3 Character Exercises for the Stumped Writer

If you enjoy writing fiction, then you might be like me; finding yourself a little stumped from time to time with how to make your characters stand out and be well defined or relatable. There are many ways to work around this, and below is a list I have compiled that I personally have found to be very helpful in my writing endeavors.

Personality Quiz: When I first begin creating characters I find myself going to this exercise frequently. If you are familiar with the Meyer's Brigs Personality test then you may have already thought of this, but if you haven't, let me put it this way: this test is a psychological way of trying to grasp and categorize the many personalities that make up the diverse world we live in.

I like to take this 16 Personalities Test, but as I take this quiz, I answer the questions from the point of view of the character. When I am done, it will generate a basic synopsis of the character's personality. Even if this personality type doesn't line up with what you were envisioning, it is extremely helpful to put yourself in the character's shoes when answering the questions. This really helps to understand different aspects of each character even ones that aren't directly relevant, such as how tidy certain characters might keep their work space,
or how they manage their money.

New Situation: When I get stumped on how a character might react to a situation, sometimes it helps to put them into a completely different scenario or world that has nothing to do with your actual story. This exercise can reveal a lot about how you, as a writer, view your character.

For example, let's say I had a snarky pirate with a famous silver cutlass and a thing for the ladies. We'll name him Robert the Silver Blade. Currently, I have him captured by his rival with his hands in shackles, hanging off the side of the ship upside-down. I have no idea how he might get out of that situation, and I'm stumped with a nasty case of writer's block.

Instead, I begin a new scene in which Robert the Silver Blade is running from a herd of stampeding dinosaurs. Is that ridiculous? Yes. Are dinos in my actual novel? No. Will anyone besides me ever read this? No way! In fact, I would write this in a separate document as well.

This of course is just an example and really you can put your character into any situation you want, you'd be surprised how much it can help. Imagining your characters in unlikely settings can help you connect with them in new ways and shed light on the story that really matters.

Animal Association: This particular exercise is probably the most fun to me. When we look at the animal kingdom, each creature has its own unique personality. They may be caricatures of people we know in real life. Is your character manipulative, quiet, and deadly? They could be like a spider or snake. Do they constantly "talk the talk" but not really "walk the walk?" Sounds like a peacock, strutting around, or a blowfish, puffing up and praying his enemies leave him alone. Maybe they are a high society aristocrat who believes in looking their best, like a poodle or a very distinguished house cat.

This simple trick can really put your characters into perspective and I have found it to be quite useful, especially when I am looking at an extreme side of my characters. It gives me a good idea of where they're headed and a basic outline for who they are. Don't be afraid to be specific and don't settle for "my character is a dog." Ask yourself "what kind of dog? A big, noble English mastiff? Or a feisty chihuahua?"


While these are just a few of my personal methods, you may find them useful in your own writing journey as well. The beautiful thing about the art of words is that we can each have different ways of effectively creating our worlds, characters and ideals. If you have any fun methods of developing characters, please feel free to comment and let me know!

5 sci-fi/fantasy young adult novels adults might enjoy

Many adults who enjoy speculative fiction have often branched out into reading young adult novels as well, for a number of reasons. Usually these stories include great character depth and plot. I found myself on many a night, enjoying the tales of teen aged heroes, struggling to survive in their fantastic world. Sadly there are many young adult novels and it can be very confusing as to which ones should be read, especially if you're just branching into this particular set of fantasy and Science Fiction. So I have compiled a list of my personal favorites. This list, while by no means massive, should at least have a few suggestions for the avid YA reader, and a good base for those just checking out YA genre fiction for the first time. So without further ado, a list of YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy novels, in no particular order:

Sabriel (Abhorsen Series)
The very talented Garth Nix has a wonderful habit of producing quality worlds with fun concepts and unusual twists on classic archetypes. Nix realizes a land with electricity and automobiles, separated from "the Old Kingdom" a place filled with magic and monsters. Sabriel follows the story of a girl by the same name, who is the daughter of the Abhorsen, a powerful necromancer who uses his control over the undead to keep them from menacing the living. But when her father turns up missing, Sabriel must go on a quest to discover the truth behind his disappearance.

Across the Universe (Series by the same name)
Beth Revis takes the reader on a journey aboard the Godspeed where not all is as it seems. Combining science fiction and drama, with a nice dystopian twist, Across the Universe follows Amy, a girl frozen in cryostasis. Amy has been waiting for the Godspeed to arrive at her new home, a planet far from Earth. But when she is mysteriously awakened from her sleep early, she must protect the others in cryostasis from a murderer aboard the vessel.

Westmark (Westmark Trilogy)
One of my favorite authors, Lloyd Alexander, delivers an epic tale of a dead princess, a wanted criminal, and a con man all set in a revolutionary war style world. While this isn't directly historical fantasy, the muskets and minutemen found within the pages help spark a feeling of revolution and discovery as our hero, Theo tries his best to flee the clutches of an evil adviser and gets caught up in love, rebellion, and the intriguing art of the con.

The Looking Glass Wars (Series by the same name)
As the name might suggest, this tale deals a lot with the classic tales by Lewis Carol but with a new and unusual twist. Frank Beddor writes of a Wonderland that is familiar yet, distinctly different. Princess Alyss is forced from her home in Wonderland into our world, barely escaping the mad queen. Desperate and in search of a way home, she discovers Lewis Carol who makes her horrible time in Wonderland into nothing more than nonsensical children's literature. But, her bodyguard, Hatter Madigan has not given up on finding her and bringing her back so that she may take her rightful place on the throne of Wonderland.

Ready Player One
Ernest Cline gives his readers a healthy dose of nostalgia via a dystopian world in which everyone plugs in to one massive multiplayer online experience (MMO) called the Oasis. School is taught via the Oasis and most jobs are run through it as well. But when a treasure hunt begins, with rights to the Oasis being the prize, mega-corporations and individuals alike set out in search of glory. The book is riddled with 80's pop culture references ranging from Dungeons and Dragons to the classic band Rush. Cline does a masterful job taking romance, science fiction, action, and anything "nerdy" and molding it into one giant amalgamation of awesome.

Mythical Monster Mondays: The Tokoloshe

As I continue my search for odd and often overlooked myths I found this particular creature at the suggestion of a reader so, thanks! If there's a particular creature you would love to see featured let me know!

The Tokoloshe is a part of the Zulu Mythos, a South African mythology that includes a plethora of deities and creatures. In my quest to find lore on the monster I turned up varied opinions and mythos but have done my best to compile this all properly. Early legends of the Tokoloshe hint at it being a harmless water sprite that could turn invisible by drinking water. It was helpful and fond of children.

However, this creature's story was changed over time. Some say this happened when Christianity entered the picture as the Christians tried to explain the beast from their own perspective as some sort of demon. Legends of the Tokoloshe now describe it as a hairy dwarf-like monster in appearance. Many illustrations show it with the features of an ape as well.

This version of the Tokoloshe is feared and known to assault women and kill their husbands. Some say that it can cause illness as well. The beast could turn invisible by eating a pebble and it is believed that the monster is created by an evil witch and is used as a minion for her own nefarious ends.

It is a common practice (even to this day in some parts of South Africa) to raise one's bed on bricks so that the Tokoloshe cannot reach you. Dusting yourself in salt is also used to keep the beast at bay and some won't even speak the name of the creature for fear of bringing it down upon them.