Interior Life?

As the new year begins the Electric Spec editors are not immune to thinking about New Year's resolutions. Every year I resolve to try to become a better writer. In 2019 this quest led me into the influence of a university Creative Writing program. Consequently, a professor really made me think about characterization. Suffice it to say, every character you create should have multiple layers. There are the external layer(s) like occupation, what he/she/it looks like, etc. And then there are internal layers such as what they feel, hope, dream--and why. A main character should also have a hidden layer, one that is revealed to the reader and the character during the course of, and as a result of, the story.

One thing I haven't thought about much is: what is the interior life of my character? This can include elements such as: How do they choose to spend their time and why? What do they choose to talk about and why? What do want their life to be like in twenty years? What do they think of the world? What are their values? What are their thoughts?

Heck, for that matter, what is my interior life?
I'll be pondering some of these ideas as we begin a new decade.

Happy New Year!