Today’s word is KIN. This has to do with characterization, not just of family members, but of friends, enemies, and other characters that relate to one another in writing. It is a vital part of writing to work on and build relationships among characters and to enjoy and find connections with characters when reading.

When writing, outline characters’ physical qualities and personalities. The way someone acts if equally, if not more, important in some instances than the way he or she looks. A character’s personality can be equated to someone readers know, and this will give them a vision of what they think the character looks like.

When reading, it matters to readers how a character is portrayed. Sometimes it is black and white. They are a certain way and there’s nothing more to it than that. However, other times they are more subjective, and readers can learn to love or hate these characters, or maybe have a mixed relationship with whoever it is they are reading about. There are so many characteristics that can be reinforced by writers to make characters stand out as unique, yet relatable.

Whether you are a writer, a reader, or a little bit of both, think of one of your favorite characters from a book, a movie, a TV show, or anywhere else. Why does this character stand out to you? What made you love him or her? Hate him or her? Laugh at jokes he or she said? Consider those qualities and use them to write your next character or find other people to read about in other similar books of the same or different genres so you can compare, contrast, and find new sources for your writing and reading pleasure.

So, who is your favorite character (or one of them if you have many) and why?