What is the character going to take or give? Here are some of the questions asked and explanations for them. The character grid is built in a pattern Down the side of the paper you’ll have a list of characters of varying importance. Then, across the top is a list of questions directed at their role/relevance. It’s free and you’ll have access to tons of other content too. The way to build a grid is simple, but you don’t have to because I’ve already built one for you. The decision is always up to you but leaving both as an option is equally important. Ultimately, you can either further develop and involve a character or remove them entirely from the setting. We, as craftsmen of a time consuming trade, must be willing to edit with a machete and remove painful distractions from our story. Just because you love a character and enjoy writing them into existence, doesn’t mean they need to be there for the story. Character development and a character grid will help you find your Jar Jar Binks. Instead, we had to listen to a babbling CGI created alien ruin every good scene in the film. Just think, if the writers of Star Wars, The Phantom Menace did this grid with Jar Jar Binks, then it would have been a fantastic movie. This will show you whether or not the character is even needed and whether or not character development is necessary. Going through this exercise with a given character will bring out the intrinsic value of him/her/them. Using this grid is a powerful tool for enrichment, conciseness and character development. Think of it like a tool for you as a writer to help ‘trim the fat’ of a character’s involvement while simultaneously finding ways to further invest them into the web of your story. It will help the author with character development. Using a character grid is a method some editors use to determine the necessity, effectiveness and depth of a character within a given story.
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