Making a molehill out of a mountain

Yes you read right - I didn't get mixed up. I have a problem (well actually, I have several, but that's another post altogether). I have a massive set of revisions that came through for my ms that's targeted at Modern Heat. When I say massive, I'm not exaggerating, and I really need to make a molehill out of a mountain. After coming down to earth and really reading the email it was clear that there are a number of issues that need addressing.


So where to begin? With lovely ed I'm working with suggested I map out my characters lives, from birth till now. I know that this is something others have done and recently, the wise Jackie Ashenden did the same for her current wip and has found it immensely helpful (thanks Jackie).

Why? A character map/bio gives you and really it’s the best way of getting to know your protagonists - their likes, dislikes, quirks, stuff about their childhood, past relationships, hopes and dreams all paint a complete picture of them.

But wait? We create these characters - shouldn't we know them already? Well... maybe. I know in the past I've certainly written some kind of background/description, but for this ms, I just dove into the writing without so much as a second thought as to WHO these people really where. Our characters are our foundations - if we can't get them write - the rest of the story will crumble, so really getting the bios right - is really really vital. Once you do and you really know your characters, the rest is as easy as pie...well, maybe not, but it’s certainly a good start on chipping away at that mountain.