Today, think about how your protagonist gets around. Are they are driver? If so, how old were they when they past their test? What do they drive? Is driving something they love to do, or something they must do to get from A to B? If they don’t drive, what kind of transport do they use? Think about the year your novel is based in. Is there a special kind of car that would place your story setting “in time”? Perhaps you’re novel is based prior to major public transportations having been implemented. Maybe your protag drives a car that is a collector’s dream and has a special story about how that car came to be in his/her possession. On the other hand, perhaps your protag doesn’t drive at all because of something that happened before the time your novel enters their life. Write a few paragraphs about how your protag gets around, and then see if you can work any of this information into a useable scene for your novel.

If your protag is a child, write about the ways he/she gets around. Again think time period, roller boots gave way to in-line skates etc. Do they dream of one day driving? Does their mother drive to slow? Do they get frustrated that daddy always gets lost and that grandpa always takes the long way to get anywhere? Put “getting around” into the mouth of your young protagonist and see what they tell you.

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