Characters on the Bus When I was a senior in college, I took the city bus to and from school and took notes on my observations. And if you've ever taken the bus before, you will know that it is rich with characters and strange events, just waiting for a story to be told. So this post (and those that will follow after) are inspired by these trips. At the front of the bus, sits the guy who stands every time the bus driver makes a stop and opens up the doors. Nearby, I notice the guy who took several classes with me and takes the same same bus as I do who never remembers who I am. Sitting beside me, I notice the lady who wears a wool hat every day on the bus no matter what the weather is like. Sitting towards the back, a guy who takes a slurp of his drink and when he finishes his sip will say, "Arrgh, matey." And as the bus ride comes to an end, I can't help but over hear the conversation someone is having on their cell phone about inheriting a great deal of money.
Types of Characters -- Types of Characters in Fiction Round character, flat character, stock character, protagonist . . . the types of characters in fiction goes on and on. What do you need to know about each one as you study literature or learn to write it? Find out with the list below. Ready to get started working on characterization, creating your own round characters? These questions can help. Flat Characters Flat characters are minor characters in a work of fiction who do not undergo substantial change or growth in the course of a story. Static Characters When people say that a character is "static," they're referring to the fact that a character doesn't change. Round Characters As a writer, your focus will be on developing your round characters. Dynamic Characters The opposite of static characters, dynamic characters will undergo some kind of change in the course of the story. Stock Characters Many people think the term "stock characters" is just another way to describe static characters, but not so. Protagonists Antagonists
6 Ways to Hook Your Readers Although I consider myself an avid reader, I must admit I have a short attention span when it comes to getting into books. If you fail to grab my attention in the first few lines, I start spacing out. Most readers are like me. Here are a few things I find annoying in the first lines of a story: Dialogue. The last thing you want to do as a writer is annoy or bore people. (N.B. 1. Put a question in your readers’ minds. “Those old cows knew trouble was coming before we did.” 2. By starting at an important moment in the story, your reader is more likely to want to continue so he or she can discover what will happen next. “It was dark where she was crouched but the little girl did as she’d been told.” 3. Description is good when it encourages people to paint a picture in their minds. “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” 4. The promise of reading more about a character you find intriguing will, no doubt, draw you into a story’s narrative. 5. 6.
Seven Common Character Types Seven Common Character Types by Terry W. Ervin II Fiction writers employ a variety of characters while weaving their tales. Beyond the standard definitions of protagonist (the main character in a literary work) and antagonist (the main character or force that opposes the protagonist in a literary work), recognizing the types of characters and the parts they play while reading an interesting story can add to the experience. Confidante- someone in whom the central character confides, thus revealing the main character’s personality, thoughts, and intentions. Example: In a story, Melvin Sanders is a detective on the trail of a serial killer. In this example Chops is a confidante. Dynamic Character - a character which changes during the course of a story or novel. Example: Ebenezer Scrooge, in A Christmas Carol by Dickens, was very stingy with his money. In this example Ebenezer Scrooge is a dynamic character. In this example Louis Drud is a flat character. In this example Betty is a foil.
How to Create Good Personalities for Your Characters Edit Article Sample Character DescriptionsCreating Personalities for Your Own Characters Edited by Secretive, Julia Maureen, Flickety, Ben Rubenstein and 19 others You're on a plane to a distant country to visit some weird old relatives you are somehow related to. In your hands, you hold a book that your friend recommended. Ad Steps Sample Character Descriptions Creating Personalities for Your Own Characters 1Start with a simple profile including these categories: Name, Age, Gender, and Occupation. 6Continue developing characters until your story is finished. Tips Keep the characters true to themselves. Warnings Don't copy off other characters in different, already well known books, such as Harry Potter.
Character Chart for Fiction Writers - EpiGuide.com If you're a fiction writer -- whether you're working on a novel, short story, screenplay, television series, play, web series, webserial, or blog-based fiction -- your characters should come alive for your reader or audience. The highly detailed chart below will help writers develop fictional characters who are believable, captivating, and unique. Print this page to complete the form for each main character you create. IMPORTANT: Note that all fields are optional and should be used simply as a guide; character charts should inspire you to think about your character in new ways, rather than constrain your writing. If this character chart is helpful, please let us know! Looking for more character questionnaires / charts? How to Write a Character Sketch: Learning More About Your Characters’ Motivations and Personalities Regardless of the type of writing you are doing, knowing who your characters are and knowing them well will add greatly to your work. Understanding your characters’ personalities through a character sketch helps you to understand where they are coming from and what motivates them. This, in turn, helps you understand what drives all of the action in your work, and the clearer this is, the easier your audiences will be able to connect with your writing. But how do you go about writing a character sketch? There are numerous ways to go about it. Interview Your Characters Perhaps the most straightforward way of getting to know who your characters are and what drives them is by asking them outright in an interview. It may seem like a very obvious or banal exercise, but even minor details will help you understand who your character is. Write a Character Monologue Another fantastic and highly effective way of getting to know your character is by writing a monologue as your character.
Writing Prompt: Get Into Character « Novel Novice Welcome to Novel Novice’s Writing Prompts! Reading and writing go hand-in-hand: reading makes you a better writer, and writing makes you a better reader. Whether you’re aspiring to be a novelist, just having fun, or interested in trying your hand at writing, we welcome you to join in. Here’s how it will work: Prompts will be posted on the 1st of the month, every other month, Feb-Oct.Stories will be due 6 weeks later, on the 14th of the following month.Stories will be posted on the website for everyone to read, so that we can learn from each other.Each prompt will focus on a writing technique to help you sharpen your skills.Prompts are open-ended so that they may be used for fan fiction for any book/series. There is no judging, voting, or winners. To have funTo improve your writing skillsTo share your writing with others On to this month’s prompt…. The Focus: Ahhh…the age-old writing debate — what’s more important: characters or plot? Voice Every character has a distinct “voice”. World View
Questionnaires for Writing Character Profiles - Creative Writing Help Enter your e-mail to get the e-book for FREE. We'll also keep you informed about interesting website news. "I have searched the web and used different worksheets, but none have come close to your worksheets and descriptions of (what to do and what not to do). "As usual - I already love the course on Irresistible Fiction, rewriting a lot and improving greatly even after the first lesson. “Essentials of Fiction proved that I could indeed write and I wrote every day, much to my boyfriend's dismay (waa sniff).” - Jill Gardner "I am loving the course and the peer interaction on the blog is fantastic!!!" "I'm enjoying the weekly email course, Essentials of Poetry Writing. "Thank you for all the material in this course. "I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the lessons and feel they were very helpful in introducing new ideas and perspectives to my writing. "Thanks very much for this course. "I'm learning so much. "Thank you so much!! "The Irresistible Fiction course is going well.
Medieval Names - List of Medieval Names Sci-Fi Names What shall you name your baby nerd? Tired of ordinary, run-of-the-mill names? Maybe you'd like to find a sci-fi themed name for your yet-unnamed geekling, dog or gerbil. Do you want your little nerdlet to stand out from the rest? Perhaps you've been looking in the wrong places. Science Fiction has long been a goldmine for unusual, unique, and creative names. At any rate, this is a list of characters from a number of Sci-Fi movies, books and television shows. Note: there are way more male names than female names on these lists. DISCLAIMER: I know that these lists probably contain tons of inaccuracies. For robot, android, gynoid and computer names, see this list.
How to Plot a Character Driven Book in 3 Easy Steps | Historical Romance Author Robyn DeHart, Legend Hunters , Ladies Amateur Sleuth Society Theme & Premise: Or How to Plot a Character Driven Book in 3 Easy Steps It is said that there are two types of writers: plotters and seat of the pants writers (or fly into the mist writers). Obviously the majority of us fall somewhere in between. I’m a serious plotter, one of those scene-by-scene plotters who knows primarily everything that will happen in the rough draft. But don’t let that frighten you pansters away. Step 1 – THEME. To define your theme, you need to know what theme is, so what is theme? But how do you come up with a theme out of thin air, especially if you’re doing this with a book you haven’t even written yet? So now you have your theme, let’s move on to Step 2 – PREMISE/CHARACTER LESSON. This is the biggie for me when I’m doing my prewriting. Character lesson or premise is just what it sounds like: what does your character need to learn? Which brings me right into Step 3 – CHARACTER ARC. Now comes the plotting. That’s it. Let’s face it, writing will never be easy.
Seven Keys To Unforgettable Characters | Bob Mayer's Blog Think of your favorite book. What the first thing that comes to mind when you bring it up in your brain? I’m willing to bet, it’s the characters. Most people relate to people, not things. Characters bring emotion to story, and emotion is what attaches readers to books. Here are some of the key lessons I’ve learned about character development over the years, which I’ll be covering in more detail next month in the Write It Forward on-line class on character: 1. 2. 3. What do you want? 4. What do you want? 5. Archetypes. 6. 7. These are just a few of the lessons I’ve learned about character over the years. Write It Forward! Like this: Like Loading... West Point Graduate, former Green Beret and NY Times bestselling author Bob Mayer has had over 50 books published.
10 Days of Character Building: A Day in the Life This is Day 2 of 10 Days of Character Building The day in the life approach to developing a character is focused on describing a normal day in the character’s life before something important happens to change it. Most central characters begin a story in their normal world. At some point, an event happens that takes them out of their normal world and sends them on whatever journey the story has in store for them. Until that journey begins, your characters probably have a normal routine to their day that says a great deal about who they are and how they conduct their life. The beauty of analyzing a character’s day is that there are always opportunities to delve as deeply into their actions as you want. As you assemble a person’s day you get a good idea of their traits and flaws. When approaching the daily routine, you can go a number of ways.