A character’s relationship with money is one of the most subtle but important traits you can develop, yet it’s often the most poorly written. Many of us may fantasize about having Go to Outer Space money, but we’ll never know what it’s like. Conversely, while the average person might worry about paying for major expenses or even monthly bills, they still might not understand occasional homelessness or food uncertainty.
Unless you’ve lived in similar circumstances, you might find it hard to portray a character’s financial status on the page, but when you get it right, you can add color and verisimilitude to your work.
In a post on Writer’s Digest, Galia Gichon’s discusses how the research for her historical fiction novel, The Accidental Suffragist, helped her add layers of character and conflict to her story, based on the economic class of her protagonist and how she differed from the wealthy women at the forefront of the suffragist movement.
