Today I finished the book Getting into Character by Brandilyn Collins. It was my first choice to get into for a number of reasons. Most obviously, I was having a hard time with character development. I can do fairly well by the seat of my pants, but I’m very much aware that I could be doing it a lot better, and that always irks me.

The second reason was for validation. Around age 12 I was already aware of the seeds of writing within, plus I’d had several good roles in a children’s theatre company. It seemed obvious to me that the two could work synergistically (though I may not have used that term), and I shared my staggering insight with the director, as deep 12-year-olds are wont to do.

I don’t remember the exact phrasing, but it was something along the lines of ” You know what? Authors would be the best actors because they really know the inside of their characters!” The director was aware that head knowledge of a character does not mean a talent to physically express that character also exists, and his reply, while not unkind, revealed that he was clearly not as deep as I.

He had a point of course, but so did I. I felt so affirmed, after all these years, to read how Brandilyn Collins, an actor and author herself, has applied principles of Method acting to the creation of characters for her books. Go me! I knew I had something!

I’ve taken a first pass through the book, not doing the recommended exercises yet, but there is a lot of gold to be mined from what’s in there. For where I am as a writer right now, the chapter on Personalizing ~ bringing distinctive traits and gestures in to play, and the chapter on Subtexting were the most valuable. As I grow in the craft, I hope to come to the place that I’m using it all. It is encouraging that she says that when applied with a little diligence, these skills become second nature as you write. That’s just what I need. I’m not surprised this book came so highly recommended.