How_to_Write_a_Novel

stylishly, fussily, self-consciously, etc)? What makes them laugh?
What does their laugh sound like? If your character were an animal,
what sort of animal would they be? What films do they like? What
books? Are they creative? Do they fart? Can they speak French? Are
they good with money? Are they absent-minded? Do they like
oranges? Have they ever used a gun? What is their favourite pub
game? How do they fidget? Describe their hands.
And so on and so on. Many of these questions will have no direct
relevance to your book. But the more questions you ask and answer,
the better you will know your character.
You should aim to cover at least five pages with this exercise. Don’t do it all on one day, as you
won’t get everything you need in a single go. Give yourself at least 3-4 days for this. Repeat the
exercise for your other main characters. Keep your notes available as you start to work on other
things, so you can enrich your notes as you go.
The less central a character is to your book, the less you need to know him/her. But don’t
skimp. If in doubt, do more.
And the exercise will work. You will end up with more knowledge than you ever had before, and
this knowledge will transmit itself into your writing. Your characterisation will improve. Your
characters will grow more life-like. Your book has just got better!