I know a lot of you out there are gearing up for NaNoWriMo, and while you’re not allowed to begin your story until November 1, you are allowed to do pre-writing on your project, and frankly, I think pre-writing is highly undervalued, so I thought I’d talk about it this month.
The reason I’m a big believer in pre-writing is because until I have a glimmer of understanding of my character’s emotional landscape and internal settings, I don’t know what sorts of story events will challenge them. I don’t understand what sorts of interaction will push them to their limits, make them question everything, make them dig deep or lay them bare.
In the pre-writing stage, we’re gathering the materials and ingredients we will use to build our story. Pre-writing is where we discover the character’s juiciness and crunch, their texture and heft.
I get that some people do this in early drafts, and I use to be one of them, but more and more I have begun to take the time to learn this in pre-writing and thus save myself a number of unfruitful drafts. The other thing that can happen is that if we don’t have enough knowledge of our characters so we can truly challenge them, we run the risk of the story petering out. My archives at home are full of stories that simply ran out of gas. One of the biggest reasons stories peter out is due to not enough conflict or depth. If you dig deep enough, there is conflict to be found in the recesses of your character’s psyche. Pre-writing can help figure that out early on to help avoid dead ends and running out of juice.
If the question is Why should the reader care? the answer is often hidden in the backstory.
Pre-writing is all about backstory, which informs the characters and story taking place just as surely as the contours of the earth’s crust influences its landscape.
The backstory is what clues the reader in to why THIS event is so cataclysmic for THIS character. Why this hurdle has the potential to flatten her. Why this relationship is so critical to her well being. Why this situation she finds herself in will force her to grow or change in terrifying new ways.
Of course, the challenging part is once we know all this backstory, how do we weave it into the unfolding story as seamlessly as possible. The key to this is through the way the characters view the world—if they are optimistic or pessimistic, trusting or cynical, driven or lazy. It shows up in how they react to and interact with others. It informs and colors all their relationships—both with the people and the world around them. For example, some people relish interpersonal conflict, others avoid it, while some placate or respond in a passive aggressive manner. Do you know how your character responds to interpersonal conflict? Do you know why she responds that way?
In the pre-writing stage, we’re getting to know the intimate contours of our characters and hauling up the ingredients we will use to build our story. Knowing these sorts of things can really help you avoid floundering as you write the first draft.
If you think about it, we all have traumas and wounds, some small and some large. We begin accruing these at an early age and some of them have the power to greatly color how we view ourselves and our place in the world. Just as a physical wound leaves scar tissue, so too do our psychological and emotional wounds.
So how did your character’s wounds and scar tissue skewer her belief about herself? Her role in the world? How others would always perceive her? Does she leap into the fray or hang back, needing to be pushed or nudged? If so, what does it take to push her?
If she always leaps, what unexpected obstacles make this particular leap different than all the others?
Think of it this way: when we leave on a journey, we carry some sort of suitcase or duffel bag with us. Well, we carry psychological backpacks as well. And a character setting out on a journey that warrants a book about them, well, they should have some seriously interesting stuff in that suitcase.
Even when we leave the house in the morning, just as we might carry a briefcase or backpack or overlarge purse, so we carry our psychic burdens with us. The fight with our spouse. Financial worries. Concern for an ill or unhappy child. Any of those will color our day and how we interact with others.
During the pre-writing stage, it can be hugely helpful to ask some really penetrating questions of your characters. What were their earliest traumas and wounds? Betrayal? A sense of being disempowered? That they didn’t matter? That they only mattered when they were good/strong/smart/funny/productive? Even the most well meaning of parents pass on to their kids silent messages and coding—which ones did your character receive?
Think of your character at four, at seven, at ten, twelve, and fourteen. These ages often see seismic shifts in our relationship with the world. Knowing your character’s formative experiences will help give you the dramatic juice you need to fuel the relationships in the book and to impart a sense of meaning and importance to the story events.
Think of their relationships with other characters in the books. What shared experiences will connect them? Act as a repellent? Create discord and friction? What common experiences will build a bridge between them—or erect a wall?
Of course, starting with a black slate of our character can be scary. So take what little you do know and follow that thread backwards. If your character is angry—why? If she’s got a chip on her shoulder, or is defiant or sassy or obsequious—why? We don’t develop personal traits in a vacuum, neither should your character. As you come to better understand who she is and how she got that way, you will be able to make her more alive and vibrant for your readers.
Keep in mind that it isn’t our goal to whack the reader in the face with all this backstory in one great info dump in the beginning of the book. But rather, we want to let them discern the scar tissue our characters carry and then in turn let it seduce our readers into becoming invested in learning more. Even though we might only use about 20% of the things we unearth in the pre-writing stage, it can act as rocket fuel to see us through those early drafts.
What sort of questions do you ask when getting to know your characters? Is there anything you simply MUST know before you can begin writing?
About Robin LaFevers
Robin LaFevers is the author of seventeen books for young readers, including the HIS FAIR ASSASSIN trilogy about teen assassin nuns in medieval France and the upcoming COURTING DARKNESS. A lifelong introvert, she currently lives on a blissfully quiet hill in Southern California.
Hi, Robin:
What a wonderful post. I’m with you on doing some serious pre-writing discovery of the key emotional and behavioral triggers for your character. I usually look for moments of profound, life-changing helplessness — fear, sorrow, failure, joy, pride, forgiveness. The moments that, as you say, point toward an understanding of what will trigger extreme vulnerabilities, strengths, and reactions.
I’m also a firm believer in finding ways to embed backstory in behavior. Don’t just show how the past expresses itself in beliefs, disposition and attitude. Show how it has formed what the character does, what the character is willing to do, what he’s capable of doing — and what he’s unwilling and incapable of doing, at least as the story begins.
Secrets and contradictions go to the heart of this exploration, and this post just struck a very powerful chord with me. Thanks for ending the work week with such wonderful food for thought.
David
Hey Robin, great post. I’ve no idea how to pre-write. Nothing happens when I try this approach. My characters don’t come forward until they are on the page performing (speaking, thinking, showing, reacting,) in the story as it moves ahead from page to page. The discovery is great fun, but I hear from WU bloggers here regularly how helpful it is to plot out the story ahead and build characters before the first draft, but honestly when I’ve tried to do this, it’s like my characters are saying no, no, no and a wall goes up; it becomes utter frustration. So my question is (and this may sound very basic), I’m curious to know what is the methodology you use for pre-writing a character?
May I add that it’s never too late to dig in to these questions? I have been using a list of questions you posted on your own blog quite a while back to “interview” my own characters, but for revision. Not that I recommend waiting, but if you have a draft done, and want to deepen your characters issues, and thereby your story’s themes, this is a very sound approach. This post only adds depth and nuance to the stew.
Thanks so much, Robin! You’ve always been an inspiration, but just as importantly, you’ve provided real nuts-and-bolts insight to my process.
Terrific post, Robin. A writer friend of mine pre-writes a version of his novel first in which he tells the story. Then he goes back and shows the story in his first draft. I’ve been trying that lately and it seems to work. For me the basic questions I want to answer for my main character are: what makes him tick? what are his goals? what are his weaknesses? What kind of obstacles can I place in his way to prevent him from reaching his goal? Nano is a great way to get the basic story down on paper, but prewriting will help contestants reach the 50,000 word mark.
I just happened to spend my lunch hour doing just that with my characters. Microsoft One Note + Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method = awesome lunch hour plotting.
I used to fight character development. I read every book I could on the subject, but it was so grueling, especially when they had you fill out the 20 page questionaire about your protagonist’s mother’s third cousin.
Now I just take my “character expansion” tab in One Note and just freewrite it. When I did this for a secondary character in my MG grade novel, I ended up writing five pages about my protag’s mother that would be my secret, but absolutely changed everything about the novel.
By Nov. 1st, I’ll have my character sheets and outline ready. 50k in a month ain’t so bad if you know exactly what you’re going to write every night when you sit down.
I have this same on all my major and secondary characters, and primary location (viewing it as a character [Fantasy world]) – included in their Profiles. At the bottom of each profile is the header – Background:
I wrote each character’s background after writing the 1st draft and prior to writing the next 4 revisions. Doing so enriched the revisions, but I also had a better idea on how to form their backgrounds based on the story. With 129K words of background material, I wrote 4 prequels with it which included more characters with backgrounds. Nothing went to waste.
I must attest to your caution – it is difficult not to do the info dump at the beginning. I have an editor currently helping me with my first chapters, because that’s exactly what I did, even after I thought I had “sprinkled” in the rich history. Cut and shift.
Pre-writing is a must, Robin! Such a good post and topic you chose.
I also like to overlap pre-writing with present writing. My current WIP, after all, has been in the pre-writing stages for about a year, most of which was spent doing some revision on the previous manuscript I just put aside. I do think that before we sit at the keyboard and start a story it is good to think for a long time, to really connect to the character, their conflict and its relevance.
For me I always start with characters. I answer a few questions that are all simple. Name, physical attributes, family, friends, then four subjective things: “What I love”, “What I hate”, “What I want the most”, “What I’m afraid of”; often, as I connect further, I will write out several events from childhood that impact and define who they are in the present. This gives me a sense of what drives this character, but also some of their resentments and fears and where they’ve come from (as well as why it’s important that they be resolved).
All these elements are so important in connecting to the plot since I want to have my protagonist invested in a clear goal, the need to solve a problem, and there must be plausible barriers to attaining that goal. While it’s easy to know about these ingredients in principle, it’s not always easy to conjure a character that has all this. I find the method of exploring these simple aspects helps connect me to someone who I really identify with.
I also don’t stop with the protagonist. I do the same with the characters who I meet who are very intertwined with the protagonist. Often, I find they are quite interconnected, and the plot takes shape around this. (Plot, as a rule for me, always evolves out of meaningful events in a character’s journey toward confronting their fears, inspired by their deep desires.)
I’m still trying new things, but I doubt that any time soon I’ll abandon these first critical steps. Now that I’ve started writing this story (HURRAY!), I’m excited to see where it’s leading and look forward to the writing journey this next year.
Hi Robin,
I love pre-writing. I like that term, too, pre-writing. It suits it perfectly, and is much better than to call it outlining. It isn’t outlining if it never gets in the book. So, pre-writing is a great name for it…the writing before the actual writing.
Sometimes I actually do PRE-write, as in, I write little blurbs in the character’s point of view, about their past, their beliefs, etc. I also love the develop rich character profiles for the most important characters (including side characters). I include not only history, but their birthday, the meaning of their name, their favorite music, games, friends, hobbies…there’s no way all of these will ever get in the book, but some will, and they’re all important towards understanding my character, just like you said.
I also like to interview characters that I may be struggling with. Sometimes when I can’t find their voice, I go meet them in a bar or something. It’s great fun. It helps me to get things out of them – me, literally me – that I might not have been able to if I kept thinking of myself as their creator instead of just their friend.
Thanks for the thought-provoking post!
A note –
For all writers, but especially epic fantasy fiction writers, I really recommend Patricia C. Wrede’s world building document. SO fantastic, fun, and helpful! It helps you really get to know your world.
I’m always asking Why, why, why? Pre-writing is one of my favorite parts of writing … I call it exploration.
I’m a big fan of pre-writing. Whether it’s thinking up details of a character’s past or answering a list of questions about the character, it helps me come to a better understanding of exactly who that character is.
Sometimes I’ll write a scene or two focusing on a supporting character from my story with the intent to figure out how to make them more interesting. It almost always works. One character who was originally only a side character has now become one of my leads. Once I knew what else there was to her beside the few adjectives I had originally written down, she was a whole lot more fun to write.
I love pre-writing. Once I’ve constructed the bones of the story and formed the characters, I can get an entire first draft out in–I kid you not–three weeks. No way I, or anyone else, could pants a first draft in that time. Pre-writing is vital.
Backstory is important to a rich story. This doesn’t mean it has to be in the story (oh, the dreaded prologue!), but it will show through in nuanced ways.
Literary agent Slithery Barbara Poelle once told authors at a convention, “Write 20 things that the reader will never know about your character. These will naturally bleed into your writing and provide a richness even though you don’t share the detail.”
Thanks for a great Post! I not only pre-written about my characters before I start writing a novel, I pre-written most scenes before I write the scene to get into the pov character’s head and explore what is going on in the non-pov characters’ minds as well. Pre-written is a tool I couldn’t write without.
All the pre-writing I do in my head. Don’t know why. But it works for me. Still, the idea of getting to know your characters ahead of time should help with all the other things we come across and have to think about. Problem for me with that damn backstory, is not to over-story (is that even a word?) it. It’s very seductive to tell too much.
Thanks for this wonderful post. Made me think.