NaNoWriMo - Day 5

Cumulative word count - 85,000!  Go Academy Wrimos!

Five days into the book writing process.  How's it coming along?  It's possible that you're in need of a break, so I'd like to share with you a fun activity that will keep your story moving forward (you'll focus on character development) and give you a break from typing (or writing - if you're a purist!)

Create a character montage (or collage).  What is a montage? you may ask.  Here's a definition straight from Merriam Webster online.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/montage?show=0&t=1320541152

mon·tage noun \män-ˈtäzh, mōⁿ(n)-\

1: the production of a rapid succession of images in a motion picture to illustrate an association of ideas


2a : a literary, musical, or artistic composite of juxtaposed more or less heterogeneous elements b : a composite picture made by combining several separate pictures.

I'm referring to definition 1, but not rapid (just every five seconds).  You can do this activity with Power Point and clip art or electronic images (to create the montage), or with a scissors, paper, magazines and a glue stick (to create a collage).

Montage

1.  Create a Power Point slide show, one slide per character.
2.  From PPT (insert > clip art), find one main image (sort under photographs) that most resembles your characters main features (hair, eyes, nose, age, gender, etc.)
3.  Find 10 - 20 additional images that help to describe your characters' world, i.e. family, interests, goals, fears, concerns, possessions - cars, houses, places of school or employment).
4.  Copy, paste and crop these images around the main image (see #2).
5.  Repeat this process for each of your characters.
6.  Using textboxes and Word Art, create simple statements that they character would say or think.  Place these statements over the images.
7.  Set Power Point as a slide show presentation with a timer of 5 seconds. 
8.  Sit back and watch your presentation and take notes on 3 x 5 cards as plot or backstory inspiration hits you.

Collage

1.  Gather a stack of magazines and newspapers around you.
2.  Cut images that depict your characters.  (See step #2 above).
3.  Glue these images onto a piece of sturdy paper (construction paper works)
4.  Cut out words and glue them to the images.  Create simple statements that the character would say or think. Place these statements over the images.5. If you are super artistic (not me!) you can cut up the pieces to make a larger image, like a person's face.  The smaller pieces can become the shading of the eyes, face and mouth.

Have fun!


(0: