Character Guide: How do I make my Character believable?

Creating characters can be the most difficult part of writing a story: especially trying to make them as real and believable as possible. Here are my top 3 Tips for creating a good Character for your book.

1. Take inspiration from real people or existing fictional characters

For me, this has been the top tip I have utilised for my writing. Usually when I have an idea what kind of character I am looking to make, I think about people or fictional characters within my favourite shows or films. From this, I could build the character’s appearance and personality.

 For example, if I was to take a popular character like Tony Stark from the Avengers- I would be able to describe my character as being very groomed and clean cut, with dark brown eyes and a sculpted physique. Similarly, if I were to take his personality, I could describe him as a narcissistic, vein man with a staggering ego and a sharp mind.

2.  Draw from yourself

I would say that every time I write I book I include myself in the mix somewhere, whether it be a main character or a passing cameo. I feel like this is the easiest way to build up a complex character- as you can draw from your own experiences and emotions on a deeper level. You could even write a version of you that you want to be. I am personally a very shy and introverted person, and sometimes I want nothing more than to be confident and able to speak my own mind. Writing a version of me in this way can be a good way to express emotions and I think it is cathartic.

3. Be Open to change

As with every part of writing- it is essential to be open to adapting a storyline/ character to suit your story. For example you could start off with a character who is very singular and nasty, however a development may happen within your book which causes a change in the character development. Don't be put off by this, it's a good thing to change your mind. 

That's it! Hope these tips help!

Christmas Decor 2015

Christmas Decor 2015

I love Christmas, especially decorating the house. This is how my house was decorated this year! :)

How to Start a Book

How To Start A Book

Hey Guys, Ginger Fox Here!

Before I start I just want to make it clear that I am NOT a published writer or an expert: I'm just a woman with a head full of stories. Below I will be outlining some steps on where to begin when writing a story- these are what worked for me personally so I hope they work for you too. 

1. Don't Force It

This is a vital step if you're thinking of writing. The worse thing I can do when I want to write something is intend on writing something. What I mean here is don't just sit down with a pen and paper and try to begin writing- because 99% of the time all this will do is give you a sore head and a blank page. 

Usually when I begin a story it is in the most random of places- for example I might be out in the countryside for a walk and suddenly an idea will float into my daydreaming mind- so I will make a note of it on my phone so that I can continue later. The best stories usually write themselves, they just happen and it feels right, so don't worry if you're struggling right now. In time they will come to you. 

2. Draw out Your Ideas

For me, sometimes it's easy to picture a character or a scene in my head, but when I comes to describing it there can be some difficulty. You don't need to be an artist to sketch out a quick design: whether it be a floor plan of a house or a map of a village. As long as you understand it then it's good enough. 

3. Use existing ideas

If you are struggling deciding what a character should look like- why not think of an actor you really like, find a photo of them and work from that? I personally always use my favourite actors to inspire characters because it makes it a hell of a lot easier to describe appearance and voice. 

You can use the same principle for the setting of your story. For example I recently wanted a little French patisserie as a setting in one of my books- I wasn't really sure what they looked like so I searched for images on Google. Sometimes this is the easiest way to make progress. Similarly, I wanted an outdoor location so I visited a country park and took a few photos for inspiration. 

4. Talk to yourself 

No, I'm not going mad here. I sometimes find it difficult to express plot ideas on paper, so I use the opportunity of being in the shower to talk it through with myself. In some cases, what might sound good when written sounds stupid when you say it. I always try to justify my ideas for I write them down.

5. Don't fret over choosing a Title 

None of my stories have titles yet, and that's purely because no ideas have come to me. A common mistake people can make when starting to write is working out a title first. It is much easier to figure one out once you've finished your book, because by this point you know what message you are trying to out across to the audience. 

6. There are NO Rules!

You don't need to start from the beginning: you can start your story wherever you feel like it. You don't have to have a specific structure to the story: it's YOUR story so just do what feels right for you.  And most importantly- it's not a chore! Write because you love to write, even if you never complete a full story! It doesn't matter, as long as you have fun doing it then that's the most important thing!

I hope these tips helped a little! 

Thanks for reading! Xoxo