the full extent of all that he or she has lost. While exploring a regressive character arc can be frustrating for some writers and displeasing for some audiences to watch, it can make for a very powerful and memorable story. There are many examples of compelling stories that do not have heroes. Rather, there are main characters who, throughout the story, slowly lose themselves to their flaws. Their downfall can be truly tragic, making for a story that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Just be sure to make their decline believable and earn their downfall.

I have bought and sold this book many times. Price depends on format and time of year. For example new paperback 5th edition costs $20-$30 but can cost more at the start of the semester. Digital versions are around $15. I bought used 5th edition for $12 from Half Price Books last year, it had a few minor annotations in the margins. I used CamelCamelCamel to set up price drops on the Amazon book and it typically goes down to $18 in the off season. And yes, this is one of those books you’ll want to keep for future self-study so even if you pay full price, it’s worth it. As for a used copy, avoid your campus bookstore as they price these types of textbooks way too high. Half Price Books is where I picked up a used copy for $12 a year or so ago.

Your old writing practices may not work anymore. In the past, you wrote alone, looked up information on the Internet, and drank lots of coffee. Now, to write, you need to collaborate with a bard for the melody, an illustrator for the visuals, and a scribe for copies of your work. In this sense, writing becomes a very communal activity and even a performance. You can write by dictating your work to a scribe while acting out the parts. It’s all part of the oral tradition. Go perform your stories in taverns and adjust to the audience’s reaction immediately. Charisma and the ability to perform are just as important for your success as a good plot.

I recently discovered the world of online roleplay forums and websites, typically text-based. The profiles that users create for their original characters are so in-depth and the scenarios they search for for partners to complete said scenarios are equally as creative and engaging. Even just reading through the “seeking partners” ads for various stories and scenarios is incredible for gaining insight into unique story premises, and the worldbuilding that typically goes into them (the politics, technology, and social norms of said world) can be easily adapted for a solo writing project. Just don’t use their character(s).