Good afternoon!
Today I sat down with the game Apples-to-Apples, pulled out all the green cards, and looked through every single one of them.
Why?
Well, first my idea was to use the cards as a tool for building characters I already have in mind. Then, as I went through them, I found that they're actually much better for gaining inspiration for characters you haven't even invented yet.
I believe that characters are often built on one or two solid adjectives. Think of Tom Sawyer, for example. His adjective would be mischievous. Mr. Darcy's would be proud. Winnie-the-Pooh's might be dependable. Of course, these characters are more complex than just one adjective. Tom is not just mischievous; at times he's also scared, loyal, remorseful, adoring. Mr. Darcy is certainly more than proud: he is dignified, respectable, caring. And Winnie-the-Pooh is also loyal, pleasant, and musical (I'm thinking of the books, where he's always making up something to sing to himself). But single or paired adjectives can be a great place to start.
I found all of these words on the green Apples-to-Apples cards!
Interesting Descriptors That Stand by Themselves
Philosophical. I don't think this is one we think of very often. How many characters can you think of in books who are philosophical? (I'm probably missing a ton . . . please enlighten me!)
Healthy. Why would we mention that someone is healthy? Maybe their lifestyle is built around their health. In that case, we can create conflict by taking their health away. I'm thinking of Katy, from What Katy Did, by Susan Coolidge.
Relaxing. We sometimes think of people who are relaxed, but what about people who are relaxing? These are people who have the ability to put all those around them at ease. People who calm others down. But maybe their gift for relaxing people does not extend to themselves. Maybe they're a bundle of nerves and angst on the inside?
Not all of the cards are easily applicable to people. . . . These help us think outside the box!
Organic. The explanatory words on this card were "natural, clean, biological." How could you make a person organic? I thought of someone who loves getting their fingers in the dirt, who is solid and dependable and responsible and loyal, untainted.
Fuzzy. Hmm . . . warm fuzzies? Soft, sweet, and friendly? (Any ideas on this one?)
Dead. Well, dead characters have been written before! How about Emily in Thornton Wilder's Our Town?
Contrasting Adjectives
I was just flicking through the cards and these two showed up almost right next to each other:
Cuddly\Dignified.
That might be a funny contrast to use between two characters! Contrasts are highlights. What could you highlight with this contrast?
Paired Adjectives
Here are some unusual adjective pairings I found that could possibly create deeper characters.
Glamorous + dangerous. Maybe the most fashionable, beautiful, witty woman in the room is an assassin??!
Worldly + courageous. I liked the idea of taking a negative trait (worldliness) and pairing it with something good (courageous). Perhaps your worldly character starts off cowardly and selfish, terrified that he will lose his possessions, but then grows to see that love/freedom/family are more important, and is able to become courageous.
Charming + arrogant.
Offensive + charismatic. (They're just so lovable that you manage to overlook their rudeness? Or they don't realize they're being rude, and somehow manage to be charming despite their offensiveness?)
Ancient + wicked. Like Shelob.
There are so many possibilities! Let me know if you come up with any other interesting contrasts/pairings, whether or not you go through Apples-to-Apples cards to find them!
Thanks for reading,
KB
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