So the wonderful Rossie Cortes, my PR guru extraordinaire whose launching http://yourprfriend.com soon, told me to come up with a giveaway for writing in case my readers are ever writers. As most long time readers of the blog know I do talk about writing as it’s part of my life, but it’s not what I often talk about except monthly. This giveaway was the hardest thing I had to write in a long while. Short is hard.
Rossie is all about the lists and at least ten points on every list.
Every time I wanted to start a giveaway on writing, it started as a nonfiction novel. How to market, how to create book trailers, how to write with my own process, how to set a scene (as this is always a checklist of mine as I’m bad at setting the characters in the here and now without proper anchors), how to write a romance. All of these were becoming novels or at the very least novellas. The how to market bloomed three courses I’ll be teaching online starting in September, at http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#SEP.
About the courses, I learned a lot in 2016 and took my time to really study and learn marketing strategies. So I’m excited to share those.
Yet the giveaway… that was hard.
So I had to break it down into what is the basic element for this pantser when she writes. So for me, I have to really know my characters. Once I know who the characters are on a personal level, then I can honestly write a story. Without knowing my characters, I’m lost at sea with an idea that is going nowhere fast.
So my giveaway for writers is now how to create characters. It’s a checklist, which Rossie approves, as she is all about list making.
I hope you enjoy it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you start writing a character you really know?
To write a character you truly know, focus on understanding who they are on a personal level before plotting the story. For pantser writers, getting deep into a character’s identity first is the foundation — once you know your characters personally, you can honestly write their story. Without that foundation, the narrative has nowhere to go.
What is a character checklist and why do writers use one?
A character checklist is a structured list of questions or attributes a writer completes to fully develop a character before or during drafting. Writers use checklists to anchor characters in the story with specific, concrete details — especially helpful for writers who struggle to place characters in the here and now without proper reference points.
Should writers focus on character or plot first when starting a story?
For pantser writers — those who write without a detailed outline — focusing on character before plot is often more effective. Knowing your characters on a personal level provides the narrative direction that plotting alone cannot. Without fully realized characters, even a strong idea can stall. Character-first writing gives the story its momentum and emotional core.
