The Experiment

So – I know you've all been chomping at the bit to know how my little character grid experiment went (all 2 of you).

At first, I wasn’t sure I was getting anywhere. I was only basically writing “Narrator's story told through the eyes of Protagonist” and replacing the generic titles with the characters in question.

Ex. Jane’s story told through the eyes of her jealous boyfriend

Jane’s story told through the eyes of her over-ambitious rival at work

Yeah, nothing interesting or expanded upon there. But as I worked my way through the grid, I found a few of the characters were making their way to the forefront. The more I brainstormed and asked “what if?” about their lives, their relationships and what obstacles they could possibly face, the more I could see them jockeying for position.

Not only that, but I found a few common threads forming that will add some dimension to their individual motivations and uncover a some obvious frontrunner.

Right now, I've got 3 potential candidates to take the lead in this story. By the end of the weekend, I hope one will battle his or her way to the top of the heap so I can get some words down and start to explore the strange things that will be unleashed upon them.

For anyone else who wants to try this method out, you don't need any special tips or tricks. Just create a grid like this one and add in a little (or a lot) of detail about how they will carry the story if chosen as the star. You may be surprised at what you imagine for them.

Psst! You can get a bit of a sneak peek inside the book here.