“My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am eighteen years old, and I live with my sister Constance. I have often thought that with any luck at all, I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length, but I have had to be content with what I had. I dislike washing myself, and dogs, and noise. I like my sister Constance, and Richard Plantagenet, and Amanita phalloides, the death-cup mushroom. Everyone else in our family is dead.”

― Shirley Jackson, We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Writing Prompt

Write intros for your OCs from their perspective. Consider these questions: How would your characters introduce themselves? What information would they want to share? Do they enjoy introducing themselves? If you don’t have an original character ready, take a moment to make one. Think about their past, their personality. Are they a people person? Do they look you in the eye when they talk to you? You only have to write a paragraph, but try to write a few different ones with different tones. Think about your character’s education. What kind of diction would they use? How much are they willing to reveal about themselves? And what is their motivation?

Writing Tip

Re-read the above quote. What is the tone? How do you feel about Mary Katherine? And why do you feel that way? What words, phrases, and ideas are used in the above segment and why have they affected you in the way that they have? What makes this introduction so gripping? By dissecting existing narratives, you’ll strengthen your own grasp on voice and POV. For more exercises, grab a few of your favorite books and see how the narrative opens. What do you learn about the characters right away? And what is revealed later on?

If you want to flesh out your character farther, check out my Character Development page.

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Two days in a row! I’m getting back into the swing of things, and I hope you are too. Covid numbers are on the rise again, and all I can say is please, stay home, wear a mask, and wash your hands. If your bored, why not write a story? If you do, go ahead and share it with me! I’d love to read your work and even post it on the blog. If you want to check out more of my projects, click the link below for my Link Tree! The Garrulous Gecko is on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube! Happy writing!