Get to Know Your Characters at the Grocery Store

I’m always thinking about my characters and my story. It’s not an obsession; I’m just efficient at finding the time I can work on my writing when I’m unable to actually write. One way I do that is to take my characters along when I have to run errands—especially when I must shop for groceries.

Armed with my grocery list in my Wunderlist app on my iPhone, I imagine how my characters enter Kroger. Does my heroine run inside because it’s raining or her bladder is about to burst? Is my hero dressed in custom-made suit or basketball shorts and a jersey? Does my villain have a list for grocery store domination or is she only interested in organic avocados to make a mean guacamole dip?

Once inside the grocery store, does your character stick to the outside aisles with the real food or does she go straight to the processed-food center to check to see if ice cream is on sale? Does my heroine know how to thump a good watermelon or is she about to embarrass herself at the church picnic? Does my hero hate the texture of tomatoes because his older brother forced him to eat a mushy one as a child? Where does my villain look first in the store for hemlock? In the herb section? In the natural foods? Or in the pharmacy?

Does my heroine buy brand-name products or generic items? Will any cotton swab do or is a Q-Tip the only kind that will do? Does my hero buy motor oil at the grocery store even though it’s most likely more expensive? Does my villainess remember to buy a birthday card for her evil henchman whose birthday is next week? Does my villain check items on the clearance aisle?

Does my heroine pay with cash, check, or credit card? Does my hero prefer self-checkout? Does my villainess go through the express lane with more than ten items just to throw her weight around? Does my villain expect a boy to carry his groceries to his car or does he manage himself?

Any time you are aware from your laptop or pad and pencil, ask yourself: What Would Your Character Do (W.W.Y.C.D.)?