Character occupations

When creating your characters, make every aspect of their lives mean something to the story. That includes their occupations.

A person’s job says a lot about their personality, their likes and dislikes. One of my Sushi Series heroines, Alexis “Lex” Sakai, chafes in her engineering position. However, when she’s offered a job working for a huge sports information website, she jumps at the chance because she’s a sports nut.

Lex’s job reflects her interests, and her coworkers and responsibilities at work impact the storyline in various ways. The job is not just “a job,” but also a plot point and almost a character trait.

Think about your characters’ jobs, and brainstorm how they can influence the storyline in some way. That will make a more tightly woven story.