We’re now seventeen days into the course, and learned enough to get started. Starting with the idea, story structure, the essence of conflict, and some looks at dialog and narrative got us started. Now we have to start putting it together.
Dealing from the framework of a short to medium story helps us to put things together. You have to be PRECISE with your words. Short stories usually deal with a single scene or setting. I cheated when I wrote my short story “The Island” because I dealt with a killer and a group of people on an island (Squirrel Island, just renamed and the seasonal residents changed to year round) on a single night. It more properly should have been a novella, or at least slightly longer.
Today, let’s talk about characters so we can move towards an assignment.
Developing Characters
The methods of creating characters tends to be as varied as the styles of writing. Some people like to do extensive bios, others do interviews. Some people spend a great deal of time looking into a character’s past life, from birth till this very minute. Others (like myself) create a character in an instant, and it’s done. I know the character. There’s no need to write it down what they’re like.
Your Assignment
I feel there’s no wrong method here. You can do what seems best to you. I ask that you TRY one of those methods where you fill out the fifteen page bio (or whatever). That’s your assignment for today – bio a character.
If it works for you and you learn abut the character, great! If it seems exceptionally annoying and redundant, this is the only time you’ll ever have to do it.
A few years back, I took a number of character dossiers I’d found and combined them. Why not make one of my own? Because I don’t work that way. When I come up with a character, I usually know immediately everything about the character. Writing it down is a waste of time for me.
You can find one online, or perhaps get the K.M. Wyland book on character creation. I bought the one by Nancy Kress, and found the questionnaire to be exhaustive. If you’re the kind of person who needs to know if the protagonist prefers crunchy peanut butter to plain, then either Wyland’s or Kress’s books will do just fine. If you’re in a hurry to complete this assignment, then get one from any writer’s website you like and copy it.
Turning in Your Assignment
Simply paste it into the comment section below. Below is the character creation template from Evernote, if you’re in a hurry – I recommend you look at a few others first, just to be sure you’re giving this a fair shake. My experience is that most writers need these – a few don’t. You can omit the character photo for this.
You must add a copyright statement at the beginning or end of your assignment, showing you own your own work. You can borrow mine and change details.
BASICS
Full Name:
Nickname:
Role in the story: hero, friend, antagonist, supporting character, etc.
Date of Birth:
Age:
Occupation:
APPEARANCE
Add a photograph of someone who resembles your character to help you visualize.
Height:
Body Type/Build:
Skin tone:
Hair (style and color):
Eye color:
Facial description:
Prominent features or distinguishing marks:
Style of dress:
Mannerisms or gestures:
SPEECH
Tone of voice: loud, quiet, harsh, etc.
Language or accent:
Favorite phrases:
BEHAVIOR
Personality:
Habits:
Ambition:
Greatest fear:
Biggest secret:
How does this character get along with other characters?
BACKGROUND
Where born/grew up:
Important past events:
Family:
Current home:
Finances:
Occupation:
Education:
Relationships:
Health:
Religion:
Interests or hobbies:
