Summer has officially started! And with that comes all the fun and craziness that makes life the fantastic, chaotic ride it is. Luckily, I’ve made some progress in between everything going on. Intensity is building in my story, and I can’t wait to see how it all comes together on the page.

Progress aside, I do have to make a confession. There was an unrelated creative itch that I had to scratch. I stole quite a few evenings this month to explore an unrelated project. Long story short, I have a character in another medium that was begging me to explore her memories. A handful of them came to me so strongly and suddenly that I was having a hard time focusing on other tasks. Finally, I gave in and wrote them out—by hand—oddly enough, even going back to my original method of pencil and paper. Through this entire “project,” I learned valuable lessons that made it worth the time it took to complete. Most importantly, I learned that exploring a character’s memories will greatly deepen the connection I have with them.

Backstories are no joke. Working on this character’s memories was a masterclass in discovering the origins to their motivations and idiosyncrasies. Even though I know what happens to this character up to this point, I still found myself experiencing relief or sadness alongside her. No one will ever read these memories (thank goodness), but it was liberating to write candidly, without needing to edit or censor. My investment in the future of this character was solid before, but stepping back into their memories has made it much more intense. Overall, I felt that for the first time I truly understood. I could write a whole pamphlet on all the realizations I had and the new skills I practiced, but that’s a whole different project for another time.

None of this is to say that I hadn’t thought about characters’ pasts or jotted notes about their lives before; however, actually taking the time to write out a handful of their defining moments did more for me than a character interview has ever done. I don’t intend on abandoning interviews, but I certainly plan on doing more “projects” like this for all my MCs in the future. Maybe I’ll do this with my antagonist.

Talking about characters like they are separate individuals from themselves can sound weird to anyone looking in from the outside, but I know I’m not the only author who does it. For anyone struggling to connect with a character or who just wants to make that connection stronger, I can’t recommend a “project” like this enough. Memories are powerful, they are the backbone of the people that play out the tales we tell. Plus, it’s good fun.

Thanks for taking the time to read and best of luck in all of your endeavors. Stay safe and healthy!