One of the things I'm often asked about seems very simple: "Where do you get the ideas for characters?"
If only it were that easy! As a writer, I draw inspiration from a large and sometimes scary variety of sources. Old friends and new. Family. My cat. That crazy guy down at the convenience store with too much hair on his ankles.
The point is, writers frequently collect inspirational ideas from disconnected and unlikely places. Anyone can see something peculiar and think "holy crumpets, what a great idea for a character!" But the truth of it is, good writing takes an understanding of more than just a great idea. It takes connections. Who? What? Why? How come? Understanding the background, motives and interests of the character are key to making them memorable.
Sure, it sounds easy, but try explaining that to your target age group! Earlier in 2006, I was presented with a new challenge: Discuss the writing process with the 6th grade English and Reading classes of Oneida Middle School in Schenectady, NY.
Being a firm believer of doing rather than just explaining, I thought it would be a good idea to give the students an opportunity to come up with some characters of their own. This gave birth to the Character Design Worksheet you see on your left.
By the end of each period, many of the students had not only a character of their own design, but also understood one of the basic building blocks of forging a literary adventure.
