I don't know where to start... I'm white. I'm privileged. I view the world from a white lens. I am ashamed. I can do better. And, so can the people who respond to #BlackLivesMatter with #AllLivesMatter. Yes, all lives do matter but all lives do not live in fear because of the colour of their skin. Black lives are undervalued and this is wrong. Black lives matter. Black people are trying to be heard. And, I am listening.

The comic below by kris straub does a great job illustrating why "All Lives Matter" as a response to the current race crisis is perhaps...not the best response. ​

​Racism is not a problem exclusive to the US. We have racism in Canada. We can all do better, and we can start with acknowledging that we view the world from one of white privilege. We should be compassionate to those who are fighting to be heard and critical of those in power who are fighting to maintain a racist system. 

Here's a link to Black Organizations and Anti-Racist Groups Canadians can support.

One of the most fun aspects of writing…besides spending the day in my imagination is the time I devote to character development. I LOVE this process. From finding the ‘perfect’ name, deciding what they look like to defining all the aspects of their personality.

It may be fun but it’s also important because it helps you develop interesting and compelling characters whose jobs are to help drive the plot of your novel. And, to do this as the novel’s creator you need to know what motivates your characters. You also need to have characters who are believable AND memorable. Characters who readers want to invest their time in so they will actually read beyond the first few pages of your book. Yes, character development is important.  

Character Development Tools
If you google ‘novel character development’ you will be inundated with tips— 207,000,000 to be exact. There are templates, questionnaires, worksheets and charts—holy smokes—it’s OVERWHELMING. Bear in mind what works for one writer, may not work for another. There is no right or wrong process you need to find what works best for you.

Personally, I like to keep it simple and I’ve found that a character development chart works best.  For each character, I brainstorm following elements.

• The Basics =’s name, age, place of birth
• Physical =’s eye colour and shape, hair colour and style, build, height, weight, distinguishing features and mannerisms/gestures. How do they walk? How do they talk?
• Family =’s parents, siblings, grandparents
• Personality =’s list all of the traits you want the character to have according to their role in your novel. For example, a strong-willed, independent heroine with a sense of humour (create a BIG list)
• Values =’s list all of the things that are important to your character be it climate change to punctuality (again, create a BIG list)
• Likes and Dislikes =’s—chocolate, running marathons and afraid of the dark, don’t like swimming (a comprehensive list)

 
If your brainstorming has come to a screeching halt, here is a link to tool that I think is great. WD Character Development Cheat Sheet    

Upon completion of this process, you have a clear picture of who your characters are and how they will behave so you can write them accordingly.

Character Development at its Best
Alan Bradley is a master at character development. Here's an excerpt from his novel The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag: