How do you get into the head of your MC?

[bdcharles]

Or any character for that matter. For my MC I've been listening to FKA Twigs to get me in the space.

What about you? What do you do to become them?

[Theglasshouse]

When you have a conflict, protagonist versus antagonist, or a very strong adversity. Think of the thought, and feelings of the character. That will lead to action. List four feelings, four thoughts, then possible actions or traits. It is taught in schools this way. However dont show the feelings or thoughts, it just helps portray the character. I like to sometimes think the flaw of a character makes them think differently. That's how I come up with the goal which has three or two parts depending on how you think of it.

First there is the conflict. (action comes from the conflict)
Then the action.
then the goal.

Motivation comes from the subgoals.

I got this explanation from the transformational arc by dara marks.

Internal change is tied to theme. Here's how she breaks it down: heightened conflict creates jeapordy, jeopardy creates a need for a resolution, getting to the resolution establishes a goal, the struggle to achieve the goal creates dramatic tension. The most important thing to remember about plot is this: where conflict leads, action leads.

To deepen the plot the character fails to change or grow. Emotional reaction is to becoming concerned to becoming involved. Her whole book is on themes and on how to use flaws to maximum effect.

By pairing a flaw and strength it also helps to portray the flaw because that means there is more room for character development, and creating a premise. This template is often used in movies.

[moderan]

I just start writing. Characters develop their own voices.

[Jack of all trades]

My main characters are people I can slip into easily. Maybe it's laziness on my part, but I don't want to bother with a main character that is too much work.

Other characters are loosely based on people I know. So I think about those people. There's one character, though, that was inspired by a song.

[wulfAlpha]

I like to take it a little different, and this even helps me better try to wrap my mind around the thoughts and feelings of my female characters. It helps make them more believable, or so I've been told. When I start with a new Main character, I interview them in my mind. I try to have them answer the questions the way a real person would. Doing this takes a tiny bit of effort beforehand, but I've often been surprised how fleshed out a character I can get just by doing this Once if I'm having a hard time getting into the mind of my character.
The types of questions I ask are getting to know you Questions like, "What are your interests?" "What's your dream job?" "What are your goals?" "Favorite Color?" ETC
Try it once. I'm sure it will help you.

[Guard Dog]

I just work up character profiles and give them a backstory. After that, it's just a matter of putting that person in a particular situation, and with other people.

Give it a little time, and they'll work it out amongst themselves.


G.D.

[Sir-KP]

This question is so deep I don't even know how to answer. lol.

Anyway, yeah, I think I unconsciously do just like Guard Dog said: build a character profile and backstory.

Then try to see 'the world' from their point of view, mindset, behavior, attitude, and belief.

[bdcharles]

Great responses. My writing starts with a person and is very character driven to the point where it risks having clearly-visualisable (to me) individuals standing about doing very little! And in order to reconnect with that individual I do things that remind me of them in some way, or jog them back into memory so I'm sort of feeling their presence more. It's easier to write their comings and goings then, for me.

[bdcharles]

I like to take it a little different, and this even helps me better try to wrap my mind around the thoughts and feelings of my female characters. It helps make them more believable, or so I've been told. When I start with a new Main character, I interview them in my mind. I try to have them answer the questions the way a real person would. Doing this takes a tiny bit of effort beforehand, but I've often been surprised how fleshed out a character I can get just by doing this Once if I'm having a hard time getting into the mind of my character.
The types of questions I ask are getting to know you Questions like, "What are your interests?" "What's your dream job?" "What are your goals?" "Favorite Color?" ETC
Try it once. I'm sure it will help you.

Yeah, definitely. I ran Proust's interview past my lot. One of them got up and walked out halfway through, leaving this automaton to blat questions to an empty chair...

[SueC]

When I wrote my book and was asking friends to be readers, one of the questions I asked as a follow-up was "Who was your favorite character?" and was surprised at how many of my readers selected secondary characters and not main characters. I have way too much empathy for one person, but I am actually able to inject myself into the person I am writing about. I create the scenarios, and put them in it. I actually feel their pain, their discomfort, their joy. I cry a lot when I write. LOL!