Oohs and Aahs for 4.25.25

Get to know your character the same way you would a friend

A character is a specific person—or other kind of creature. The important word here is “specific.” A character is not just a general breathing, moving blob. A character is a specific set of qualities and traits that pull the story in one direction or another. You can combine and layer contradictory character traits to make someone unique, and you can balance virtues and flaws to make someone feel real, but the events of a story only matter if the reader cares about the characters.

Writers are often told to make a character relatable, but how do we do that? It helps to think of “relatable” as code for “connectable.” And we connect with characters the same way we do with real people. We like the same things. We know the same references. We share experiences. We understand each other’s reactions. We bond over everything from silly details like our love of kombucha and tragic circumstances like losing a friend. We confess our flaws and secrets to each other. We realize we’re perfectly imperfect in the same ways. It also helps to be at the same stage in life as someone. That’s one reason most characters in picture books are children or childlike. Building a character is a bit like finding a friend. You get to know each other, and soon you’re inseparable, eager to take every journey together.

Developing a character from scratch is an essential skill for writers, and it doesn’t come naturally to everyone, so I developed several worksheets to help you get to know your main character in an organic, nuanced way. Take your time. Have fun with it. Tap into your imagination and give yourself permission to not know the answers right away. Don’t feel like you have to answer every single question, but try to surprise yourself and discover something about your character that you didn’t already know.

If you get stuck, you can always book a creative coaching session and we can talk through the questions together. I would love to get to know you and your main character! 💛

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This Week I’m…

• Offering gift subscriptions to Nebula Notebook for Mother’s Day 📓

• Cheering on Lottie Caiella as she celebrates completing her MFA thesis on creativity and motherhood with a gallery show! 👏

• Talking about the power of creativity on The Inclusive Dad Podcast (TLDR: Check out the show notes! They’re succinct and illuminating.) 🎧

• Reading this nuanced take on neurodivergence 🧠

• Loving

  Kathryn Barbash, PsyD
  ’s review of Carl the Collector—Have you seen it? 🦝

• Thinking you might be interested in

  Hannah de Keijzer
  ’s momentum boost for NF writers (She’s my editor and should be yours too!) 🚀

• Appreciating

  Erin Spahr
  ’s critique of Good Girl Culture and all the stupid ways we use it to hurt each other 🙃

• Thinking about what it means when book-subscription services become publishers 🤑

• Encouraging you to Google images of knolling if you need a moment of zen 📐

• Getting ready to teach Finding Your Star: How to Write a Picture Book at The Porch—We start 5/6 and I hope you can join us! 📚

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Nebula Notebook is a place to meet kindred spirits, get inspired, and learn how to find ease and joy in the creative process—even when life is bananas. 🍌🍌🍌

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✏️ PS—The fastest way to grow as a writer is to book a manuscript critique or a creative coaching session with an expert. My clients get agents, sell books, and win awards. They also learn how to enjoy the creative process, so they can keep going when life gets hard. 👏