Let's take a look at Albert Owen, Rod and Julia's youngest son.You can probably tell, from looking at the photos I chose to represent Albert's physical characteristics, that I've been dealing with these characters for a looooooooog time. How long a time?
If you're too young to know the face, it's Michael J. Fox. I believe I saw him on the cover of AARP Magazine a couple of years ago. Yep, that long a time.
Here's the notes I made on Albert:
ALBERT OWEN
This one will be 14 in December, and he is excitable and fierce, but has done yeoman service while his brothers and father have been gone. He has been overworked, and now that the pressure is no longer on him, he has some spare time to get into trouble in. Albert has a light complexion, with dark brown hair and brown eyes.
The cross-outs I made on the original card show that I was influenced by the photos I found to change Albert's hair and eyes from black to brown. I also lightened up his natural skin tone.
I have to laugh at myself for the way I constructed one sentence above. I'm pretty sure I would now say "he has sufficient spare time in which to get in trouble." Given the years from the time I wrote this until now, I'd better have learned a thing or two!
Albert's role in the WIP isn't huge, but he will play a part, in the area of aiding and abetting another character.
Thank you for sharing a portion of your writing process. It is enlightening.
ReplyDeleteThis is something I'm definitely doing for my next novel. My first two novels were written a lot more organically, but I'm going to do a lot of planning and groundwork before I begin my next first draft.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing (and not being too proud to show your own growth as a writer).