Have you ever written the same character for two different stories? I have a few I've been playing with for a few years; I consider them my favorites. Every time I try to write something new for them, I find myself constantly going back to their original storyline, trying to fit the pieces together and figure out where to go next.
Instead of rewriting everything, I take the same personality and tweak it based on reactions to the new backstory. For example, I have a character named Zach, who can be cocky and standoffish, but is a good guy deep down. He's gone through a few different versions:
Version 1: Mom dies in childbirth.
Result: Zach is cocky, trying to impress his father in an attempt to prove his worth. As a result, he doesn't have that great of a relationship with his father.
Version 2: Mom dies in childbirth; Dad dies in a fire.
Result: Poor, poor Zach. His original personality falls by the wayside and he turns to alcohol and depression to get to the next day. Eventually he figures out how to put his life back together.
Version 3: Everyone lives! (I'll admit, I felt bad for him after Version 2.)
Result: Cocky, competitive - but very protective of his family. This is probably my favorite version.
I like creating backstories, reasons for why these people do what they do. I think it's the reason why my novel currently feels flat; I haven't given these characters enough motivation. Perhaps that will be my goal in the next few weeks; even if I never use the info, it still won't be time wasted.
Perhaps this is another writing prompt waiting to happen.
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