By Jill Williamson
Last week, Stephanie talked about teaching your character new skills. I loved reading all the cool skills you’ve given your characters and wanted to add something to that discussion. Giving your character at least one interesting skill or hobby can not only make your character more interesting, it can help them in their journey, add humor, and/or be the glue that holds the story together.
For example, Alex Rider was already a black belt in Karate before he became a spy, Wally McDoogle’s novel writing makes for some hysterical parallels in his adventures, and Opal Buloni’s dog Winn-Dixie helps her make a lot of friends. In fact, Winn-Dixie is the catalyst in that story, causing disasters and making introductions wherever he goes.
If you’re ever feeling blank and need some hobbies or skills for your characters that are fun, unique, and that just might be the missing ingredient in your story, I created a list that is just a starting point. There are hundreds more things that you could add to this list, but it’s a nice reference to pull out where you’re looking to think up some unique interests for the characters in your novel.
Click here to read, download, and/or print the file.
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Character Hobbies and Skills Brainstorming List
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