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a friendly heads-up
Your protagonist talks like you, thinks like you, has your taste in everything.
That's normal for a first novel. That's also why the book feels flat. The you-with-better-hair character is a phase every writer goes through, and the trick is recognizing it so you can move past it. We walk through the Maven character split exercise — how to lift your character off yourself without losing what's real, the three differences that make a character feel like a person, and the line every writer crosses around book two.
You-with-better-hair · actual character
| You-with-better-hair | Actual character |
|---|---|
| Likes everything you like | Has one taste you find weird |
| Says things you would say | Says one thing that surprises you |
| Reacts the way you would | Reacts in a way that worries you |
| Wants what you want | Wants something you don't |
The character split exercise
- Give your character one strong opinion you disagree with.
- Give them one fear you don't have.
- Give them one nervous habit that isn't yours.
- Write a scene where they make a choice you wouldn't make.
- Read it aloud. Notice they sound like a person, not you.
Your first character is always you with better hair. The trick is noticing, then making one specific choice that isn't yours. That choice is where the character becomes a person.
— L.A. Walton, The Book Maven
From the Maven Catalog
- Teen Master Course — Character Depth for Teens
- Teen eBook — Off the Page, Off Yourself
- Teen Toolkit — Teen Character Toolkit
- Teen Planner — Character Builder Planner
Run the split exercise. Give the character one strong opinion that isn't yours. The book breathes. The character becomes someone. You're still in there — just less.