Erin Entrada Kelly is the author of several NYT bestselling books, including THE FIRST STATE OF BEING, a Newbery Medalist and National Book Award finalist.
What a treat to dive into character with the most recent recipient of the Newbery Medal.
Erin takes attendees on a journey back into childhood memories, character building, and the ways in which building character allows plot to unfold.
The session was packed with gems. Here are a few:
Create conflict and tension using the contrast between your character's interiority and what they say. The reader will anticipate the moment when the character will finally speak their true thoughts.
Make a list of "good" character traits (eg. honest, loyal, confident...)
And then find the flip side of that coin, for example:
honest ---> blunt
loyal ---> codependant
confident ---> arrogant
This is where Erin starts. With a character name. And age. And a handful of these traits. Add some wants and fears, and then starting asking the most important question "why" and the whole plot unfolds.
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