Basing Stories on Characters

"The most important quality you can give your character is the capacity to care."

- Ellen Jackson

The easiest way to write a story is to base it on a character. Mapping out a plot and all its details can be tiresome and less flexible. Characters can create plot, as a storyline relies on the power of its characters. By focusing on character, the human aspect of writing will come out more. If an author delves far enough into a character, the reader who see themselves in them. When we have made this connection with the reader, the book is as interesting as living life itself.

Forgetting to Move More than Just Your Story?

Poet's Walk, Central Park. Photography by Henri Silberman.











I know writer's can believe themselves to be nonathletic or just plain lazy. But casual exercise, like walking, on a daily basis is very important. Besides being good for your health physically, it provides intellectual freshness as well. Sometimes, when we are stuck with an idea or want to brainstorm a plot, taking a walk is a marvelous way to ponder over concepts. Walking can be a great way to forget about your writing, too. Sometimes writer's need to time to think of nothing at all - to let their mind rest from the pull of their stories.

Here is a famous essay by Thoreau on the subject of walking for your inspiration:

http://ecotopia.org/walking/