Breathing Life into Your Characters By Connie Vines #Round Robin, #Writing Tips,

How to Share a Backstory/History with... Emotional Wounds for your Protagonist...

Breathing Life into Your Characters By Connie Vines #Round Robin, #Writing Tips,

Today's blog topic: Breathing Life into Your Characters.

Thank you, Skye, for this month's topic.

When I am nudged into a new writing project, I've heard snippets of dialogue in my head. Which is followed by a sense of place and time.

Some writers see their stories unfold in a movie format.

Other writers say their 'characters' guide them.

I say, "That must be wonderful' for you.

My characters could be more helpful. 🤣

My life is chaotic. Therefore, it's no surprise my writing process follows suit.

I do have glimmers of sensory details as I write. Not a visual movie, but I'll catch the scent of bales of hay, hear the creak of a leather saddle or feel a horse's breath against my cheek. All of these trigger an emotional response that breathes life into one of my story's characters.

From days past, Tulsa and Midnight

As the story progresses, the scenes I've written often replay in my dreams--with a theme song. This drowns out any dialogue which may have been spoken. Oh, yes, a thunderous theme song--which plays (in a loop) all night long. And I woke up with a pounding headache the following day.

Of course, bits of my personality does come through in each story. My life experiences color the story on some level., too.

🚢Because I suffer from seasickness (I had to lie on a bench during our trip on a Mississippi River paddle boat), my characters won't be vacationing onboard a ship.

But my characters will be drinking coffee...lots of delicious coffee.