“A Writer is a world trapped in a person.” ~~Victor Hugo
This is probably one of the most accurate descriptions of a writer I probably have ever seen. Writers can come up with fantastic and detailed worlds and characters for their books that just pull us in. Think of some of the most popular out there. Panem in the Hunger Games, Hogwarts in Harry Potter. One of my favorites is fairy tale world in the “Circle Trilogy” by Nora Roberts. Even those who use existing or more present-day realistic settings, the scenarios and the characters come entirely from the author.
In my book series, I created the town of Coolersville. I used a lot of influences from my own life to get ideas. Ohio is full of college towns and quaint historical towns. I blended all of those to create my own little college town for my story.
And, it’s not just the setting. The characters, some stories containing huge casts! I’m currently listening to the Game of Thrones series. George R.R. Martin has hundreds of characters. Some are only briefly mentioned and you try to remember them thinking they’ll be relevant later on in the story.
You may only have 1 or 2 main characters, a few supporting characters (maybe the best friend, the mentor figure, or the love interest), and a few more extras that are mentioned in a scene but don’t play a huge role. You may not have to fully flesh out all of them in your story, but you can visualize them while you’re writing. For your own notes, you may even draw up a profile. This can be helpful if you’re working on a series. You set someone up in, say, book 2 and then they have a larger part to play in book 3 or 4.
And, then, you have your antagonists. Are they the comic villain with the handlebar moustache and top hat, tying a girl to the railroad tracks? Or, is he more of a gray character who may, someday, be an unexpected ally?
Some things to think about when you’re writing. How do you come up with your characters and world? Do you model characters, or some of their personality, on people you know? Actors? Your favorite characters in other media? What about your setting? Modeled after your home town? A destination you want to visit? Something you read about in a book like ancient Greece or Rome? I’d love to hear about it.