I stumbled upon some great writing advice last night. Instead of filling in long profile questionnaires (which I hate) to get to know your characters, just sort everyone into Hogwarts Houses! We all know exactly what it means when you say someone is a Gryffindor or a Slytherin, so why not skip all the unnecessary details and go right to the heart of it?
What a fun idea!
So yes, I sorted all the main characters from Myth Hunter, the first novel in my Mythical Menagerie urban fantasy short story serial, into their respective Houses. I know, I’m a total geek. And to make it even geekier, I’m using the profile photos I made for each of them in the Sims 4 here.
Ambrose Davids
My main protagonist, Ambrose, is a Gryffindor. He’s a normal guy who inadvertently stumbled into a world that’s he not completely prepared to deal with. Without any special skills to cope with the shenanigans he finds himself in, he has to fall back on his wit, bravery and nerve to get out of some close scrapes intact. He’s also the guy who will jump fences and take on more than he can handle to help someone in need.
Amari Kerubo
Amari, occasionally also a protagonist, is a Gryffindor too. At first glance, she might look like a Hufflepuff, because she’s committed to the cause of the Keeper, a hard worker who has the best interests of the mythical creatures in the Repository at heart. But woe betide anyone who tries to hurt anyone in her care!
Daniel Brady
Ambrose’s best friend, Daniel, is a total Hufflepuff. He’s loyal and fair and always there when you need him. He values hard work and friendship and is generally a fun guy to have by your side.
Sarah Miller
As a police detective, Sarah is all about intelligence, curiosity and knowledge, which she uses to find criminals and bring them to justice. She’s a formidable enemy, but also a fierce ally. When not on duty, her creative side comes to the fore as a lover of art and a student of art history. Sarah is Ravenclaw.
Cassie Davids
It looks like bravery runs in the Davids family, at least where the younger members are concerned. Ambrose’s sister, Cassie, is a Gryffindor too. She’s fiercely protective of her brother and would do anything for him. She’s a courageous young woman with a strong independent streak.
Monique Tesserier
Monique is the quintessential Slytherin. She’s all about cunning, resourcefulness and self-preservation. She’ll do what it takes to get what she wants. Don’t get in her way, because she’ll run right over you.
Sorting my characters into their Houses has actually been a very valuable exercise for me. Almost all of them ended up in a different House than I had expected and I’m sure keeping this in mind will make writing them in future books much more interesting and accurate.
I’ve known for a while in which House I belong (Ravenclaw). Where would you sort yourself? If you’re a writer, do you sort your characters into Hogwarts Houses? Where does your main character fit?
