Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors Read Online Free Page A

woman. Is she newly rich or was she born into money? A character with newfound wealth may have a very different attitude toward money than a woman who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. If your story is about the homeless man, how long has he been homeless? A man who’s recently lost his job won’t view the streets with the familiarity of a person who’s been homeless for years.
    Although at this level you can begin to see some of the deeper attitudes of your characters, the questioning up to this point really only begins to scratch the surface. Because of this, any mannerisms or traits attached at this point will be too generic. But it’s just so tempting to stop here. We figure we know the basic information about our characters, some of their perceptions of life, and we know the story or at least have a general idea of the story. Time to assign a few personality quirks and gestures and get on with the writing.
    Not so fast. The fun begins at Level C.
     
    Level #C: Personalizing of the character
     
    At this level you will conclude Step 1 and move on to Steps 2 through 5. The character will become a unique person, with inner values and a resulting set of traits and mannerisms not duplicated in anyone else. If you use an interview list, this is the level at which to ask the deeper questions that move you toward the core of your character. Obviously the answers to the first questions on your list—name, age, position, etc.—will already have been answered in Levels A and B. Your Level C list might include items such as: Was your childhood happy? Unhappy? Why? What are some defining moments in your life? What do you think of when you hear the word “mother”? “Father”?
    If you don’t use a set list of interview questions for your characters, that’s fine, too. You can still get to know your character by pursuing what you have learned in Levels A and B. This is akin to the give-and-take conversation in making a new acquaintance in real life. That person tells you something, and you respond with a question for more detail. You’re told more, and you respond with yet another question.
    For example, let’s return to one of the characters mentioned above—the newly rich woman. Continuing the line of questioning you began in Level B, you might specifically ask: Would she view money as less important or more important than a woman who was born to it? Again, the trick is to play out each line of questioning until you hit bottom—that is, come to the natural end of that line. Say you continue questioning your newly rich woman about her money, finding out just how important it is to her. You find it is indeed very important. You probe further along these lines. Is the money more important than friends? Family? How differently would she feel about herself if she didn’t have money?
    Turns out she would feel very differently indeed. In fact, her self-identity would be gone.
    Wow. Now that’s getting somewhere. Is this really true? She’d be nobody without money?
    Yup. Apparently she defines herself by her wealth.
    There you go. You’ve just hit bottom—the “So what?”—with this line of questioning (Step 2). You’ve discovered one of the core truths of your character: “My self-worth is based not on who I am or what I’ve accomplished, but what I have. ”
    Stop a minute and think about this inner value. Can you already begin to imagine how this belief, this core truth of your character will drive her desires and actions? Before you go any further, think about the plot points you know so far in your novel. You may know many plot points or only a few—doesn’t matter. Whatever the case, test this inner value against those points. Will this particular core truth help further your plot? Will it complicate the conflict? (Which would be a good thing.) If not, if you don’t like this inner value you’ve constructed for your character, back up. Return to Level A or B and start the process again,