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    Writing fictional characters
    15Sep, 2023
    How to Create Fictional Characters that Jump off the Page

    Crafting Stories or Baking a Cake?

    I often compare the crafting of a story to cooking or baking. You have a set of ingredients, and when put together in just the right way, you end up with a delicious curry or the tastiest chocolate cake. If you miss an ingredient, the whole dish can taste different or not work at all.

     

    The Character is the Main Ingredient

    With writing fiction, the main ingredient is character—all the active characters. To create a compelling story, you need the rest of the ingredients: the points of the hero’s journey the protagonist is on; the plot; the setting;  tone; mood; point of view; dialogue; and voice. 

    But, again, it really ALL comes down to character.

    Today we’re going to delve into one method of character development that’s fun and sort of a mix and match activity. One of the most important parts of creating fictional characters is making sure they’re realistic. One way to approach this is by tapping into real people in your life, and then kind of like the Garanimals children’s clothing brand, you mix and match characteristics and traits together. 

     

    A Character Development Activity

    Today’s prompt is more of an activity. Choose 4 or 5 real people (they can be people from your life, people on the periphery, or celebrities or others you know things about). Make a list of character traits for each of these people.

    Once you’ve done that, pick and choose traits from each list to create an entirely new person.

    This is a fun activity that really makes you think and dig deep. 

    Here’s an example of what this looks like:

    Person #1

    • Seems to enjoy his work
    • Outwardly positive
    • Extraverted
    • Wears glasses
    • Average height
    • Enjoys grilling
    • Enjoys tea
    • Likes smalltalk 
    • Loves holidays
    • Has a rolling desk
    • Loves jalapeños
    • Has a goatee
    • Dark hair peppered with gray
    • Works on Sundays
    • Has several kids
    • Loves fishing
    • Loves kayaking
    • Smokes cigars
    • Works in public education

    Person #2

    • Accountant
    • Dark hair
    • Smirks
    • Uses good vocabulary
    • Retired
    • Runs
    • Traditional gender role expectations
    • Arrogant
    • Doesn’t like yard work
    • Doesn’t cook
    • Reads Stephen King
    • Wears contact lenses
    • Three kids
    • Over-protective father
    • Special father-daughter relationship
    • Flaunts his children’s successes as if they’re his own

    Person #3

    • Extremely logical
    • Hard worker
    • Balding
    • Reading glasses
    • Pulled up from bootstraps/self made
    • Cautious with money
    • Shows love through generosity
    • Keeps emotions under control
    • Loves cycling
    • Loves nice cars
    • Brutally honest
    • Reads SciFi
    • Loves scotch
    • Loves gadgets
    • Works in tech

    NEW CHARACTER

    • High school technology teacher
    • Near retirement
    • Has two kids, one very successful, the other not
    • Sings the praises of the successful one
    • Loves the idea of a nice car but can never afford one
    • Wears sports coats
    • Brutally honest, especially with his students
    • Ever-present smirk
    • Drinks green tea
    • A little below average height
    • Hates smalltalk
    • Loves gadgets and all things tech
    • Always has the latest computer and accessories
    • Organized desk

    As I create this new character, he begins to unfold in my mind. He’s taken on a life of his own and while some of his traits are inspired by the three people I actually know, when mixed and matched, he does not resemble any of them.

    Enjoy the activity!

    How do your characters react?

    Are you ready for the next step in your writing process? Hire me as your developmental editor and partner. Together, we will take your writing to the next level!

    22May, 2022
    Character Development: How do your characters react?

    Scroll down to watch on YouTube!

    That Old Adage

    Understanding how your fictional characters react is essential to  making them three-dimensional. There is an old adage that says it’s not the situation you face but how you deal with it that defines character. The idea is that 10% of life is what happens and 90% is how we react to it. It’s about our response mechanisms. Are we fight or flight? What is our attitude when faced with adversity? Or how about when we’re faced with a surprise, success, or something else that warrants an emotional response? 

    Passing the Buck or Taking Control

    A lot of people are quick to pass the buck when it comes to responsibility for their actions. The attitude of fatalism with these types of people—and with that comes acceptance of the inevitable. These people are at the mercy of their circumstances. 

    For others, the idea that they have control within the situations they face. They control their actions and emotions. They are not victims to the inevitable. 

    How Will Your Characters React?

    This is true for your characters, too. Do you know how they will react in different situations? The next series of prompts are about discovering more about your characters based on how they deal with a variety of situations. For these folks, it’s not what happens to them that determines their path; it is how they choose to react that defines them. When we choose to shape our own feelings and act in ways we choose, we control the outcome. 

    So, when we face adversity—as we all do at one point or another—keep in mind that these adversities do not define us. We can let go and be defeated. Or we can act and navigate through the hardships. We can overcome obstacles.

    Lessons Learned

    The process of dealing with the adversities we face teaches us valuable lessons. We learn every step of the way. Our experiences broaden our perspective and shape us as we move forward. 

    Your Characters

    It is the same for your characters. What do they do in the face of obstacles? Do you know? You can solidify who they are by putting them into situations for the sole purpose of seeing how they react. What they do. Are they proactive, or fatalistic?  

    The next set of prompts is geared toward helping you understand your characters on a deeper level.

    #1: A woman exits the bathroom with the back of her skirt tucked in her underwear. What does your character do?

    #2: Your character witnesses an accident. Does he or she pull over and help? Drive on by? Panic? Remain cool and collected? 

    #3: A dog is on the loose in a neighborhood where your character is driving by. He or she will be late for an appointment if they stop. But the dog could get hit by a car if they don’t. What does your character do?

    Think of other situations you can put your characters into. As you write about these, you’ll get to know them better and better. You’ll figure out who they are and how they will respond. 

    Have fun!

    Watch this writing tip on YouTube.

    Write larger than life characters

     

    Are you ready for the next step in your writing process? Hire me as your developmental editor and partner. Together, we will take your writing to the next level!

    23Mar, 2022
    Getting to know your Fictional Characters

    Getting to know your fictional characters, inside and out, is crucial

    I’ve decided to change up the Writing Prompt process. I’m a goal-oriented person. Writing prompts are meant to get the creative juices flowing, however, they can also become a means to an end.

    When I first started writing, I used prompts to spark ideas. Before long I had a single character I tended to write about. Then she had a family. And a town. And on and on and on…

    So what we’re going to do is to create a character first. Then from there, you’ll use this character in each prompt posted.

    You can do things your own way

    Now, of course you do not have to do it this way. You can change the character you write about. It’s your writing. You can do whatever you want!

    The purpose of this approach, though, is to help you create actual scenes using your character. 

    Before long, you’ll have scenes you can insert into the story or book you’re writing. 

    Let’s start with the protagonist

    With that in mind, create a protagonist. Use the information below to help guide you:

    📝 📓 ✍️ START WITH THE BASICS

    What is the:

    Character’s Name

    Gender

    Age

    Nationality

    Birth place

    Education

    Occupation

    Hobbies

    Other Interests

    Describe his/her:

    Family

    Siblings

    Is she/he married?

    Are their children?

    What about pets?

    🧑‍🦰👩🏾‍🦰 👀👩‍🦯 NEXT, WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE?

    What’s his or her (add whatever other information you’d like!):

    ✳️ eye color?

    ✳️ hair color?

    ✳️ hair style?

    ✳️ body shape?

    ✳️ body size?

    ✳️ complexion?

    What makes them unique (birthmarks, freckles, scars, tattoos, piercings, glasses, contact lenses…)?

    How do they dress?

    What habits– good or bad–do they have (smoking, nail biting, smiling all the time, never smiling, carrying a cane…)?

    How they present themselves to the world (use the examples to spark your creativity)?

    ✳️ Tidy

    ✳️ Disheveled

    ✳️ Well-dressed

    ✳️ Sloppily dressed

    ✳️ Dirty

    ✳️ Sophisticated clothing

    ✳️ Professor-like blazers

    ✳️ Granola-like (hippy, free-flowing…)

    🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏽🧑🏿‍🤝‍🧑🏻🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏽 WHAT ARE SOME DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS?

    How do they communicate? What is their speech like (accented, slow speech, stuttering…)?

    General demeanor (joyful, always happy, angry at the world, grumbles constantly…)?

    How do they walk (stride, slow, lazy, brisk pace…)?

    How does their level of education impact how they communicate or carry themselves? 

    Do they talk with their hands?

    Do they make specific gestures?

    Do they make eye contact? If not, what do they do?

    Describe their smile.

    Describe their laugh.

    Describe what they’re like when they’re angry.

    Check out more writing prompts!

     

    Struggling with character development? Hire me as your developmental editor and partner. Together, we will take your writing to the next level!

    10Feb, 2022
    Characters are the Heart of the Story

    Characters are at the Heart of the Story

    Characters are at the heart of every story. Without a strong hero, a book is often forgettable. This is why series are so popular. People come back not for whatever mystery or crime Stephanie Plum will be tackling, but because they love Stephanie herself. And Lula. And Grandma Mazur. And Joe. And Ranger. These characters become so familiar, it’s like they are our friends.

    Jack Reacher. Scrooge. Andy Carpenter. Atticus Finch. Sherlock Holmes. Willy Wonka. Miss Havisham. Bilbo Baggins. Gandalf. Harry Potter. These larger-than-life characters stick with us because they’re so brilliantly drawn. They have clear and strong personality traits and goals.

    Creating Larger-that-Life Characters

    Creating a larger-than-life character of your own. Start by making a few key decisions:

    • Gender Identity
    • Age
    • One word to describe temperament (shy, boisterous, angry, compliant…)
    • What does this character want more than anything? Make the stakes high!
     
    Prompt:
    • Write a scene which SHOWS what your character wants without stating it directly. 
     
     
    How do your characters react? Read more HERE.
     
    31Jan, 2022
    Writing Prompt #5: Connecting Plot and Character

    We’re wrapping up our Writing Prompt series on SETTING by looking at the connection between character and setting.

    Setting gives the reader a world to visualize. It’s grounding. It creates mood and tone.

    In Gone With the Wind, for example, Atlanta is almost a character. So it Tara. These locations provide much more than just the name of a city or property. They provide context for what’s happening in the story, and they provide an emotional connection between the character and place.

    It’s a true relationship. As such, settings can give insight into a character. Scarlett’s connection to Tara and her desire–nay, determination–to save it shows quite a lot about her stubbornness, here doggedness, her resilience, and her grit.

     

    Prompt: 

    Write a scene which shows an emotional connection between your character and a specific setting in their world.

     

    24Jan, 2022
    Using Dialogue to Convey Setting

    Using Dialogue to Convey Setting

    Setting in a story can be given through description (see Writing Promp #3).

    Last time we talked about creating setting through description. Today, we’re still looking at setting as a way to convey a story’s time and place, but this time, we’re using dialogue. 
     

    Why? Because setting doesn’t have to only be conveyed through description. People talk. And they talk about the weather. Where they live. Where they’ll be visiting. They use description to paint pictures of these places, but they do it through dialogue.You can also use dialogue to effectively convey setting. JK Rowling is one of many authors who use dialogue to convey setting.

    An Example from Harry Potter

    In this brief example, Hagrid is taking Harry from the Hut on the Rock to Diagon Alley, and he’s describing Gringotts.

    “Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?” Harry asked. 

    “Spells — enchantments,” said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. “They say there’s dragons guardin’ the high security vaults. And then yeh gotta find yer way — Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London, see. Deep under the Underground. Yeh’d die of hunger tryin’ ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat.”

    Through this snippet of dialogue we get an image of Gringotts. We can visualize the scope of its size and the dangers of visiting.

    Use Character Dialogue

    Have your characters speak to each other about setting. Have one person describe a place to another. Practice until you come up with a way for it to happen organically.

    Have fun with it!

    Prompt:

    Write a scene in which you describe setting using dialogue.

    Read about How Characters React

    16Jan, 2022
    Writing Prompt #3: A Place You’ve Lived-Urban; Rural; Mountains; Beach…

    Setting is a story’s time and place.

    You cannot have a story without setting. Setting grounds the entire narrative. 

    In books, setting can be very overtly or explicit given to the reader, or it can be alluded to through descriptions of clothing, architecture, weather, topography, and other environmental elements.

    When we think of TIME, a story can be set in the present, the past, or the future. In SciFi and fantasy stories, there are alternate realities. This idea goes a bit beyond time and place, so we can include alternate realities in our definition.

    So, SETTING conveys:

    • Time (past, present, future, as well as Alternate Reality)
    • Place, which can be a wide-lens view or a planet, a country, a city, and/or it can move into a close-angle view of a city or town, a home, or even the inside of a building or vehicle or single room

    Prompt:

    Today’s writing prompt is about creating the wide lens view of a setting. If you’re following these prompts, you’ve created a room in a home, and the town in which that house exists.

    Now, place that home in its bigger setting. Is it in suburbia? An urban city? Someplace rural? The mountains? By the sea?

    Create a sense of place. 

     

    How well do you know your characters?

    23Dec, 2021
    Writing Prompt #2: A Place You’ve Lived-Your Town

    When you think of a scene, consider starting with a wide angle lens first. Capture the bigger setting. Once you’ve done that, you can move in closer and closer and closer until you introduce the character and the conflict.

    Think about it like this: A movie starts. First, the director shows stars twinkling in the dark blanket of the universe.

    Next, we see a rocket ship hurtling across the expanse.

    Finally, we see the inside of that rocket ship.

    It’s only after we see all that that the director introduces us the character(s) inside.

    We already went through a memory exercise to get the juices flowing, Now let’s pan back out.

    The kitchen is in a house.

    The house is in a neighborhood.

    The neighborhood is in a town.

    So let’s start there. 

    Prompt:

    Describe the town in which the house with the kitchen exists, If you descibed your childhood kitchen, then now is the time to describe your childhood town.

    What is the layout of the town…or city? Where is the grocery store where the food shopping was done?

    Where was the elementary school? The middle school? Your high school? What were they named?

    What about the park or field where you played soccer or baseball?

    Was there a roller rink where you skated? A skate park? A movie theater?

    Get into the nitty-gritty and really paint a picture of your hometown.

     

    Check out the Hero’s Journey Database!

    15Dec, 2021
    Writing Prompt #1: A Place You’ve Lived-Your Kitchen

    Everybody lives somewhere. When we look back on our childhood home, it’s common to feel uninspired by it. After all, it was jut the place we lived. Nothing exciting there, right?

    If I asked you to describe the kitchen in your childhood house, how detailed can you be? Close your eyes and try to visualize it. Use the five senses, What color are the walls? What smells do you remember? What do the counters look like? Are they tile with grout lines? Hard wood? Formica? Is there a favorite meal that was prepared there? What sound does the dishwasher make? How about the singing tea kettle on the stove?

    Prompt:

    Now describe this kitchen using as much detail as possible. Summon up memories that have been tucked away in the recesses of your mind. Once you begin writing, you’ll be surprised at what resurfaces!

    If this doesn’t inspire you, describe the kitchen in the photo, or your dream kitchen!