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Hello visitors. On my blog I'm talking about my books, but also about what I'm currently working on and, maybe, some other stuff. Browse through my posts and don't forget to check out my older posts in the archives. If you are interested in my books, please, visit my website Fictitious Tales for more information and a few excerpts. Also, take a look at my second blog Herbert Grosshans, where I talk about fun-stuff and things that concern me.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

#Writing a novel, part 9



 A sample of the history of a character


This is the history and character sheet for Lews Canon. He is the main character in the book I’m currently writing.

Lews Bullseye Canon, P.I.  (Sometimes he uses an alias: Mark Conelli).
41 years old in 2013. (Born in 1972).
Ex-Cop. (from 1994 to 2006). Then worked as an investigator for another agency (Delta Investigations) (from 2006 until 2008. Then he opened up his own agency). Canon Detective Agency. No job too big or too small. Call....

5ft 11 inches tall.
One blue eye and one brown eye. (Courtesy of his grandfather).
            Father: Bigg Canon. 71 (1942). 5feet 3 inches tall, in elevator shoes, is as skinny as a third world refugee and has a head as bald and big as a cannon ball.
            Mother: Mathilda Canon (ne: Turner). (1944 – 2009. Age: 65)
            Grandfather: Bullseye Canon. (1918 - 1993 at age of 75.
            Grandmother: Mary Canon (ne: Petrowich) (1923 – 1995 at age of 72)
            Brother: Bigg Colt Canon. 1967 – 1992 at age of 25) Car accident.


1988: Lews makes his driver’s license at age 16
1989: Lews buys his firs car: a 1983 VW.
1990: Lews joins the Military
1991: Lews is deployed in Kuwait 
1993: Lews leaves the Military
1993: Lews goes to the Police Academy
1994: Lews becomes a cop
1995: Lews marries Mary-Ann Kilbride (She’s 20 years old)
1997: He traded in his VW and bought a 1994 Toyota Camry.
2006: Lews quits the police force and gets a job with Delta Investigations Inc.
2007: Mary-Ann divorces Lews. She blames his drinking. She marries her attorney.
2008: Lews starts his own detective agency
2010: His Camry is stolen (16 years old).
2011: Nelda starts to work for Lews
            Lews meets Sonya McKinnon, a divorced woman.
2012: Lews makes Nelda his partner

Now he drives a 1993 Cadillac. Got as payment for a job in 2010

He lives in an apartment.

Character traits:
Athletic. Friendly. Good sense of humor. Honest. Committed to his job. A little too good-hearted sometimes. Loves women but can’t commit himself. Doesn’t like guns. Never carries one. Has a bit of a drinking problem.

Note: This history developed as I wrote the story. In the beginning I had nothing but his name, and I changed that later. Right now I’m about half-way into the story. A few things will be added and possibly even changed. This list is just a guideline and not written in stone.

Here is a link to how author Kay Kenyon handles a Character Sketch.

More next time

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