The Tidy Guide to Writing, Editing, and Publishing Your Novel

Once you've addressed your story's plot, you're ready to move on to the second P activity, and that's looking at your story's people. For this exercise, you'll work within your manuscript.

Before you begin, make a list of all major characters within your story. This includes your protagonist, antagonist, and their key supporting cast. Skip minor characters who may appear in only a chapter or two. Your list will have the names of roughly two to ten characters, and you'll focus on each character at a time.

To begin, pick one of the character names. I often start at the bottom of my list—with a supporting character—because they are easier to scan and help you build momentum in completing this exercise (Little Ups!). Now, open your document. I'm assuming you have your manuscript in an electronic format, such as in Microsoft Word, which makes this activity a breeze. Search for all occurrences of that character's name, e.g., Reyne. This will highlight the character's name, making it easier to see everywhere the character appears in your story.

Skim through your document, looking only at this character, with the following questions in mind:

Do they have their own personality? Even a supporting character shouldn't feel like a cardboard cutout. Give each character unique traits and personality quirks to help them feel like a real person with whom readers can empathize.

Do they ever act out of character? Make sure your character is acting true to himself or herself rather than as a device to force your plot ahead in the direction you want. This is a big one, because readers will notice if the star of your story suddenly does something out of character.

Do they respond to stimuli with reaction beats? When something happens to the character, whether it's a physical, verbal, or psychological action, be sure to allow them to have a visceral reaction. Newton's third law, "for every reaction, there's an equal and opposite reaction," applies to characters as well as to motion. By ensuring your characters have reaction beats, you enrich their personality and individual depth.

As you step through your character within the story, take notes or make changes as you proceed. When you finish with the character, repeat the activity for the next character on your list. When you reach your protagonist, add one more question to your list:

Does the protagonist change throughout the story? Nearly all stories are character-driven—they focus on things happening to the protagonist who must then respond and address the overall conflict. Just like in real life, when big things happen to us, we change in some way. Perhaps your character becomes wiser, more emotionally guarded, and gains an improved sense of self-worth. Or, your character develops new values, such as altruism, compassion, or leadership. Likely, you know how your protagonist evolves—be sure your readers see it, too, through your character's actions, words, and thoughts.

After you've finished reviewing your characters, you can move on to the third and final P activity.