I take improv classes at The Big Blue Door.  Recently, we learned a game called, Present, Past, Future.   The exercise gave me wonderful insight in how to create characters who hop off of the page. Here’s how it’s played.

One person starts a scene as a particular character—shaping that character via words, actions and appearance.  A second person gets on stage and starts interacting with the first person, also shaping her character.  Each actor strives to maintain her character’s attitude and point of view through out the scene. So, what results is two people on stage creating a situation.  For example, a husband and wife arguing, or a child and teacher on a playground, or co-workers in an office.

Then, at some point, the director shouts out, “Past.” (Or, “Future.”)  If it’s past, the two actors immediately start creating a scene in the past, staying completely in the head of their character, same attitude/point of view/appearance, but now, in the “past”, these characters get to portray the elements that helped to form the character we’re already met in scene one.

Then, after scene two (in the past) runs for a bit, the director then shouts out, “Future.”  So, the two actors immediately must create a scene which encompasses the natural outcome of whatever it was that happened in scenes one and two, all the while staying completely in their own character’s head, but also allowing for the changes that time might introduce into their character.

All of this happens in less than ten minutes.  Tricky? Yes.  Tough. Yes.  You have to be flexible, thinking on your feet the whole time. Yet, you have to hold the course, constantly considering—who is my character, what would he do, what would he say, how would he change yet stay consistent with his attitudes and point of view?

So, this game is excellent training for us writers when we’re about to put pen to page.  Live in your character’s head.  Determine appearance, attitude, actions, point of view, etc.  Figure out what in the past made your character who he is today.  Figure out what he is today and given that, where he’s likely to end up in the future, accounting for the kinds of changes a person like him may make.

Sounds complicated?  The game becomes easier with time.  (Or, maybe I’m just starting to develop multiple personalities!) In any case, it is well worth the effort to try this exercise as you plunge into writing a new story.