Category: Storytelling

What’s the hardest part of the writing process? Figuring out what happens next, right? Every time you sit down to write, the voice in your head nags at you with that ever-so-familiar refrain, but what happens next? To find the answer to that question, you need to immerse yourself fully in your world, so you can truly understand what’s happening around your characters and with them—and why they react in certain ways. And that’s where method writing comes in!

What is Method Writing

Foremost, method writing isn’t just a writing technique. It’s an all-encompassing way of living that helps writers get into character, develop a story and go to places they never thought possible. With method writing, what you do is as important as what you write—but don’t worry, we won’t expect you to put your life on hold while you work on your next bestseller. We’re not asking for days without sleep or nights with 10 hours of work. Instead, think about ways that you can relax yourself into a mindset that allows for creativity in such a way that allows for productivity and rest.

The trick to finding success through method writing is balance. It’s okay if you need more time for research than others, but be careful not to spend so much time immersed in your environment that you forget why you are there. Remember: You are there to create art, so make sure that nothing impedes your end goal!

But, what is Method Writing?

In simple terms, method writing is a writer’s attempt to immerse themselves in their environment before sitting down at their desk to work. The premise behind method writing goes something like this: If you want to understand how people feel when they’re experiencing certain emotions, try putting yourself in those situations before developing characters and plot points around them.

Why Should I Use Method Writing?

Reading about someone else’s experiences doesn’t give you insight into their mindsets. We often have trouble empathizing with characters who are unlike us—which makes them harder to write about.

Method Examples

The first use of method writing was most likely by an unnamed ancient Greek playwright who began living out his stories to bring them more authenticity. His plays are some of the earliest works of Western literature. While other notable writers, like Jane Austen and Leo Tolstoy, followed suit, it wasn’t until later that method writing became a more widely used practice in creative writing circles.

In the early 20th century, American author Jack London lived in the wilderness for months at a time to write books such as The Call of the Wild and White Fang. Around that same time, Irish writer James Joyce spent years researching Dublin’s life before he wrote Ulysses. And in recent decades, several famous authors have taken on method writing projects: Salman Rushdie based his novel Midnight’s Children on his own experiences growing up in India; Bret Easton Ellis immersed himself in Los Angeles’ seedy underworld to write Less Than Zero; and Michael Chabon even studied neuroscience at Columbia University to prepare for writing The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.

How do you make your writing feel real?

One way is method writing. It’s a combination of story immersion and character immersion. Story immersion is when you immerse yourself in every aspect of your story, from characters to setting to atmosphere—basically everything that makes up your story. We can do this through extensive research or reading; consuming as much information about your story as possible gives you a better sense for what you are building with it.

Character immersion is similar, but instead of immersing yourself in your story, you immerse yourself in your characters. You become them: their mannerisms, their speech patterns, and even their physical appearance. By doing so, you understand them on a deeper level and understand how they would react to situations around them (which then helps create more realistic dialogue).

In order to immerse yourself fully in either of these processes, you must take time away from everyday life. If you want to learn about your world, go out into it. If you want to learn about your characters, spend time with them. The best part about both methods is that there is no wrong way of going about them! As long as you’re learning and understanding, that’s all that matters.

Getting Started

What Are You Waiting For?

To get started, write a list of questions that need answers. From those questions, write additional questions and keep going until you have enough knowledge to fill your page. For example: How old is my main character? leads to How did he grow up? which leads to What kind of neighborhood did he grow up in? which leads to Did he have any siblings? which leads… well, you get it. Once you’ve got enough material written on paper, start looking at places where you can find answers.

The more effort you put into finding answers, the more effective your immersion will be. If you ever feel like there’s something missing, just go back through your notes and re-center yourself on what it means to be the character. There might be something else that needs answering before you move forward with writing. Don’t forget to take notes of the realizations that you come to. It’s important to remember everything so that when it comes time to sit down and actually write, everything will make sense.

How To Do It Right

The first step in method writing is being honest with yourself. What sort of setting are you looking to immerse yourself in? If you’re writing a historical piece, visiting an old-fashioned farm or plantation could help you learn more about what life was like back then. Or, if you’re writing a fantasy novel with magic and swords, heading down to your local dojo or meeting up with people who take part in SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) will let you see how sword fighting really works. Keep in mind that it’s all about immersion—the more time and effort you put into your research, the better your story will be.

When done right, method writing can make your characters feel real because they’re based on truly lived experiences. Even when writing fiction, it’s important to stay grounded in reality.

Better Method Writing

As you probably know, everyone has different methods to their madness. Sometimes, it might feel like there’s no right or wrong way to go about things, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some tips and tricks you can use to improve your own method writing.

Method writing is simply the practice of immersing yourself in an environment that mimics the setting that you are writing about. If you’re working on a story set in feudal Japan, you might keep yourself immersed in traditional Japanese clothing, set up your home and office with as much Japanese-style furniture as possible, and try to speak only Japanese.

This can help you get in touch with the world that you’re creating, to discover details about it that might otherwise escape your notice, and to enrich your characters so they feel more alive and realistic.

1) Don’t Let Your Characters Define You:

One of my favorite pieces of advice for writers is from author Neil Gaiman: I think if you have an idea for a story, and someone says ‘well why don’t you do it like so-and-so did,’ then don’t do it like so-and-so did. Do what feels right to you. If something feels off, don’t be afraid to break from tradition—there’s always room for improvement!

2) Get into Character:

This one is pretty self explanatory: put yourself in character’s shoes. How would they act? What would they say? How would they react? By getting inside their head, you’ll find that it helps build stronger characters.

3) Read Books About It:

There are tons of books out there on how to write better characters (I’ve read several), and many of them focus on method writing specifically. Even if you’re not planning on reading them cover-to-cover, flipping through will give you plenty of ideas for improving your process.

4) Listen to Other Writers Talk About Their Process:

Check out videos online where other authors talk about their process. It’s a great way to get inspiration, as well as new ideas for improving your own process.

5) Put Yourself in Scary Situations:

A great exercise for becoming more comfortable writing horror is actually putting yourself in scary situations—even if just for fun! Practice going up to strangers, looking people directly in the eye when talking to them, going somewhere new alone—it all makes you more comfortable with those actions when writing them down later on.

Immersion Methods

Environmental immersion is a simple way to get into character.

This method involves surrounding yourself with an environment that matches or mimics your setting, character and/or subject. For example, if you’re writing about a castle in medieval England, you might dress as if you were actually living there. If your setting takes place in an English pub or tavern, donning a period costume and purchasing some local ales will set your mind right for creating vivid characters and dramatic scenes. And be sure to note sounds—talking loud to create noise around you can help with inspiration! However, keep these things brief—the goal here is not to distract from writing but to get inspired by it.

Linguistic immersion is another great tool for getting into character.

It’s also quite simple—all you have to do is start speaking like your characters would speak! Instead of saying he went outside, try saying he exited his domicile. Or instead of saying she said something, try substituting she vocalized. You may find that taking on a different dialect or accent helps you write more vividly and realistically. The key here is practice—you may feel silly at first but stick with it until it feels natural enough to implement during your work sessions.

Mood alteration is trickier than other methods listed here, but many writers swear by its effectiveness.

There are several ways to go about mood alteration—some people prefer changing their clothing, while others prefer listening to music or eating certain foods. But whatever route you choose, make sure it works for you! After all, mood alteration isn’t effective unless it helps put you in the mindset of your characters and/or settings.

Physical immersion (also known as sensory deprivation) is perhaps one of most well-known methods used by writers.

By cutting off your senses, you eliminate distractions and focus solely on what’s going on inside your head. Some writers use blindfolds, while others use earplugs—and still others prefer sitting in complete silence. Be careful when using physical immersion though, as it’s easy to become too focused on what’s happening inside your head with no external stimuli to balance things out. Make sure you’re ready for such a challenge before trying out physical immersion!

Creating a Method Outline

When you are trying to figure out how to write a story, there is no shortcut or surefire way to ensure that you don’t hit any bumps in your story later on. However, making a method outline can help you see where you might get stuck later and helps prevent you from losing sight of character arcs or plot points.

The process for creating a method outline can be as easy as writing your character arc in bullet points and numbering them according to their importance. You can also use any visual organizer that works for you: mindmaps, tree diagrams, flow charts—whatever will help you look at things from several angles. The important thing is to have something concrete and visual that you can refer to when it comes time to write your story.

Character Methodology

A Method Writer is an artist who has mastered the art of submerging themselves into their current environment by speaking the vernacular of characters, dressing for the setting and changing their environments to suit the world that they are building in order to write more authentically about it, without the hindrance of having to research or ask questions from people living in that world, that could alter the story being told.

It’s a methodical way of documenting your story and getting in touch with your character. The writer must become their characters in order to write them accurately and develop them believably. Some will say that if you can’t understand how your characters feel, then there’s no reason for anyone else to either.

Method writing isn’t for everyone, but it helps writers get inside their characters’ heads better than any other tool I’ve ever used before. And really, isn’t that what we want? To write believable characters who draw our readers into their world? If so, give method writing a try. You might find it works for you too.

Just remember, once you put these processes into action, don’t forget to have fun. A good book isn’t written by numbers and neither is a good character. Remember to breathe life into your creations and let them live within your pages! Then, sit back and watch them take on lives of their own.

-R.E.

A character has to be interesting to capture your reader’s interest, but it also has to be right for the story you’re trying to tell. Sometimes that means letting go of your favorite character—and killing him or her off—in order to make room for a new, more important character that better helps you progress the story.

Writing involves making tough decisions, and sometimes those decisions can have enormous impacts on your work – both positive and negative. For characters, there are two decisions that you can make which will have a huge impact: whether to kill a character, and if so, when the right time to do it will be.

Sometimes, the character you envisioned isn’t the right fit for the story you’re trying to tell. Rather than force your story into the mold of your character, consider killing him or her off or simply moving on to a new one. Here are some tips on how to kill a character off and get away with it so that your readers don’t feel betrayed by you as the author.

What Happens When I Kill My Character?

There’s a reason so many authors kill off their main characters. From Romeo and Juliet to Game of Thrones, books and TV shows have clarified that killing off your lead character can be incredibly powerful and moving. But what happens if you take a risk like that? Where do you go after killing off your protagonist? How do you continue telling their story in a way that isn’t cheesy or hokey?

The answer lies in building them up well before they die—and making sure their death means something. It’s not just an empty shock moment for entertainment’s sake. Instead, think of it as part of an overarching message about good vs. evil or past vs. future or whatever else is important to your overall plot. That’ll help ensure that their death doesn’t feel forced or gimmicky. Make sure it has consequences on other characters and affects how everyone around them behaves from then on out.

The death of a major character can transform your story. When you kill off a character, it should be in service to your plot and theme. For example, if someone close to them has recently betrayed your main character, that betrayal could lead to their death at their betrayer’s hands. How you write your story depends on how you structure your plot and conflict. For some ideas on literary deaths and what makes them work, look at our post on Death and it’s Brilliant Life in Fiction.

How Do I Go About Killing Off My Character?

First, ask yourself why you’re considering killing off your character. Is it because they haven’t been getting along with other characters? Are they too much of a love interest or not enough? If you have come to terms with why killing them off is your best bet, then it’s time to plan. For fictional characters, we can handle death in many ways.

The best way to kill off a character quickly and painlessly is to delete them from your manuscript. If you decide on a character’s death still, it’s time for preparation and execution. Know why it needs to happen—often when characters die without meaning, their deaths distract from whatever point their life had been leading up to.

Know How It Happens

If it’s another character who will do the deed, develop some sort of relationship between these two beforehand. Do they hate each other? Are they friends? Does one look up to another or respect another’s opinion highly? What role does each play in each other’s lives?

Knowing these details beforehand can help with having stronger dialogue during tense moments between characters before their ultimate confrontation. Be sure to know what each side has to gain and lose by killing off your character (your story will already have stakes). Is there something at stake for everyone or are some not as involved? The different amounts of conflict should mirror how strong their points are, along with how real you make these conflict points feel. 

Know What Should Happen Next

Be sure to write out what should happen after your character’s death. If you can’t come up with something, your character shouldn’t die. After all, if he’s so great and important that you need him to die, then it makes sense that his death would have some sort of purpose or meaning. Don’t kill off your characters just because they seem like they’re in danger; make sure their deaths add something to either plot or theme. For example, killing off a beloved hero might be right if he needs to die in order for someone else to take up his mantle as a main character in subsequent books.

If he dies here and now, where would his body go? Is there someone who will take care of him, or leave him in a dumpster to rot into oblivion? Do you know what happens during your character’s death, or should they die with no further action? Sometimes we need to be reminded that our characters are not just words on paper. They should feel like real people with genuine emotions. Sure, they may only live in our imagination for now, but they deserve to live their lives fully, even if it means going away forever. This can be very difficult, especially if your character has become someone close to you. It’s okay to let them go. Trust me.

Will Readers Like It If I Kill A Character?

It’s perfectly acceptable as long as its believable and something that makes sense within the story or plotline. Your editor/agent/reader will appreciate it if you’re flexible enough to allow room for both possibilities. Either way, try not to get too attached until after you’ve written it down because sometimes things don’t work out how we want them to. Be open-minded about changes, revisions and edits! Don’t force a scene that feels wrong. It is wrong.

Whether you’re considering killing a character to make space for another, or simply to create more plot complications, it’s important to know your readers. Do they typically enjoy shocking twists? Are they fine with sudden character deaths as long as it advances plot lines? What are their opinions on killing main characters versus lesser-known ones?

Answering these questions will help you decide whether a particular death will go over well with your audience—or if you should make some other changes instead. Keep in mind that no matter how well received it may be, an unexpected death can frustrate readers who have an attachment to certain beloved characters. Before killing off someone’s favorite character, consider whether you need them to die at all. Most often, there is an alternative solution that leaves everyone happy (the dead character included).

Whose Characters Are They?

It outrages many fans when long-standing characters die. Take the death of Sherlock Holmes, for instance. When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed off his most famous character in 1893, he received over fifty thousand letters protesting his decision. While it’s okay to take a calculated risk by killing off one of your favorite characters—or even one that you like little—be prepared for fan outcry and plan accordingly.

You’ll need to account for increased interest from news outlets (print and online) as well as social media chatter about your book or story; you might even see people posting reviews that are wholly focused on how terrible you are for taking out their beloved character. Having a major character die can also cause issues later in your series if they were beloved by readers. If you didn’t handle their departure right, or if one of your story lines revolved around them, it can discourage readers not to see that plot thread come together again.

Any writer will tell you that killing off a character is a hard choice to make. It’s emotionally taxing, and it can have far-reaching implications for your plot—not to mention your other characters. But sometimes you need to kill off a character in order to add emotional impact or kick-start major plot points. You need to know when it’s right to pull that trigger before you even start writing. Most of all, you need to make sure your decision has enough payoff that it won’t just leave readers feeling like you cheated them out of something exciting.

-R.E.