Shutterstock / 13_Phunkod©Welcome back to another Writing Hour Roundup.
“The People’s Friend” Writing Hour is held every Tuesday at 11 a.m. on Twitter and it’s always a brilliant time! We get to chat to our writers and ask them some questions.
Every week we summarise everything that went on for those who missed out.
This week we’re talking character creation, go-to poems and songs, and items found in second-hand books.
How is everyone this week? Has life now gone back to normal for you after the last two years?
It’s been so nice to see more and more people able to get back to life, as normal as it can be, each week. We’ve been through such a lot together.
Our thoughts are with those who are still feeling the terrible effects of the pandemic. We hope things will get better for you soon.
How do you go about creating your main character? How do you “build” them?
It seems that character creation is as mysterious as alchemy! A little bit of that and a little bit of this. It was so interesting to see how everybody has their own individual process.
Here are just a few answers we received:
Usually they appear as an image, perhaps a hand strumming a guitar or gardener hoisting a tree. From there they seem to grow as I throw new situations at them.
— Angie Keeler (@keelerangie) May 17, 2022
Sometimes they march in, fully formed! #PFWritingHour
— Jane Bettany (@JaneBettany) May 17, 2022
By starting the story and seeing where it goes. And by putting the character under pressure, job interview, want a new place to live, wet day and no brolly
— Louise McIvor (@lou_mcivor) May 17, 2022
A very long and enjoyable process of observation, listening, chatting endlessly to friends. reading…then into melting pot of the mind…eventually characters emerge, then are tweaked by adding extra flaws, qualities, details etc until I can’t remember what/who inspired them.
— Jenny Worstall 🌻 (@JennyWorstall) May 17, 2022
Have you ever included yourself in a story and given the character a different name?
A couple have included themselves as a character, but most either include bits and pieces of themselves in other characters or avoid it altogether.
Do you have any reading recommendations you’d like to share? What book has cheered you up recently?
Head to this thread for some great suggestions.
I think Angie Keeler summed it up:
They all have! That’s why I read so much.
— Angie Keeler (@keelerangie) May 17, 2022
Have you ever found anything interesting in a second-hand book?
Collectively, our writers have discovered train tickets, a debit card, interesting inscriptions, a luggage ticket, photos, an old postcard, pressed flowers, foreign money and, disturbingly enough, ants!
Any one of these would make a great story!
Do you have a go-to poem or book when you’re feeling a bit down? Or perhaps a song?
While everyone’s comfort read or song is different, we all know the power familiar words and melodies can have. It’s real magic.
We’ll see you at our next Writing Hour on Twitter — 11 a.m. on Tuesday 24 May, 2022.
Or click here to see our previous roundups.
Abigail Phillips Abbie is the newest member of the fiction team at the "Friend." She loves how varied the role is - every day is different and there is always a new story to read. She is keen to work closely with established writers and discover new writers, too.
