How To Build Characters From Scratch, 60-Day Novel Challenge Week 2 (Live)

Last week we went from zero ideas to a semblance of a plan for a book. This week we find out who's in it. We're Hank and Abby, and we're planning a co-written novel (live!) as part of Dabble's 60-Day Novel Challenge. Week 2 is all about characters: our protagonist, the secondary characters, and the cabbage vendor who shows up for one scene and walks off with it. It's the biggest week of the planning month, so grab a snack and a comfy chair. Here's what we're working through, live and unscripted: The three types of characters: What each one is for, plus why archetypes and tropes aren't dirty words. They do a lot of work fast, and we've only got 60 days. Backstory, goals, and motivation: We dig up our protagonist's big hurt and the lie they believe because of it. We also make sure their motivation outweighs the risks they're facing. Nobody fights an army of orcs for no reason. (Or braves the middle school cafeteria, you know, depending on your story!) Character arcs: The four types, the nine beats, and a four-part summary of our protagonist: who they are, what pushes them, their biggest challenge, and who they become. Relationships: This is the part new writers skip, and it's a big one. Every relationship in the book should either pick at the lie or prop it up. By the end, everything goes into character profiles we'll pull from every day of the writing month. Writing along with us? Tell us in the chat what lie your protagonist believes. Bonus points if it's painfully relatable. (I did mention the middle school cafeteria, right?!) Join the 60-Day Novel Challenge: https://bit.ly/4AqrUe3 Watch Doug's Week 2 lesson: [LESSON VIDEO LINK] Go deeper with the DabbleU Academy character course: [COURSE LINK] Plan (and write) your novel in Dabble, free for 14 days: https://bit.ly/3VsWi7o #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #NovelWriting #60DayNovelChallenge #WritingSoftware #HowToWriteABook #WritingTips #Preptober