I Took My Character for Coffee

 

By Tammy Karasek

 

Don’t laugh, I did this very thing. No really, I did. I’ve been away from my WIP (work in progress) for too long and knew I needed to get back into her crazy head. No wait, it’s my crazy head, and I needed to get back into my main character’s head. At home, I’ve been easily distracted as we’ve recently moved. I’m still feeling all the unsettledness of boxes taunting me.

 

That’s what got me to a coffee shop with my laptop and paper tablet so I could find my place in the manuscript and remember what my characters were up to last time I checked.

 

I couldn’t make up my mind on which of the Christmas drinks I wanted, so I ordered the two I debated over. I placed my laptop on the table and set myself up for work until my name was called. I set a drink beside my laptop and one across from me. I imagined my character sitting down in the chair, and that was her drink. If you’re an introvert, it could also keep someone from asking to sit with you, thinking someone is already there.

 

I opened up a blank document and, instead of talking out loud, started having a conversation with my character via the keyboard. I have to admit, it was weird at first, but once I got going, I gained perspective on where I was trying to take my character. It wasn’t working. Like the whole square peg, round hole type of issue. But I couldn’t see it while I was writing the story. I may or may not have voiced a few comments out loud to that other drink and chair across from me, but I’ll never tell.

 

I must say though, it was fun having this conversation. Don’t get me wrong, I realize I wasn’t talking to a real person, but I started asking questions AS IF I was. The questions began to point me to the fact that I had created parts of this character without thinking them all the way through. So she would ask questions like: Why do you make me huff a lot? Why’d you give me a temper and I explode so fast? You make me look mean, but I’m not. Do I always have to show up late? Am I rude?

 

When I looked at the good qualities I’d given her, I’d said patience and compassion. But in a few scenes, well … she was neither of those. She was more like a hot-tempered firecracker. It was quite revealing and showed me exactly why I didn’t like her anymore. She wasn’t the original character I plotted out. Yikes.

 

This exercise might be a little off the wall, but it was actually fun for me. I asked questions to make myself re-think some of the traits I’d given her. It brought attention to parts of scenes that weren’t going to work no matter what I added or how much dialogue I included. Looking back at my notes from when I began the story idea, there were a few misfires in how the character would play out.

 

While this might not be something you’d care to do—as it might look odd sitting at a coffee shop with two cups of coffee across from each other—I do recommend you try it sometime. You don’t have to buy the two drinks, but ask your character what’s on his or her mind. What would they like to change or improve? It may give your WIP a bit more depth.

 

Fess up. Have you done something similar with your character before? Do tell in the comments below.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Tammy Karasek uses humor and wit to bring joy and hope to every aspect in life. Her past, filled with bullying and criticism from family, drives her passion to encourage and inspire others and show them The Reason to smile. She’s gone from down and defeated to living a “Tickled Pink” life as she believes there’s always a giggle wanting to come out!

 

A writer of romantic suspense—with a splash of sass—her debut book, Launch That Book, released in 2023. She’s published in a Divine Moments Compilation Book—Cool-inary Moments. She’s also a writing team member for The Write Conversation Blog, Novel Academy, Blue Ridge Conference Blog, The Write Editing, and more.

 

Known as The Launch Team Geek, Tammy helps authors launch their books. You’ll also find her as a Virtual Assistant for several best-selling authors, the Social Media Manager for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, Founding President and current Vice-President of ACFW Upstate SC, and Founding President of Word Weavers Upstate SC. Connect with Tammy at https://www.tammykarasek.com.