This year I am writing a novel.

As I was bleeding the words for a big scene in the novel I was introduced to a new character. I use the word “introduced” because this wasn’t a character that I had originally planned for, but it was one who became pivotal for advancing the plot. So, I created the basic details for this surprise character on the fly so that I could finish the scene that I was breathing life into:

• Gender: Male
• Age: 34
• Physic: muscular build, “burly” as in strong/large
• Other: mysterious, quiet, full of surprises

For the purpose of the scene this character was referred to only as “the man.” He still needs a name. Any thoughts on the name Kendric?

The next few scheduled writing shifts will be back to character development. “The man” needs to become a full rounded character!

In 2017 I wrote a post called “Character, Who Are You?” I wrote about creating characters and breathing life into them. If you want to check that out you can read it: here.

By Shari Marshall – 2021