The Character Study Project

I've long been addicted to Overbooked, a website for ravenous readers. (That describes me!)

I read their advance fiction lists like a menu at a four-star restaurant and jot down titles so I won't forget them. Now the wonderful Ann Chambers Theis is doing a Character Study Project. Authors are welcome to submit a character study for BookReMarks@overbooked, a part of Overbooked which is just starting up and will also be offering take five booklists (books related by theme or subject), book notes//remarks, and more. A character study might include a description of the character and details about what interests this character has related to reading, music, film and TV. And you can feel free to be creative. The form is here. You can read some character study examples here.

What is so truly wonderful about this project is that you realize just how well you know your characters when you do this study, right down to what music they listen to while making breakfast (and you know just what they are eating, too, whether it is eggs and bacon or tofu and miso soup) to their secret penchant for trashy magazines. To my delight, I also got to get back into the life of a character I missed, and as soon as I thought about her, she began talking nonstop to me about books, music, movies and all sorts of things. She came alive again in a new way.

Great project. Great writing exercise, too. And many thanks to the great, great Overbooked book site and to Ann!