WRITING STRONG CHARACTERS 💪 tips for character development / writing tips | Natalia Leigh

[@cwfcwfcwf]

My writing has always had two main problems that I struggle with constantly. Writing STRONG characters and developing enough drama in my dramatic scenes. I'm getting better with the drama and excitement but the character development is still a major work in progress. :)

[@missamber9518]

I'm writing a 6 book series in which each book is from each character's POV. I was drafting book 2 when a character took a turn at the end of the story and I had to adjust both books. Character tell you their story as you write 😉 I think the best movie that shows that is "The Man Who Invented Christmas" 😊 Loved you video!

[@juliastrawn2113]

A trick I like to use is: Take an incredibly recognizable high school archetype (eg. Bad Boy or Emo Kid), then add depth and my own twists. That way, there's a clear base for me to work with, then I can go wild.

[@harveythepooka]

I think we're total opposites in writing style. I'm a pantser/plotser, but I HAVE to know the characters before I start. Like you said, they will take on a life on their own and do things, but imo, the more you know what makes the characters tick before you start the less revision you need later, while you are all heavy outline and less character. And yet we both end up writing the end when we're done. That's what's great about writing and also what's so hard to teach new writers, you really have to find your own path. Try the advice that people give you, but if it doesn't work it's not because you're a bad writer, it's because that's not how you write. Great video. :)

[@ComicPower]

Thank you for your transparency that it took you 6 novels to find proper voice. Im working on my first novel so that helps. Get it written dont worry about getting it completely right. I will get better

[@jessiscoggin4686]

YOUR CAT SOUNDS JUST LIKE MY CAT SO MUCH I THOUGHT IT WAS HIM AT FIRST

[@mathildehirth8408]

Great video Natalia! I so needed this. Good luck with Pistol Daisy-I’m really looking forward to it. 🌸

[@NataliaLeigh]

Thank you Mathilde! I'm glad you enjoyed the video, and can't wait for PD to be out in the world!

[@zemoi]

POTC is the BEST example of all of these tips. Specifically Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End. Davey Jones is the BEST antagonist I’ve ever seen. He has reason AND his backstory is just so 🤌🏼

[@kateh4595]

I've been watching youtube videos about writing for the past 3 years. I just discovered your videos and am binging them. You have a lovely, concise, clear way of explaining things yet you bring great depth to the topics. You helped me understand voice in a much deeper way in this video. I also loved the tip about having your main character interact with many different people to show different facets of their personality. I just ordered Pistol Daisy because I love the way your express yourself, I love your ideas, I've gotten a lot from your videos and I want to support your work. I look forward to reading it. Thanks very much for adding such value!

[@TessaDeanAuthor]

Natalia, I find your videos to be full of helpful tips. Making a comeback after a long period of time of no writing, I have forgotten what I used to know. You have so many helpful videos. I hope you keep them up. I need to work on my grammar again. Something I learned a very long time ago. I am an older authortube follower and have my own channel which I just started. I have to get back into the flow of writing prose that isn't just flash fiction and anything goes. Your videos are helping me with that. Writing so much flash fiction I learned to take all that description out of my work to complete a 100 word or less story with a beginning, middle, and end. Now I have to relearn those skills.

[@laconscozynook]

I find villains and their reasons for doing what they do so interesting as well. Great Video I will be watching it more than once as I work on my characters!

[@sean.marshall]

Thank you for this great video! I kept pausing to jot down notes (& keep myself from writing!) as I went through your video. :) Subscribed!

[@sethharmon843]

I do questionnaires like this: I write down their stats; age, sex, gender, orientation, location, etc. And then I leave the big character development questions for the drafting process.

[@KristaRobynify]

Thank you! These were great tips!

[@kevonspence60]

Working on my first book and this actually helped me a lot, thanks for the tips

[@lanalytch]

I'm so glad I found your channel, thank you so much for the great advice 😁😁😁

[@NataliaLeigh]

I’m so happy to have you here! I’m curious-how did you discover my channel?

[@reneebarrette4514]

Would absolutely love a video on villains and one on show vs tell.

[@marvamason]

I just found your channel a few days ago and have been watching all of your writing videos. You truly are inspirational and have such a gift for being able to help all of us on our journey

[@hannahreeves6300]

Super helpful, thanks Natalia! The villain tips were super helpful because my main villain was just "I'm bad because I want to be!' but now he has a purpose and a backstory. I agree with you, characters tell their story to us, we may just help them out a little bit!

[@NataliaLeigh]

I’m so happy to hear that Hannah! I love villains with a backstory and a reason to be the villain. They’re so much more interesting that way!

[@xoxolilyartfilms]

Thank you so much for this video!! I’ve been struggling this camp nano w writing and developing my characters

[@NataliaLeigh]

Hi Rain, I’m so glad you enjoyed the tips! I hope Camp goes well for you!

[@ryanmedina5090]

Great video Natalia. This is something I am trying to work on a lot now in my WIP. Is allowing the secondary characters help definte who my protagonist and antagonist are. Thanks for the tips.

[@elizabethmcglothlin5406]

So true. If I open a book and heroine is beautiful , rich, and has a glamorous job, I will never make it far enough to encounter the conflict!

[@josephinegieske5523]

Love the video, this is really great content. Thank you for sharing! Yes, i agree. Characters tell me their stories so that makes total sense to me. I would love a villain video!!

[@Charlie-de8tv]

Thank you so much for taking the time for doing this. So appreciated!

[@kathysbookishshop]

I’m thinking about writing something myself and this was really great! Important information to know before I start to keep them in mind. Thank you so much!

[@patrickskramstad1485]

I believe writers are led astray by the word strong to describe characters. I believe most writers want a character to stand out. Writers want the characters to grab the attention of the reader. Writers want readers to in a sense admire their creation and the characters. I believe writers should edit the word strong and replace it with the word distinctive. Here is more proof; as I wonder in life talking to many people, one attribute that is inspirational and a characteristic or situation of a person or circumstance are the underdogs. People love to see the underdog win. People love to see a physically strong and trained person in over their head and overcome the opposing circumstances normally for a good cause. Edit the word "strong" and replace it with the word "distinctive" because strength is only a portion of the writer's goal. ;)

[@mischarowe]

This is incredibly helpful. I've been having a problem lately and realised some of my side characters were more interesting than one of my mains. Thanks so much for this. :)

[@NataliaLeigh]

So glad you enjoyed it! I’ve had that problem in some of my past books as well. Heck, even I liked the side characters best in some of those books lol!

[@mischarowe]

@@NataliaLeigh Good to know. :) Thanks so much for being so wonderful and helpful.

[@vincevanbuskirk8635]

Great, well-articulated tips! Really liked your explanation of voice. You've given me some much needed ideas to work with. Also, it's nice to see you talk excitedly about your character, Daisy. Never read a western before but now I'm interested.

[@NataliaLeigh]

Hey Vince, thanks for your feedback! It took my yeeears to figure out what "voice" meant, or what it means to me, at least. If you do decide to read Pistol Daisy, I hope you'll enjoy it :)

[@libraryofadventures7800]

I still don’t understand how to find my character’s voice. I’m writing a story with dual POV and it’s a challenge to differentiate the voices from each other and from my (the author’s) voice Do you have tips to learn that faster?

[@wolfywonder8480]

Late reply here, but I'd suggest reading passages by other authors that have heavy character voice in the narration. One of the best examples of this I've personally read was book eight of the Wing of Fire series - the pov the reader gets in that book strongly influences the narration in pretty much all aspects. It may also be a problem with the types of characters you write; maybe your characters are too similar, or perhaps their personalities aren't extreme enough to differentiate. In that case, I suggest thinking up some really zany and expressive characters and writing a short scene from each of their perspectives separately. If one of them is unbelievably apologetic and sweet, chances are they'll react differently than a character that's quick to anger and rushes in headfirst. In general, create characters that oppose each other in some way. If one's empathetic, make the other coldly logical or aloof. If one's a ray of sunshine, make the other disillusioned and cynical. Example - It was a beautiful day, the sunlight streaming in from between the curtains. The flowers outside the window were in full bloom, birds nestled into the winding branches of trees singing their morning tunes. It was really bright out, that much was certain. The flowers outside the window had opened up, which meant more pollen and more allergy medication. It didn't help that the birds were annoyingly loud either.

[@AlexVeeGee]

Yes! Video or series about villains! I've always tried to give mine a backstory and wants and goals, but I seem to fall down when it comes to interaction between my protag and the villian. A lot of the time, they seem to be like ships in the night, except for the big fight scene, lol. But I'm told my plots work. I need to work on my villains...

[@Artraive]

Great video! And you look extra cute today, love the wavy hair and earrings 😊. Haha I laughed outloud near the end when you spoke about listening to your characters 😍. I usually make a very short character chart in my outline document with just basic info like age, quirks , goals, fears and physical description and my vague idea of their growth and I've had three characters suddenly break their mold and change the role I cast them as and I love when that happens 😊.

[@t.a.beasley5787]

This was a very helpful video. I would love to see you do one on villians.

[@TaniasWritingRealm]

This is a great video and thank you so much. This is something I've been struggling with

[@sherrinight]

This video was very helpful. I have 15 characters in the Horror Dark Fantasy novel, and go them mix up with each other already.This video helped a lot and made me realize where I was going wrong in that thank you so much.

[@NataliaLeigh]

Haha, sometimes I get my characters mixed up in early drafts as well xD I'm glad you enjoyed the tips!

[@abigailjoanna6139]

I'm still loving that cover!

[@DeeBlaregold]

I understand completely about not filling out a character profile before writing. I pants my first draft. I tried rewriting my draft, after making and using the profile. I remember thinking, ”the profile narrowed down the character's voices.” I have decided to go back and fill in the characteristics later, just so that small details will be consistent throughout the book/series. That might be backward, but🤷🏽‍♀️.

[@acewilliams7917]

Me: Whoa, Pistol Daisy!!! 😳 Doc Holiday: She's no daisy at all.

[@melanieannplans2666]

My background in short stories focused on characters reacting to the environment they were placed in. The biggest struggle for me with transitioning to writing novels is having their goal span across an entire book - which will eventually span across FOUR books total! Luckily, I knew what my MC's goal would be when I came up with the idea for my YA fantasy, and it's one I can easily span across the series. What I need to focus once I wrap things up with the first book is what her individual goals will be in each of the subsequent books. *breathes* That was a lot. LOL! But yeah. It's definitely been a fun, VERY different creative process to change things up!

[@mjbelko9443]

Solid advice! I'm struggling with being an under writer, but I don't want to add a bunch of fluff. Working on expanding the role of one of my minor characters. He's important to the story and I think I may not have given him the attention he needs. Would love more advice on how to fill out a manuscript. Don't we have the best job/talent in the world? I LOVE BEING A WRITER!

[@cassieholmes808]

Really great tips.

[@klitemyfire5965]

Hello Natalia, and thanks for another wonderful video on character building. I was wondering if you have any experience with writing an autobiography., possibly you have had some dealing with editing. If so would you consider doing a video on the dos and don'ts for writing an autobiography.

[@susanbuckminster282]

Thank you!

[@WriteHollyDavis]

Great video/tips!!

[@courtneyvestal1766]

Loved this video!! Would love to hear your thoughts on Villains too!! Thank you for all your hard work!!

[@joannaholden943]

Agh! I needed this SO badly today! Been reading through Little Hood and knew something was missing - it's pretty much ALL of this! 😲 Thank you for sharing! Now I can have something concrete to work with when I get started editing. 🥰

[@Samanthaskeepsakes]

Id love to see series on villians

[@nealabbott6520]

how about a video about the difference between an antagonist and a villain. or, a good guy and hero and protagonist

[@UniquelyAshantesCorner]

Hello Natalia, I'm sorry to leave this comment again if you saw it already. I watched your video entitled "How to become a freelance editor | Editor Q&A Pt. 2" and I had a question. Can you please tell me if you know any free online classes that can help aspiring editors to sharpen their skills? I have an interest in being an editor, but I need to obtain the skills for it. I know you mentioned that one could take classes in school, but I have already graduated. Also, can you recommend free online writing groups? If you could please reply to this message, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you in advance and I hope to hear from you. Take care and stay safe.

[@NataliaLeigh]

Hey! Thanks for reaching out. I unfortunately don't know of any free editing classes. I take classes through the EFA, and the prices vary depending on which one you sign up for. As for writing groups, you could certainly check out groups on Facebook. I'm not on Facebook anymore, so I can't recommend any specifically, but I've heard good things about Facebook writing groups! :) Best of luck!

[@UniquelyAshantesCorner]

@@NataliaLeigh Thank you again Natalia for your reply. I appreciate you taking time to do so. I actually don't have a Facebook account. Do you happen to know of any other free online writing groups I could look into?

[@AxleBoost]

Awesome vid, as always.

[@SerbAtheist]

Sometimes it's fun to have a villain who is simply a relentless and unrepentant sadist, like Ramsey from GOT.

[@qine6559]

Thankx

[@MrWarrenjc]

I am writing an antagonist that just is terrible just because that's his nature. Of course I'm talking about the Devil. I'm writing a contained thriller. My protagonist is NOT a believer but becomes one at the end. Any tips on writing an antagonist that is mean because he wants to be. You teach against such an antagonist, but I feel you are talking about the human side. Any help? How far out is you editing. Do you only edit finished manuscripts or can you edit chapters as i go?

[@annmurry8589]

1 wants: These do change a bit over the series (as pov characters grow up) and are varying in intensity and clarity (if I'm honest). 2 flaws (needs): I like how you connected the character needs to flaws. I find flaws entertaining so, yeah, these are a thing. 3 stakes for failure: I tend more towards personal stakes and maybe family or faction groups stakes. I kind of personally feel exhausted by "the world" stakes (although towards the end of the series it gets close to that). 4 villains: I like to go for competitive antagonists that are arguably justified. I tend toward group vs group with representative secondary characters. 5 voice: I love character voice. This is a big crossover for me from running NPCs as a table top roleplaying GM. I think there are pieces of my own voice in various characters (based on compartmentalizing my life) but mostly they aren't me. I do odd things with lucid dreaming and character interviewing to find the voice. 6 relationships: The biggest one I like to explore is siblings. Romance secondary plots are really more about this (and also cultural exploration) than actual romance beats. 7 drafting/ first tries: I hope for the best based on crossover from other story-telling experiences. But I do plan on revising a lot (since I do this already). In fact intentional revising and rewriting is hard scheduled because I really hope to get better at this over time. I don't have the character questionnaires. I learned as a GM to sketch out the important parts of characters as they fit in the world and impact the story and let the rest of it come as you go. It's a mix of pantsing and plotting the character. I do keep track of character arcs and features but this is much more of a tracking for consistency with just a bit of pre-planning of just a few small characterization points. You are no more crazy than I am!

[@elvisowhor8413]

Please I went your teachings today, please am a none fiction author. How do I contact you for editing thanks.

[@kajetan9906]

Can the character fail in their want/goal by the end of the story? I am writing a series

[@עדיעקיבא-ד4ו]

Well, yeah they can fail. It can either be a tragedy or they can realize that what they want isn't what they need or, since it's a series, they can fail and then try again and succeed. Or they can fail, and accomplish something else. (e.g. terorists kidnapped a loved one, the hero goes to the resQ, loved one dies but terorists plan fails)

[@kajetan9906]

I was thinking that the failure in the first book would push the character towards pursuing a new goal, which directly comes from that failure, in the next books

[@NataliaLeigh]

Absolutely - especially in a series!

[@shantarammeshram9958]

Can anybody tell me that do we need to hire an editor if we are going to publish our book traditionally. I mean do the traditional publishers have their own editors to edit our book.

[@winnmiller6012]

I think if you're able to obtain a literary agent, and that person is able to get you into a publishing house, then the editor part, will kinda come through there (with the publishing house) because they'll know how to edit your book down to give it the shape it needs to be the best format for actually being published. I think the FIRST step for you is to get your novel proofread, then you can start querying/submitting to an agent. Good luck!!!

[@sierrasun621]

yes please make a bad guy video

[@megankirrmann6624]

Villains....what's your favorite one?

[@newtoatheism5968]

I feel like I’ve got a strong character going maybe idk

[@xChikyx]

my story has no antagonist as a person... 😩

[@totallyanonymousbish9599]

My tip number 1#: Don't be like Rey.

[@carlajenkins1990]

Wrong. Voice is how the author tells a story. Mark Twain had a certain style that was distinctly his. Jane Austen's voice is her own. A story with voice means you can hear the author happily telling the story.

[@johnlewis1078]

😺 (03:20) 🥰