Begin by making a list of your own personality traits, both dominant and secondary. For instance, your dominant trait list could include: resilient, honest, obsessive, etc. The secondary trait list can include things like preferences, mannerisms, and rituals. For instance: coffee-holic, afraid of water, avid book reader, brushes each tooth twenty times. Don�t spend too much time thinking about your list. Don�t worry about whether or not this is how others see you.
Now choose one dominant trait and one secondary trait from your list. Make one the main motive force of your character. For instance, if you choose �afraid of water,� make your character afraid of water at a higher degree than you are. Freewrite for five or ten minutes and explore why this character is afraid of water.
Write several short scenes showing your character in different situations. Here are some suggestions. You are welcome to use your own ideas. In these scenes, your character must be different from you in all other ways such as physical appearance, age, and occupation. Suggested scenes:
� grocery store aisle
� dinner with relatives
� dinner with someone of the opposite sex
� a museum or exhibit
� an amusement park
� at work
� party after work
Use whatever point of view which feels comfortable. If you find that third person point of view doesn�t bring you closer to your character, do it in first person. But write it from your character�s point of view, not from your own. Use dialogue if possible. Make your character do something in the scene. Do not merely describe the scene. There should be a conflict, but in this scene it doesn�t have to be resolved. If you have trouble constructing a scene, try another and another until it flows naturally.
The objective of this exercise is to use your own insights about personality and psychological traits while creating characters who are separate from you. And while these characters may be different from you, a part of you will be in those characters, yet they will be separate. Your own insights and understanding will be what breathes life into your characters. And if you can identify with them, your readers will, too.
As always, have fun with it!
