Week 3 Recap

​#NovelMaker
Week 3: Writing Check-In
I’m very happy to report that I made my writing goals this week. But for some reason I got derailed and this email wasn’t completed until this morning. Yesterday, my dog and I watched Pride & Prejudice and then Notting Hill, both of which I’d never seen before, and both made me want to write a love story. I was struck by how the films followed the simple three-act structure. It was a good reminder not to overthink what already works.

🔎 Last Week’s Recap

• Key Takeaway 1 → Word Count Matters!
• Key Takeaway 2 → Know your genre (if you’re writing commercial fiction) and what your readers expect.
• Key Takeaway 3 → Publishing books is a business.

📚 Next Week’s Focus: Creating Characters Readers Love, or Love to Hate
There is always a huge debate as to whether the characters or the plot makes a story. I fall in love with characters, even the terrible ones, but without the plot…
This week we’re going to look at your characters. Every single one of them should be in your story for a reason. I’ll say this over and over, but every word is a choice, and every word serves a purpose—either to reveal something about the character or move the plot forward.
A compelling main character is one who feels real, evokes emotion, and makes the reader invested in their journey. The following elements contribute to that:


1. Desire: What Do They Want?
A strong character has a clear goal or desire, even if they don't fully understand it themselves at first.

• External Goal: What are they trying to do? (win a competition, find a lost sibling)
• Internal Desire: What do they really want? (belonging, forgiveness, love)

Readers don’t need to agree with the character’s goal—they just need to understand it. This is where things get fun, when we want to throw the book across the room because we disagree so vehemently with the character’s wants and/or actions.


2. Stakes: What Do They Stand to Lose?
Stakes make us care. What happens if the character fails?

• Are the stakes personal? Emotional? Physical? Social?
• Are they urgent or escalating over time?

3. Flaws and Contradictions
Perfect characters are boring. Real people are messy. There is nothing worse than the love interest that is perfect in every way. (rolls eyes) I know we’re reading to escape reality, but please… This writing only makes us feel bad about ourselves and the person we’ve ended up with.

• Give them flaws that affect their relationships or choices.
• Let them hold contradictory traits (brave in crisis, but insecure in relationships)

Be strategic when creating your character’s flaws. (Remember, everything is a choice.) Think about how a character’s flaw might create conflict in the story or with other characters.


4. Change: Are They Capable of Growth?
Character arc is often what readers connect to most. I shared my character arc a few weeks ago. She starts the story closed off, bitter, and guarded. The story ends with her emotionally open and much happier because of it. This isn’t the plot, but the plot causes the character to get from Point A to Point B.

• Will they change? If so, how and why?

The other key element is voice, but I’m going to save that for next time because I could talk about a character’s voice for six weeks straight.
 
🗂 Additional Resources Related to Character Creation

• Creating Believable Characters—Five Key Requirements by Nancy Christie. I love this post because it explains why characters need to be consistent in their actions and how to deal with their inconsistencies. Like, if your sister never ever wants to eat outside, but today she does. Why did this happen and how does it affect the plot?

• 5 Quick Ways to Create Vivid Characters by Gillian McAllister. I like the one physical trait rule here. We don’t need to know everything about a character’s appearance; we can imagine our own hero or villain. 
• Ready to go deep? Writers Helping Writers has many free worksheets to help define character and develop your plot. You can find them all here.

🚀 This Week’s Challenge
Character Sketch – Answer the below questions about your main character to create a sketch of who they are.
Basic Info

1. What is your character’s full name?
2. How old are they?
3. Where do they live (and what does their living space look like)?
4. What is their occupation, role, or place in the world?

Desire & Motivation

1. What does your character want more than anything right now?
2. Why do they want it? (What’s the deeper emotional need behind the goal?)
3. What are they willing to sacrifice to get it?
4. What’s standing in their way (internal or external obstacles)?

Conflict & Stakes

1. What happens if your character fails to achieve their goal?
2. Who or what is their main source of conflict?
3. How do they typically respond to conflict—fight, flee, or freeze?

Flaws, Fears & Secrets

1. What is your character’s biggest flaw?
2. What fear holds them back (consciously or unconsciously)?
3. What’s one secret they hope no one ever discovers?
4. What lie do they believe about themselves or the world?

Personality & Perspective

1. How do they see the world—cynical, hopeful, pragmatic, idealistic?
2. How would their best friend describe them? (love this one)
3. What habits, quirks, or mannerisms set them apart?
4. What are three words they would never use to describe themselves—but others might?

Backstory & Transformation

1. What’s one defining moment from their past that shaped who they are today?
2. Who hurt them—and how does that affect them now?
3. Who loved them well—and what did they learn from that love?
4. What do they need to realize, change, or let go of by the end of the story?

Bonus: Visual & Sensory Details

1. What do they look like—and how do they feel about their appearance?
2. What’s always in their pockets/bag/car?
3. What smells, sounds, or sights trigger strong emotions for them?
4. If they had a theme song, what would it be?

 
I began this email by celebrating getting to 7000 words in my WIP (work in progress), but I must admit, when I read these first few chapters, they were quite horrible. That might have been the catalyst for watching Pride & Prejudice with my dog on Friday afternoon. For this novel, I’m trying to write during the week and revise on the weekend. I still think that’s a good idea, but after reading what I have so far, I understand why I’ve never done it before. First drafts are fun. Revising is not. Enjoy writing this week.
Best, 
Eliza