The Weird and Wonderful Ways of Writers: With Hana Brightside

A quick recap: last blog entry, I spoke of a conversation with my friend Hana and explained the art of writer role-play. This post is about one of my writer role-play experiences.

Wild and wonderful as Hana and I are, we decided to have our first Skype conversation together and try a bit of a character role-play workshop, where I was Chihiro from my novel Evergreen: A Fallen Star and she was a character from her current writing project; the historical character Billy the Kid. It was an awkward and short lived conversation that was sidetracked by spiders and dinner, but it was totally fun and totally worth it and we're totally going to do it again. 

I do believe that this is one of many examples of the weird and wonderful ways of writers. :) 

Anyone care to share any of their own wacky experiences or tactics? 

- Bonnee 

Writer Role-Play: With Hana Brightside

In the same conversation about Evergreen: A Fallen Star with my friend Hana, which I spoke about last blog entry, I went on to admit that whenever I did writer role-play to develop characters and plot, I usually became Chihiro. Then I had to explain writer role-play... me and my big mouth.

Writer role-play, as far as I take it and use it, is when an author acts out the part or parts of one of their characters. This could be anything from a conversation to an action scene, and the process could be repeated with changes until the author is satisfied they have created something worth adding to their story.  

I think of it in terms of drama, which I studied at school as one of my final subjects. It's like a private improvisation work-shop where you get to theatrically explore and develop your characters. I find that if I am having trouble doing this on paper, an activity like this will give me a bit of a boost. I can establish my character's voice, movement, gestures, facial expressions, and I can explore their moods and reactions to circumstances on a physical level. Or I can literally talk myself through a conversation with them until they say what I want them to say, rather than having to backspace every time I write it and am not happy with it.

Has anyone else out there tried writer role-play or something similar?

My next blog entry will be about a particular experience of my own, so stay tuned.

- Bonnee.

Relating to Your Characters: With Hana Brightside

My friend Hana, a fellow young writer, asked me recently what my novel was about and so I began to explain Evergreen: A Fallen Star to her. She was kind enough to ask about the main character(s) and then asked me which one I related to most. 

I'll share my answer here: of the three main characters, I relate most to Chihiro. Not because she is based on me, but because she is someone I strive to be like. I will admit that she was originally based on me, but she is a far more awesome version of myself which hasn't been fully generated into reality... yet. 

Chihiro: The 19-year-old older sister of the Imperial siblings. Chihiro is a motherly figure for her younger brother and sister and an understanding, thoughtful friend whom they confide in and often receive good advice from. She is strong willed, influential, intelligent and the immediate heir to the Imperial Throne providing she marries before the responsibility is passed down. 

More information about Evergreen and it's characters can be found in a previous blog entry here.

- Bonnee.