Hello, everyone! First of all, thank you so much for checking out my post. I am so excited to be part of The Wattpad Block Party for the 4th time in a row! Thank you so much to our lovely host, KellyAnneBlount for coming up with this epic idea and her dedication keeping this event alive!

In The Wattpad Block Party - Summer Edition II post back in August 2016, I presented Some Writing Tips You May Not Have Heard About. For those who have not read it, if you're interested in reading the full article, you can message me by tagging me on the comment below and I can reply back with a link where find it.

As writers, the quest to improve our craft never ends. We're always on the look out for ways to gain more skills. We always want to know what a successful writer is doing differently from what we do. We want to know what works for them. We want to know what makes them successful. So, this season, I will be doing it again by adding a few more tips to the list that you may not have considered or heard of before, concentrating on developing characters by understanding how their mind works and their environment.

Even though our characters and settings are fictional, there is a reality happening within the pages of our story. We need to understand that people are complex beings. How individuals interact with each other and how they react to situations can vary even when they have some similarities in their backgrounds. An environment can dictate a character's behaviour, and your character's behaviour can influence the mood of that environment. Thus, you need to understand them inside out.

How? I'll start with the obvious ones then the oddballs.

1. Research/Interview/Interact - The need to research will never go away. We need to know what we're talking about to be realistic. If we don't have first-hand knowledge on the subject, we research. That is not difficult to do as we have informationat our fingertips.

For example, if you want your main character to be a CEO of a transport company, then research what the responsibilities of a CEO are, but more importantly, how does a transport company operate? As a CEO, s/he interacts with the employees. What sort of positions exist and the type of people who are hired in this job? The questions are not limited to that. You have to understand the environment your CEO is moving in? Understand what the culture is like in that industry. Is it a male-dominated business where s/he interacts with truck drivers and mechanics? Will you describe her/his mannerisms to be refined in an environment that's likely to be more blue-collar? There many things to consider in mapping your character's profile. Their personality has to be consistent to the culture or the world they move in.

Utilising the internet and the library to research is not enough. Some may have gotten away with it, but most likely the authors' interaction with real people helped add dimension to their story. Socialising with people and exploring the real world help with world-building and creating characters. If you lack the expertise or knowledge in certain elements of your story, take the time to approach a source who does. Interacting with someone whose life is part of your character's persona, or someone who has been to places similar to your fictional world, will help you gain empathy and insight about the people you're creating.

2. When you're presented with the opportunity to participate in a Psychology, Sociology, Behavioural Science, and Humanities class, or any related workshop, TAKE IT! - What you learn in these subjects give you the opportunity to further understand people. Yes, you've researched, you've interviewed, and interacted with people from various walks of life. Sometimes you might have to delve deeper to understand and explain what drives/motivates your character to behave the way they do. Attending lectures in these subjects will expose you to valuable information. You will understand that there are logical reasons behind what seems to be random and abnormal behaviour. You will know how to manipulate an environment that will bring out what you intend you characters to do. You will know to expose them to stimuli that will trigger your desired reaction.

3. Walk in their shoes, or walk alongside them - A bit of a cross between points 2 and 3. Do you know the lengths that some Hollywood actors do to prepare themselves for their roles? Some study, some assume the life of the character, some go through extreme diets and exercise regimens to transform their bodies. Though, as writers, this is not a necessity but if you're writing a book that's rather intense then this might come in handy. Should you consider taking this advice, I do strongly discourage you to partake in activities that will put you and others at risk or in danger.

For example, if you want to write about a marathon runner, then take the time to talk to one. Spend time with them as they do their training. Don't just watch your subject tie their shoes, do their stretches, and do laps around an oval. Run WITH them. Run with them so you know the rhythm of their breathing and heartbeat as they train. Run with them so you actually feel how tight their calves get when lactic acid starts to build up. Take the opportunity to be aware of where their mind goes as they run

4. Understand what an enigma the human brain is - This is one of the reasons why point 2 and 3 are important. So, anyone out there with the expertise in this area, please do jump in as I may need your help in better explaining this and correcting any inaccurate information.

As readers, we've experienced coming across scenarios where a character does nothing when confronted, or there's an overreaction over something "simple", or they avoid it altogether by walking away. I've come across comments on my stories questioning my characters' reactions to situations. I've seen comments like "what a stupid character" or "If I were her, I would have <list the things reader would have done if s/he was the character here>". Sometimes, readers will try to call the writer out on how unrealistic the reaction is. If you understand your character's environment and how her/his brain works, you know you can justify that your characters and settings are as real as they come.

Understanding how the mind works will help you mould your character and add that depth into their personality.

Let's talk about the brain for a bit. We'll go a bit sciencey here. Anyway, on both sides of the brain's thalamus, you have the limbic system. This system is responsible for, amongst many others, the emotional and behavioural functions, as well as memories. Part of this system, located at the end of the hippocampus is the amygdala. If you've interacted with me before or you've seen me engage with trolls, you'd notice that I refer to the amygdala functions a lot. Now, this little almond-shaped beast processes our emotional memories, influences our decisions, and our emotional reactions. This is responsible whether we have a fight, flight, or freeze response when exposed to conflict. This is responsible for our survival instincts.

"The amygdala is the reason we are afraid of things outside our control. It also controls the way we react to certain stimuli or an event that causes an emotion, that we see as potentially threatening or dangerous."

When we read a story where a character's reaction is different from how you think you'd react, think of this emotional part of the brain at play.

As writers, it comes in handy to understand this function. Don't expect that you can get away with simply using, "this is my character's fight, flight, freeze response". You may not have to explain it to the reader, but you may have to establish and have substantial elements in your setting that will merit such reaction from a character. Remember, this part of the brain is responsible for our memories. Our behaviour and line of thinking are influenced by what we have been exposed to. Same with your characters. How they behave can depend on their environment. The environment can influence their motivation and behaviour. Again, establish a setting that has the elements that will drive your character to your intended behaviour and personality–the weather, the people that surround her, the culture, events that are happening around her, etc.

5. Keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer - Friends are great company! They feed us with ideas. They blurt out interesting lines that we incorporate in our stories. There is always someone in our lives that we model our characters too. Then there are our enemies or the friends that we might hate with a purple passion. Those are the people we observe like objects behind a display cabinet. They are great specimens if you want material to create your villains. There is nothing better than having an antagonist that will stir readers' emotions and make them crave for vengeance. Other than having a satisfying ending for your protagonists, seeing how your villain gets that deserving blow is the extra topping on a bloody good iced Frappé!

You know those "friends" who posts attention-seeking, overly dramatic, close-minded, <insert more negative adjectives here> comments on social media? Instead of blocking them, make use of them for "research purposes".

Once you understand your character's personality and what triggers a reaction within a story, it will give you more insight on how to build their world. You can plant the elements that will work together to effectively mould the person you want to create. Or, it can also be the other way around. You might build your world first. When you understand how the mind works, how will the elements in your fictional world drive the people who live in it? Either way, you're the director. You can manipulate every aspect of your story, being mindful of what is realistic and natural.

I hope my post has made sense and has become a positive addition to your existing list of writing tips.

Please don't forget to check out the posts from other fantastic authors participating in this month-long party! Do show your support by voting and leaving a comment and interacting with us!

And what is a party without party favours? Join our raffles. There are a lot of great stuff to win! For this season, I will giveaway a "Writer's Survival Kit" which includes a pen and notebook set packed in a little Aussie souvenir bag to one lucky winner! My giveaway is open internationally.

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