Ten Weeks of Writers Prep, and a Challenge: Week Two!


Not a writer? Scroll down for your challenge!

Ten Weeks of Writers Prep
Week Two: Protagonist!

This week, develop some of the more minute details of your protagonist. Here are a few questions to consider however, feel free to take this time to look up other prompts online.

Who is your protagonist? What is their name, age, rank, social standing, etc.

What do they look like? What colour are their eyes, their hair, what kind of body type to they have, how tall are they, how do they dress, do they have tattoos, piercings, specific identifying features, etc.

Where do they come from? What is their lineage and its significance, do they care about the story of their ancestors and their history?

What do they do for a living? Are they in school, have a career, are they nomads, do they have chores, hobbies, responsibilities, etc.

What are they afraid of? What keeps them awake at night, what in their past has caused this fear for them? Does this fear affect them on a day to day basis? How does it present in their personalities, etc.

What are their strongest values/convictions? Do they value blood or friendship more?  How strongly do they value things like trust, honesty, loyalty, love, etc.

What are their abilities and strengths? Remember, no character has every quality out there, what are a few that your character will have? Are they strong, intelligent, courageous, comedic cunning, witty, fast, do they have psychic abilities, or magical powers?

What are their weaknesses and flaws? No character is complete without weaknesses and flaws, remember to balance out the positive characteristics they’ve been given. Are they stubborn, cold, less intelligent, physically weak or require aids like glasses, are they loud, obnoxious, ridiculous, overzealous, etc.

Do they have Religious or Spiritual beliefs? What are their beliefs, or do they prefer not to believe in religion? Perhaps they put their faith in a certain goal or life truth instead, or perhaps they do follow a religion devoutly.  If so, describe the belief system and how much time they contribute to it.

Do they have family? Are their family still around, did they lose their family- if so, when and how has it affected them?  Do they consider their family to be a group of friends they’ve become close to, are they estranged from their family, do they get along with their family at all, do they spend a lot of time with some members of their family but not with others?

What is their goal? What is the one thing that drives them more than anything else in the story?

Ten Weeks of Challenges
Week Two: Thank a mentor!

Think back. Somewhere in your life, someone stands out as having influenced the way you see yourself, and the world. Someone taught you something in a way that you could understand, in a way that just clicked. Someone's influence in your life lead you to where you are now or where you hope to be.

Perhaps it was a parental figure, perhaps it was an educator, perhaps it was a friend or cousin. Whoever it was, this week your challenge is to reach out to them and thank them. Explain to them how their work or presence has affected you, motivated you, and inspired you. Remember, your mentor is a human being who may be completely oblivious to their influence in your life and hearing it could truly make their day.

No longer have contact with them? Ask around. This is the twenty-first century after all- where there is a will, there is a way!

If that person is no longer around, pass the message along to someone in their family, or simply tell someone else about them to keep their memory alive. Acknowledge what they have done for you and put that gratitude out into the world the way your mentor deserves.

Good luck!

*****

Hey Ramblers! Whether you are a writer or not, I hope you enjoy week two of your challenge. As always, feel free to comment below or email me at thebrastreetrambler@gmail.com to share your experiences or feedback.

Cheers!
The Bra Street Rambler

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