Vicki Hinze © 2002-2011
I’ve written 23 books and suddenly I’m hearing from my editor that all my lead characters are starting to sound, think, and act as if they’re all the same person. I know writers can get into a rut. I’m on a really tight deadline. What’s the easiest and fastest way I can get out of it?
Writers do tend to get into this rut because we think, process whatever we take in, and conclude what we want to put out the same way, book after book. Most of the time, I get stuck with saying that you have to stretch your mind, take more notice of nuances about people in general. But you’re in a hurry on this, and so I’ll give you a fast fix–though I still recommend the observation.
Go to www.artcharts.com and buy an Indra report for $18. You’ll need to come up with a birth-date and time and a name for your character–and do let them know that you’re creating a character for a book.
In short order, you’ll have a 30-35 page report that IS the character. Here’s what they say about the Indra report on their website:
“This interpretation of the birth chart is very comprehensive and in-depth– and gives you a very insightful overview. The Indra Report describes your basic motivations, perceptions, inclinations, and character from a number of different perspectives, giving a highly accurate composite view of your life. Your contradictory urges and drives as well as your chief areas of talent and focus are described. Includes declinations, a full delineation of your lunar nodes, and sections on your strongest and weakest points.
Includes 12 sections: The Structure and Intent of Your Life, Your Ego Structure (The Sun), Your Personal Life (The Moon), Your Mental Life (Mercury), Your Love Nature (Venus), Your Energy (Mars), etc. and a Summation section on your strongest and weakest points. prints to 30 – 35 pages”
I’ve bought these and found that they do include what they say–a 3-dimensional character. So far as I can see, this is the fastest and easiest way to resolve the challenge you’re having with creating characters. I’ll warn you that you get tons of plot direction from reading and using a tool like this, so don’t be totally locked into your plot before you get the report. Leave room for all the twists and turns it’ll inspire.
For a long-term fix that isn’t as fast but is beneficial, do remember to really observe people. And if you’re interested, there’s an in-depth article in the Library on Creating Unforgettable Characters.
