User blog comment:Skyrus123/Tips for New Authors/@comment-26485526-20181018020942

When it comes to characters, I got a great idea from Tangle while I was beginning to flesh out planning for Mozambique - backstories.

I've heard multiple new authors tell me how much of a pain it is to write interviews for castaways, and while you don't have to (you can stick to a short paragraph or even a bullet-point list, as long as it's 50 words for the profile, as per our policies).

If you do decide to do interviews however, or even if you just don't know where to start with the profile, think about who the character is, and what makes them unique. At the end of the day, each person has a unique story to tell. Brainstorming a backstory for each of them, even a short one, not only makes writing their profile much easier, but it also gives you something to reference when writing.

For example, I wrote Penelope's profile a few months before starting Mozambique (I write all the backstories & interviews out in a word document), and at the bottom of it, I made a note for myself to focus on her need for a strong social connection. That was to help me not get distracted from the "OTTN mess" side of her character, but also to help me focus on her story-arc.

Having the profiles/backstories there I found can also help tremendously if you're struggling with writers block because they can either suggest starting points for discussions/events, or at the very least, keep you on track with what their personality is.