Blog @ Work

Characters, writing and Shakespeare's ink pot

Let's talk character development: What are the significant differences between two-dimensional and three-dimensional characters? Is it more difficult to write two-dimensional characters or three-dimensional characters?(BCoFs)

Two-dimensional characters use speech and act in the story but they only have one personality trait or emotion. (The Good versus Bad). They lack background, explanation, depth and dimension. Three dimensional characters have all that because of motives, desires and flaws. They are alive and the reader believes their existence.

Three-dimensional characters are more difficult to write. You have to think things through, follow a plan or take good time to flesh out your characters and make them real living and breathing persons. I have one story that doesn’t work for me although the concept is very interesting. But I think it’s because I created a two-dimensional character thus far, and I, as the writer, have even difficulties believing in him. So I better go back to the drawing table and flesh him out.

Tell us a little about your writing process (for blog entries, stories, poems, anything...your choice). Is it all digital, done on a computer, laptop, tablet, or even your phone? Do you start by jotting a few notes or lines on paper, or draw up an outline of some kind first, or use a voice recording app when you're on the go, and then switch over to a computer to formulate your ideas into words as you're typing? Or are you still completely old school, writing everything out first completely by hand and then entering it into a word processing program? What works/doesn't work for you?(30-Day BC)

Since I use the computer I barely write by hand anymore. Even jotting down ideas is directly on the computer. I formulate ideas into words as I am typing, especially for blogging. For longer stories I try to make an outline first, but usually I just start writing and go from there. The fact that a writing program, such as Word is having a certain layout helps me tremendously in my writing. You can put new lines in between older ones, delete or highlight what you have written so far and that works better in the process.

I sometimes have this idea that the story is already out there, only to be found by the writer. So instead of writing i.e. creating the writer merely finds what already exists in one form or another and fills in the blanks.

Prompt: You go to an antique store and find items that belonged to a famous person. What are the items and who did they belong to? Do you buy them? Do you feel a connection to them? Write about this.(BC)

If it was a famous writer say like William Shakespeare and I was able to buy his writing set: an ink pot and a pen he really used in his writing, than I would be tempted to buy it. I would give that item a very prominent place in my house or my study, so I could look at it often and get inspired by it. Other than that I would not be very interested. I don’t care much about famous people in general, they are just people who happen to be in the eye of the storm a lot, sometimes because of their achievements, but sometimes only because others have an insatiable desire to put people in the spotlights for no apparent reason other than the need for temporary hero’s.

Day SIXTY ONE "Give It 100!"