“A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” –
Eleanor Roosevelt
I love this quote, especially when it comes to character development in my writing. This quote reminds me to steep my character in hot water to bring out her hidden strengths. But there is more that goes into a cup of tea than the hot water.
Think of the variety of leaves and herbs and fruits that are used to make tea … black tea, red tea, green tea, chamomile, mint, or any number of dried things to flavor or spice it up.
Like any variety of tea, each person or character will have a specific makeup that will come to full life when the hot water is poured over them, like those blossoming teas.
And the setting is sort of like the cup I drop my characters into. Will it be fine china with pretty flowers painted on it? A heavy rustic mug? A paper cup? Maybe I’ll add some sweetness or a creamy flavor to the final product, just enough to make her ordeal palatable … for the reader.
Whatever the settings or ingredients, dropping my characters in hot water will test them and develop their characters. And that is how you brew a story.
Thank you for stopping by!
- Fran Beally
Fran Beally's Blog 