Sunday, June 3, 2012

Dressing Your Character for Success

Imagine a world in which you can choose any clothing. Shoes, dresses, even jewelry. Price is no object. Storage is no problem.

It's a little overwhelming, isn't it?

That's how I felt when I thought about how to dress my main character, Sarah. I was trying to think of clothing that would express her personality and fit her role in the book. I thought that a girl who likes Little Women as much as Sarah does might go for a more conservative style than most girls in her class. I looked into my mind's eye and saw...nothing.

When I get stuck it helps to think about the authors that I like and think about what they did.  I remembered when I read Veronica Roth's descriptions of how the different factions dress in her books Divergent and Insurgent. That did it. The memory flooded my mind with possibilities. I went back and chose Sarah's entire wardrobe - shoes, how her clothes fit, colors, and thought about how she picked clothing. It helped me shape her character and think about the way people see her.