How to Create Characters
11-06-08
Show me your friends, and I'll tell you who you are, a special co-worker once told me. First, let me explain what special means. In Ebonics, we'll say, ''She's a special case.'' Or if someone i...
11-11-08
Sometimes I think I get a bit overzealous. Like in thinking I can cover the subject of Controlling Character Emotion on a brief webpage. Books are devoted to this topic. I have given three-hour...
11-06-08
ving life to a character is one of the most rewarding parts of being a writer. It is also one of the most difficult. Too many times in fiction we witness the "cardboard" or one-dimensional char...
11-06-08
You need to know a lot of the background of protagonists characters you create for major projects. It's easy enough to describe the competent professional side of a person--much harder to paint...
11-06-08
Have you ever wondered why characters like Sherlock Holmes, King Arthur, Achilles, Scrooge, Dorothy and Superman go on forever? The real secret of their immortality lies in something you've pro...
11-06-08
Got one (or two) of your characters stuck? Don't know what to do with him/her? Is he/she getting too boring or predictable? Want to know more about his/her personality? Or maybe you have a story f...
11-14-08
Characters in any story must be well-drawn, interesting, and sympathetic if the reader is to identify with them and care what happens to them. Most romance readers are women, and they identify ...
11-11-08
Creating believable characters is an essential element of fiction. The story rest on your characters shoulders. If they don't hold up then your story collapses. So how do you make believable ch...
12-04-08
Finding Your Hero in Category Romance by Catherine Mann and Joanne Rock Romance authors strive to create the ultimate hero with every story, a tall order when so many fabulous men have alrea...
11-07-08
Blurb: Learn all about characterization in the romance novel. Solid characterization - the character traits or actions that define the people in a novel - is an essential part of any ...
11-06-08
When people find out I'm a clinical social worker they usually say "I'll bet you get a lot of ideas from your work". They're right. Before I got a Masters degree in social work I earned a BA in...
11-07-08
Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. John Gray's book became a bestseller, and it's easy to see why. The contrasts between male and female are something most adults of both sexes can relate to...
11-07-08
If you could sit down in a chair next to the editor of work by James Baldwin, Elia Kazan, Jack Higgins, Jacques Barzun, David Frost, Budd Schulberg, Dylan Thomas and Lionel Trilling, what could...
11-07-08
"Only connect the prose and the passion,and both will be exalted." - E. M. Forster Emotions are the lifeblood of characters and of stories. Without emotional characters, you are just writing eve...
11-08-08
Make no mistake, romances rise and fall on the yummy quotient of the hero. Plots may be brilliant, settings carefully researched, but if the reader doesn't fall arse over teakettle for the hero...
11-08-08
We all want a happy ending for our characters, but on the way they need conflict. This conflict can be caused by the situation (say, she didn't tell him she was pregnant before he went off to w...
11-08-08
One of the most requested tapes from the RWA National Conference was Laurie's workshop on "The Psychology of Creating Characters." You can order the tape (called Romance Writers 98 Audio 3-10) ...
11-08-08
WORKSHEET: Character Arc/Hero's Journey (Adapted from C. Vogler's "The Writers Journey " and J. Campbells' Hero with a Thousand Faces ") CHARACTER ARC HERO'S JOURNEY YOUR CHARACTE...
11-08-08
Picture the Conflict One theory of psychiatry refers to "inner pictures" in a person's personal "photo album". As well as being a snapshot of experiences, the pictures are a way to visua...
11-08-08
Understanding the concept and use of character voice helps a writer create multi-dimensional, sympathetic characters that will not only elevate their story to a "keeper" status, but bring reade...
11-08-08
However interesting or exciting a character may be, the character isn't real to the reader until he speaks and creates a cadence or rhythm of his own. Readers "hear" what they see with their ey...
11-08-08
A character is especially believable when the reader recognizes something familiar about that character. Something the reader can identify with. This familiar aspect could be an external marker...
11-08-08
How many characters belong in a scene, a story and a reader's head? Find out how to avoid fictional overpopulation. There are occasions when a crowd is desirable. Rock concerts, parades, footbal...
11-08-08
I would never write about someone who is not at the end of his rope. --Stanley Elkin Many writers mistake the outer life of a character for the inner life, as...
11-08-08
Fiction Writing and Characterization Fiction writers generally come in two kinds: those who are strong on plot, and those who are strong on characterization. Rarely is a writer brilliant at bo...
11-08-08
Writing Emotional Scenes Without Melodrama Emotional scenes are, of course, crucial to romances. A romance is a novel about two people falling in love and defeating their problems ...
11-09-08
There are differing methodologies for creating child and adult characters for children's novels and adult fiction. These methodologies are based upon the viewpoint of the targeted reading audie...
11-09-08
Try a simple experiment. Think about a person you know and blurt out, without too much thinking, either "adult" or "child." Now try another, and another. We're not talking about their age here....
11-09-08
In this tip section we'll focus on creating differentiated characters, making each character unique and consistent. Character Pro 5 helps with this by providing a unique character spine based on y...
11-09-08
1. Don't underestimate the importance of knowing the character spine. Truly great characters have an innate consistency that can only come from knowing the character's inner workings. Spend the...
11-09-08
Let's focus on using stressful situations to reveal character and better define a character arc. Character Pro 5 helps with this by providing a unique character spine based on your choices and es...
11-09-08
What are some simple tricks to add instant personality to a minor character? Here are four techniques pros use to add a special touch to a character who's there to serve a function and not much el...
11-09-08
The famous (or is it infamous?) Seven Deadly Sins can be a great source for interesting motivations for the bad guy of your story. Most heroes also have issues with the deadly seven. As do most...
11-09-08
How many times have we read through a story and found one or two secondary characters that just seem flat? There's something missing there. Well, friends, there's a simple technique that's guar...
11-09-08
As writers we've had the concept of "theme" pounded into our heads. "What's your story about?" Every story needs a theme: a single word that tells us the core of the story--or, what it's about....
11-09-08
We've all heard the loose definitions, "It's how the character changes during your story." Or, "It's what happens to your character to change him." Your character should travel an arc, which re...
11-09-08
Ever heard of serotonin? Without getting too "sciencey," it's a chemical in the brain that affects behavior. High serotonin levels cause a calmness, serenity and resistance to change. Low serot...
11-09-08
When writing fiction, one of the greatest challenges is to come up with compelling characters that both interest the reader and fit the story. On the surface, fitting the story might seem like ...
11-09-08
Review these elements when critiquing short stories. We will focus on one or two of these "elements of writing" at a time, by answering these questions (if they are not answered in the st...
11-09-08
Creating great characters is an art unto itself, separate from storytelling. So, what are the basics? A great character is someone the reader wants to spend time with. Whether they're loved or ...
11-09-08
Round Characters: characters who recognize, change with, or adjust to circumstances. Complex and many-sided, they touch life at many points. The round character-usually the main figu...
11-09-08
In fiction, character refers to a textual representation of a human being (or occasionally another creature). Most fiction writers agree that character development is the key element in a story...
11-09-08
Using People You Know Many scripts have been written with a particular actor (or at least their screen/ stage persona) in mind. The obvious drawback is that if your character is recognizable as...
11-09-08
I'm sure you've read sentences like the following: She dropped her eyes to the floor. (Whoops! Hope they didn't get broken. But why remove them from their sockets in the first place?)...
11-09-08
Introduction If you already have a story idea, it is a simple matter to create a whole cast of characters that will grow out of your plot. In this lesson we're going to lay out a m...
11-09-08
In the Name of Love... Finding the Right Names for Your Characters Let's say you are writing a Harlequin romance (and who is not?), and you have come to the point in your story ...
11-09-08
Character tagsA tag word or action tag can make even a character that has a small part in your story stand out or be recognized when needed. With a main character, it can show a little pe...
11-09-08
Plausible, complex characters are crucial to successful storytelling. You can develop them in several ways. Concreteness They have specific homes, possessions, medical histo...
11-09-08
Does your Main Character Change or Remain Steadfast? A lot of writers think a character must Change in order to grow. This is simply not true. Characters can also grow in their Resolve. In that...
11-11-08
What's your perception of the word - heroine? Is it someone who's done something heroic, or is it simply the female protagonist in our stories? Must they be the same? And what is your definitio...
11-10-08
The debate rages on between alpha, beta, and now gamma heroes regarding which one is the best hero. Personally, I'm partial to tall, dark, and handsome alpha males. Give me Indiana Jones, Hans ...
11-10-08
While I was avoiding another run through with my characters, I started to think about my hero in my latest WIP. Some important questions were raised by my ruthless writer's subconscious that reall...
11-10-08
An author's insight into the women who make the romance by Rachel Carrington If you've written for any length of time then you know characterization is important to shape y...
11-10-08
"In your opinion, what qualities should a hero always have?" Jayne Ann Krentz: The fundamental qualities of a true hero are the ancient, heroic qualities: honor, courage, determination. No...
11-10-08
I like men. I like their rougher voices, muscular bodies, hairy chests, and all the other wonderful differences that make them unlike me. I like how they think, how they act, and how...
11-10-08
Michele Michele Albert/Michelle Jerott (written for The Romance Journal, 1998) When Laura asked me to write a short piece on why Cajun heroes are popular, I said, "Sure!" Then...
11-10-08
The earl towered over her lithe form, broad shoulders blocking her view of the glittering ballroom. With his lazy smile, white teeth gleamed, almost feral in the candlelit corner. Boldly, he tra...
11-10-08
Barbara Dawson Smith Man of action, man of steel, master of his own destiny. All these descriptions fit the historical hero, a hard-edged, dominant male who is willing to take enormous...
11-10-08
What attributes and characteristics make a romantic hero? Does he have broad shoulders tapering to a trim waist? Is he tall and dark? Is he blond and witty? Each author and each reader has her ...
11-10-08
The process of building a hero is a little different than creating other characters. You are looking for a different response to him from the reader. Romance readers are for the most part women...
11-10-08
Romance writers have a secret. We know what makes a hero "to die for." As romance writers, we construct men that women will fall in love with. At least, that's the goal. While ...
11-10-08
Tight, well worn jeans, beard shadow and a hot stare that sees into your soul. That small, crooked smile, sexy enough to melt your heart. And cocky confidence... that's well deserved. ...
11-10-08
You've read him. You've loved him. Most of all, you've lusted after him. He's the bad boy hero - a fixture in romance novels, especially ultra-sensual and/or erotic romances. What makes him so ...
11-10-08
Villains are tricky rascals. As an author your job requires you walk a fine line. You must make your villains credible, logical, believable and understandable, but not likeable. You want your v...
11-11-08
You have, no doubt, heard of The Hero's Journey. In this article, we will explore the lesser-known ANTI-hero's journey and the uncharted dark side of the passage -- the place where the dark for...
11-11-08
Villains are tricky rascals. As an author, your job requires you walk a fine line. You must make your villains credible, logical, believable and understandable, but not likeable. You want...
11-11-08
Villains come in many shades from "blush gray," to "buried alive black." A character doesn't have to be a serial killer with a fine collection of little fingers to be a villain. Often t...
11-14-08
By Ruth D. KerceCopyright (c) A lot has been written about how to develop the hero and heroine in a story. An often overlooked, but equally important character, is the villain. He/She must als...
11-11-08
Building a fictional character is the same thing as meeting a stranger and getting to know her. Take that meeting one step at a time, or as the old saying goes, peal that onion one layer at a time...
11-11-08
In the beginning of your story you have to grab your readers' interest and sustain it till the end. Our hook is our character. Readers keep on reading to find out more about the character. To s...
11-11-08
"There's no need to stop a story to characterize," writes Editor Sol Stein in Stein on Writing, 1995. You know your characters inside and out. Their hair color, skin tone, clothes sense...
11-11-08
How do you choose a name? Do you put down the first name that pops into your mind? Initially that's what I used to do, until someone pointed out to me that there are a few things to take into c...
11-11-08
Does your story suffer from "Multiple Personality Disorder"? In psychology, Multiple Personality Disorder describes a person who has more than one complete personality. Typically, only ...
11-11-08
The other day, a writer friend of mine told me her publisher recommended she read a certain book to get the flavor of what they liked to publish. Eager to know, my author friend rushed to find ...
11-11-08
Note: The following is an excerpt from Chapter 2 of "Everything You'll Ever Need to Know to Write a Bestseller" by Bill MacWithey. While there are many aspects to writing, and we'll co...
11-11-08
In 1757, in Poor Richard's Almanac, the wise and astute Benjamin Franklin wrote: "Little strokes fell great oaks." There's an important message to writers in that saying, because it is through ...
11-11-08
Characters. What's a work of fiction without them? To my way of thinking, characters drive a narrative. Perhaps I'm lucky: I've got voices in my head, and when one of these voices begin...
11-11-08
Growth is the by-product of a cycle that occurs in nature; that which flowers and fruits will also eventually wither and go to seed. The seed, of course, contains the potential for renewal, but...
11-14-08
Creating characters that are believable takes time and discipline. Creating dynamically real individuals and not imposing your own thoughts and impressions upon them is not easy to do, and is o...
11-14-08
Someone recently inquired about character development-specifically, how does a writer work through the process of character development to make flat characters into well rounded, believable peo...
11-14-08
When beginning a novel, the tendency of most writers is to create a Protagonist to suit the plot or story they have imagined and then dive into the fun stuff of writing the book. But many autho...
11-14-08
by Richard Michaels Stefanik Humor is a perceptual experience that causes people to laugh. By definition, it is generated by a ‘sudden radical deviation from expect...
11-14-08
By Steve Dempster The main or lead character in any story is a lynchpin and has very definite qualities. Miss one of these and your story may well grind to a halt! This a...
11-14-08
By Paula L. Fleming Your protagonist has a problem she needs to solve. How will she go about it? Maybe she'll do it the same way you would if you were in her shoes. Then again, she's not you,...
11-14-08
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Characterization is the process of conveying information about characters in fiction or conversation. Characters are usually presented through their...
11-14-08
by William H. Coles, MD Characterization in literary fiction has special importance and authors need to develop their own sense of responsibility for full and effective charact...
11-14-08
by Marg McAlister One thing that gives away an inexperienced writer is overuse of tags such as 'she noticed' or 'he saw'. Example 1: "Taking a second look, SHE NOTICED that his face w...
11-14-08
By Terry W. Ervin IICharacterization is an important element in almost every work of fiction, whether it is a short story, a novel, or anywhere in between. When it comes to characterization, a ...
11-14-08
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 antago...
11-14-08
By James Patrick Kelly Once I admitted to myself that I had the raging hunger to write, I gobbled up every book on the subject I could find. I still have most of them; I've just gather...
 | Creating Unforgettable Characters Linda Seger |
Character 2 Heroine/Hero/Villain
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