Writing Prompt #2

Now, usually I try REALLY hard not to write a character's overall behavior/mood/disposition before their history. However me trying hard means that I've succeeded in creating their history first, and disposition after.... very few times.

So lately, when faced with a character who already has dialog/involvement in a story, especially one who is quirky (seemingly for no reason), I've been asking myself:

Why?

Why does a character behave this way? Why do they have the quirks? 

For example: A young female character, 17 - 20 years old, hates the main protagonist, for seemingly no reason. Why? Why does she hate him? She's never met him, so why the negative feelings?

Well maybe she's had bad experiences in the past with boys. Maybe he reminds her of a boy who broke her heart. Or of a brother who abandoned her. Maybe she is afraid of strangers. This character would not simply be a "bitch" for no reason.

Happy characters, sad characters, the way they dress and speak and hold themselves. Who they trust and don't. Why they treat others a certain way. 

Ask yourself: Why? What in their past has made them act this way? 

Write down possible reasons. Any reason you think of. Good or bad, always write it down.