At the end of the day, a character sketch is simply a guideline for your writing. If you know the underlying forces that have shaped and sculpted your character you can confidently write them into every situation without telling the reader everything about them. This is how we naturally comprehend people in real life too -- you may know bits and pieces of their backstory, but ultimately you know them as the sum of their experiences. The reader doesn't need to know everything about a character to understand them just like we don't need to know everything about our friends to enjoy their company. Your character sketch is a list -- informative, but hardly exciting. Actions are exciting, and they show off a character without resorting to "this is Nick, he's a writer who enjoys soccer and hanging with his friends." Instead, show Nick playing soccer, maybe goofing off on the field or sitting and talking when he should be dribbling. Find an interesting, unique way to illuminate your character's inner life instead of just saying it. Think of some masterful character introductions -- Hannibal in Silence of the Lambs, Jung-do in The Orphan Master's Son, Lolita in Lolita, -- to see how actions can speak louder than words. This is the best way to move characters successful from your character sheet to your book or movie. You know what the look like, how they talk, and what they do. To really make a character effective you need to explore why they are like this. The answer to this question will guide you in every scene that character appears in, and helps your adapt your character sketch as you write new plots and storylines. Character sketches can change. As you write, you might realize you had something wrong, or that you need to adjust your character. If you know the overarching "why" of the character it will be much easier to figure out these changes. This sounds complicated, but in reality you've seen it hundreds of times before. A representative incident is just one short story about that that shows the reader who the character is. Frequently, they occur soon after a character is first introduced, and it is usually a flashback. This allows you to touch on their upbringing, as well as show how the deal under pressure. Usually this event relates to the larger story. For example, a romantic book might explore the character's first love, or an action story might showcase a recent mission or event. Try to show a story that hints at how the character will react to the events in the story. If you're struggling, imagine your story as if this person were the main character. What details would they find important? Looking over your character sketch, ask yourself how the character communicates by writing practice dialogue. Put them in conversation with your protagonist or another character, and focus on making their lines seem unique. What slang do they use? Do they talk with their hands? Great writers have a way of embodying the character so that their speech patterns make the characters' backgrounds come alive. If you removed all dialogue tags ("he said," "she replied," etc.), would you be able to tell which character is which? Readers and viewers will always remember a character's first impression. This impression should fit squarely with the character's behavior in the rest of the story. For example, if a character is normally sweet and kind, don't show her screaming at someone because she is having a bad day. If a hidden temper is part of her personality, this could be perfect; but if this is an isolated incident it will just confuse the reader when she is nice the rest of the story. How would a character introduce themselves at a party or meeting? If you met this character in real life, what would your first impressions of them be? Treatments are short overviews of your book, movie, or TV show used to sell the story. They contain an overview of the plot, the tone, and descriptions of the characters. If you're writing a treatment, cut your character sketch down to the essentials. You don't want to share all the quirky facts with producers or publishers, just enough to intrigue them and give a general overview. Include only the essentials, plus 1-2 short details to make a character unique. You should include: Name Motivation. Relation to the plot / main protagonist. Details relevant to the plot.

Summary: Realize that your entire character sketch isn't going to make it into your project. Illuminate your character through actions whenever possible. Ask yourself why the character behaves like they do. Write a "representative incident" story about your character. Discover the character's voice. Use the first time you see a character to introduce their overall impact. Keep your character sketches short and sweet if you're putting together a treatment.

Playing a guitar, piano, saxophone, or other instrument requires both a logical attention to detail and an intuitive "feel" for the music. This combination of precision and improvisation makes playing music a great whole-brain exercise. There are countless apps and programs out there that claim brain-boosting benefits, but many of the claims are dubious or at least not well supported at present. That said, even if challenging your brain with puzzles, games, and so on may not necessarily provide the specific claimed benefits, there's certainly no detriment to giving your brain regular workouts. Don't feel as though you need to spend large sums of money on brain-boosting programs, though. You can find many free or low cost options online, and traditional options like crosswords and jigsaw puzzles will give your brain a workout as well. Simple activities like reading a book, engaging in a conversation, or doing a hobby put your brain to work. And, while there's still a lot of research to be done, it seems as though active brains are more likely to remain healthy and vital for longer. Focus on active brain engagementreading instead of watching TV, going to a cooking class instead of watching a cooking video, putting together furniture instead of buying it pre-assembled, and so on. regularly, sleep sufficiently, and eat healthy. What's good for your body is good for your brain. Talk to your doctor, a dietician, and/or an athletic trainer if you need advice about developing healthier routines in your daily life. Try to sleep for 7-9 hours per night (as an adult). Aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, and drink more water.
Summary: Learn to play a musical instrument. Try brain-training puzzles, games, and activities. Keep your brain active. Exercise