Ruth Ozeki - 9/27/21

Award-winning author Ruth Ozeki, whose latest novel is The Book of Form and Emptiness (Viking).

In our conversation, Ruth mentioned that she has to dig really deep to find her characters and fully understand them. This week’s Write the Book Prompt is to consider a character you are working on; perhaps someone you don’t fully understand yet. Ask yourself these questions about this character: 

• What does he or she want? (And from here on, I’m going with she, to make life easier…)
• Has she had it before and lost it, or does she want something she has never had or achieved?
• What will happen if she does not get what she wants? 
• Will this affect anyone else? 
• Does she care about affecting anyone else? 
• Where does she come from? 
• What situation or life does she come from?
• What matters to her? 
• Who or what is keeping her from getting what she wants? 
• Does she know that this person or situation is to blame? 
• How does she feel about this person or situation? 
• What is she willing to do to change the situation? 
• Does she see herself clearly / does she understand herself? 

Consider these and any other questions that might occur to you as you work on your character, take notes, and then try again to write from her perspective.

Good luck with your work in the coming week, and tune in next week for another prompt or suggestion.

Music Credit: Aaron Shapiro

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