When you create
characters for your stories, what kinds of traits do they have? What do
they look like physically? What are their personalities like? What
are their relations to others?
Some writers know everything about their protagonists before
they begin writing a new story. It was the opposite for me. In my
upcoming book Maggie and the Summer Vacation Show and Tell, the
story took off well before I knew what the protagonist Maggie looked like. I
had some idea about her personality.
It seems strange to me
that I didn't picture Maggie before I first set
out to tell her story. However, halfway into the plot that all changed. The moment Maggie faced a huge problem, her
personality solidified and her appearance became apparent, red hair and all.
These are some words that describe Maggie:
a curly-haired redhead
a first-grader
a student in Ms.
Madison's class
a classmate of Emma,
Sara, Ally, and Freddie
a woe-is-me, Charlie
Brown-like character
a sister and daughter
a dreamer
a dog owner
imaginative
spunky
quirky
determined
loving and lovable
a kid with a big school
problem
Every writer has a
different approach to creating characters. So, don't worry that you may
not know what your main character looks like when you first start off to write
your story. Be patient. By the time you have developed the conflict,
you will begin to picture the physical traits of your protagonist, get to know
her personality and understand her relationships with others.