This is a fun exercise that I use to get a better feel for my characters. Imagine that your book is about to become a movie and that you can choose any actor to star in it. It doesn't matter what era the actor lived in: pick them and add them too your film. If you want to go even further, choose a director, where you want it filmed, etc. The key thing is to have fun.
Here are the actors I would cast if my book became a movie:
Cassandra Grettirsdottir-Greta Gerwig
Maxine Njalsdottir-Serinda Swan
Lambert "Lammy" Grettirsson-Carlo Alban (The Panamanian dude obsessed with America who helped Michael Scofield in the third season of "Prison Break")
Eiric Bjartursson-Tom Guiry (the oldest brother from "The Black Donnellys")
Tzigane "Schyla" Bjartursdottir-Kirsten Dunst
Cassandra's elder sisters-Blake Lively and Lucy Lawless
Director: Mel Gibson (due to "The Passion of the Christ" and "Apocalypto"), Peter Jackson or Steven Spielberg.
That's only the tip of the iceberg. I have other secret characters who I want played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, Christopher Walken, Johnny Depp, Leelee Sobieski, and Amy Adams. However, those are under wraps until "Fionnuala" gets published.
Now go at it, people!
