I like the relationship diagram strategy. I did take a playwriting workshop that had us draw the characters- as in stick figures, or better if you can draw. We were asked to brainstorm physical things about the character, literally from head to toe. Perhaps in a vacuum, but some of it still informed the characters I created.
Drawing exercises are great for “getting out of your head” to develop stories. This playwriting workshop sounds great! I’m curious—how has learning playwriting helped you write for different media?
Hi Kat. I took the playwriting course for its own sake- because I’m a playwright- a 30 yr member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada. What have I learned that helped me write for different media? (I am writing a novel.) Obviously, the importance of dialogue, and how you can put a character- and the reader/audience- into the middle of the conflict without having to set it up with exposition. It also reminds you of the importance of stakes for characters, and where those need to be ramped up. Finally, there’s a dreamlike quality to stage drama, different from the screen, that seems to come up sometimes in a novel. It’s most magical in the theatre itself; when those moments occur, the audience pinches themselves: how did they do that? It’s live, three dimensionally, right in front of me!
Nice piece. I do create brief character sketches before I write but they include more superficial and general things such as appearance, relationships to other characters, a little background. I agree the deeper stuff unfolds as you write and that you're always revising. I love the idea of creating a fluid diagram to illustrate relationships and plan to try that in the future.
I also love the idea of creating a visual diagram to draw out relationships! I tried out Kristin's exercise, and it helped me finally make a tough decision about eliminating a point of view character from my work-in-progress.
I'd love to hear about how this exercise helps your writing life when you try it out!
What Kristin said about getting attached to an idea and being stubborn about changing something really resonated with me. Discovery writing can be a strong way to counter any resistance to change. It can encourage flexibility and holding ideas loosely while exploring story possibilities. Thanks for sharing!
I like the relationship diagram strategy. I did take a playwriting workshop that had us draw the characters- as in stick figures, or better if you can draw. We were asked to brainstorm physical things about the character, literally from head to toe. Perhaps in a vacuum, but some of it still informed the characters I created.
Drawing exercises are great for “getting out of your head” to develop stories. This playwriting workshop sounds great! I’m curious—how has learning playwriting helped you write for different media?
Hi Kat. I took the playwriting course for its own sake- because I’m a playwright- a 30 yr member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada. What have I learned that helped me write for different media? (I am writing a novel.) Obviously, the importance of dialogue, and how you can put a character- and the reader/audience- into the middle of the conflict without having to set it up with exposition. It also reminds you of the importance of stakes for characters, and where those need to be ramped up. Finally, there’s a dreamlike quality to stage drama, different from the screen, that seems to come up sometimes in a novel. It’s most magical in the theatre itself; when those moments occur, the audience pinches themselves: how did they do that? It’s live, three dimensionally, right in front of me!
Hope this sheds some light on all this.
Love what you said about the differences between stage and screen and the similarities between plays and novels! Thanks for sharing.
Nice piece. I do create brief character sketches before I write but they include more superficial and general things such as appearance, relationships to other characters, a little background. I agree the deeper stuff unfolds as you write and that you're always revising. I love the idea of creating a fluid diagram to illustrate relationships and plan to try that in the future.
I also love the idea of creating a visual diagram to draw out relationships! I tried out Kristin's exercise, and it helped me finally make a tough decision about eliminating a point of view character from my work-in-progress.
I'd love to hear about how this exercise helps your writing life when you try it out!
This is similar to my character development method. I have a vague idea for a character and discovery write them in draft 1.
What Kristin said about getting attached to an idea and being stubborn about changing something really resonated with me. Discovery writing can be a strong way to counter any resistance to change. It can encourage flexibility and holding ideas loosely while exploring story possibilities. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Kat, for shining a light on Kristen and her book Penitence.
Of course! If you try out the mapping exercise in this post, I’d love to hear how it goes!
I will!