From the course: Crafting Dynamic Characters

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Character quick start: The game of "And? So"

Character quick start: The game of "And? So"

From the course: Crafting Dynamic Characters

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Character quick start: The game of "And? So"

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- In my editorial business, I like to play a fun game with my clients. At least, it's fun for me. My clients might be annoyed by the game at first because it sometimes feels like I'm badgering (laughs) them a bit, but eventually they discover that the game delivers consistent and surprising results, and that's my goal for you. The game is called "And? So?" If I believe that a moment in a writer's story should be affecting a character more, a character isn't reacting with any kind of depth, or there's something else going on below the surface, I pop up in the margins, highlight the section, and write, "And? So?" I mean to encourage my clients to dig deeper, not hate me, (laughs) though some of them probably do the latter as well. "And? So?" means to me that we are on the verge of substance, that we are close to meaning, but that we could have a bit more. We will come back to this idea throughout the course, but…

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