The Universal Mary Sue Litmus Test Stuck with a case of massive writer's block? Has your muse gone on indefinite hiatus? Or are you just bored? Check out the random generators - with a click of a button, you can create characters, names, settings, items, and more for your creative works! The Universal Mary Sue Litmus Test How to use this test: First, if you're unsure of what a Mary Sue is, please read this page. Answer all questions for which the answer is 'yes' or 'technically yes' unless the item mentioned is so commonplace in the universe you are writing for that it doesn't really make your character remarkable or unusual. If your character is a role-playing character and the only reason you can answer 'yes' is because of other players acting of their own free wills (IE, everyone has their characters throwing themselves at your character's feet and you've done nothing to force this) do not answer yes to the corresponding question. Part 1 - All Characters Questions that pertain to all characters everywhere.
NAME GENERATORS for your dog or pet from Chinaroad Lowchens of Australia - HILLBILLY NAME GENERATOR Well, mine was Billie Jane Winchester CHARACTER NAME GENERATOR Produce names for all sorts of characters EVANGELIST NAME GENERATOR The first thing to realize is that an evangelist is a performer, and as such his name is his calling card. DARTH MAKER NAME GENERATOR When you absolutely need a villain for the Star Wars universe. ROCKET NAME GENERATOR Yes that's right, you too can get your own official Rocketname MECHA NAMER Generates "Super Robot" style names for robots, including their models. TREE-BEING NAMER Call them Ents, Treants, Treemen, what you will, this generator gives you something specific to call individuals. WORD & NAME GENERATORS The generated names are fairly good, and very useable for role-playing fantasy games and such DRAGON NAME GENERATOR Can't think of a dragon name? ELF NAME GENERATOR This random name generator will output random names of a specified style DEMON NAME GENERATOR Angel or Demon names. MIDDLE-EARTH NAME GENERATORSimply wonderful! U.S.
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. In addition, a fuller understanding of the character types and their uses can increase a writer’s effectiveness in weaving his own fictional tales. 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. In this example Ebenezer Scrooge is a dynamic character. Copyright © Terry W.
Character Traits Meme by pichu4850 on DeviantArt 10 Days of Character Building: Wrap Up Character Bio Sheets A bio sheet is a way of keeping track of a character’s physical description, traits and attributes. This method is familiar to anyone who enjoys role playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. Using a Bio Sheet gives you an excellent reference point to go back to when you need to remember key information about your character. Defining Characters By Their Roles There are specific roles that characters fall into when you are writing a story. Building a Character Using Multiple Perspectives This technique helps you to build relationships. Key Questions This is a simple list of questions that provide insight into your character and how your character fits into your story. Basing Characters on Real People We often draw inspiration for fictional characters from people we know in real life. A Day in the Life Once the events of a story kick into motion, main characters are pushed outside of their boundaries and comfort zones. Interview Biography Possessions Brainstorming
Characters Types in Fiction As a writer or reader of fiction, you'll encounter many types of characters. From round characters and flat characters to stock characters and protagonists, all characters have their place. As a writer, you may want to avoid or handle some of these character types delicately. If you receive critiques telling you that your character is flat, take it as a challenge and see how emotionally complex and detailed you can make your characters. Flat Characters In fiction, flat characters are minor characters who do not undergo substantial change or growth in the course of a story. In some instances, they may be more parts of the setting than characters. Static Characters A static character doesn't change. Perhaps your main character lives in a building with a doorman, and to develop your character, you show the kind of small talk she engages in with the doorman each time she enters or leaves. Round Characters Round characters are the opposite of flat characters. Dynamic Characters Stock Characters
Handling a Cast of Thousands - Part I: Getting to Know Your Characters by Will Greenway Few writing challenges are greater than doing justice to a large cast of characters in a novel or story. In fact, the difference between simply doing them justice and handling them well is a significant level of effort in itself. Sadly, this is one of those writer conundrums that is often best resolved with a "Don't do that if it hurts" solution. Getting a grip on your cast Cast members are reoccurring characters who are pivotal to your story. Aside from your main cast, there will be supporting roles, and often dozens of walk-on or cameo characters. Least significant, but always necessary, are walk-ons and cameos. Because of the limited time these characters spend in the frame, writers tend to make them more exotic, giving them odd quirks or ticks in order to make them interesting. Beware of "extras" with aspirations of star status. Don't promote these exotic latecomers to cast status. Casting couch -- criteria for success A viewpoint character carries a heavy onus.
Character Chart FAVORITES Color: Music: Food: Literature: Expressions: Book: Quote: Expletive(s) (swears): Mode of transportation: HABITS Smokes: What? How often? Drinks: What? SELF-PERCEPTION One word character would use to describe self: One paragraph description of how character would describe self: What does character consider best physical characteristic? Immediate goal(s): Long range goal(s): How does character plan to accomplish goal(s)? How character react in a crisis (calm/panic/etc.)? Jewelry? Owns a computer? © (c ) copyright 1990-2011 Rebecca Sinclair ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Authors Note: I worked hard on this. ~ Permission is granted to LINK TO the Fiction Writers Character Chart. ~ Permission is granted to print out a copy of the Fiction Writers Character Chart FOR PERSONAL USE ~ Permission is NOT granted to copy and/or use the Character Chart in print and/or electronic form (including the internet) without express written permission)
It's Not What They Say... by Mary Cook In fiction writing it's the dialogue that lifts your characters off the page. You must ensure your writing is strong enough for the task. It's not what they say; it's the way they say it Speech has a natural rhythm, like music. You can tell a lot about a character by his verbal mannerisms. One person might use "you know" a great deal, while another opens nearly every sentence with "Well". Punctuation is almost as important as the words. Punctuation is also important from a style point of view. Don't use the exclamation point too freely. You can learn a lot about realistic dialogue by eavesdropping on other people's conversations. Don't be tempted to write with a regional accent by introducing strange spellings. Anyone who has read Somerset Maugham's Liza of Lambeth will know what I mean. For example, the following dialogue on the subject of childbirth could lead the reader to think Maugham couldn't spell or was writing in a foreign language: Cut out the superfluous words.
Writing Fiction: How Long is a Chapter? A reader asked me today about chapter length. "My book is currently 45,675 words and I am starting on Chapter 30. Do you have an opinion on chapter length and word count?" It can depend on the kind of book you're writing. Some formula fiction, especially romance, is sometimes written to fit into a precise number of printed pages. But a novel can be any length, and so can a chapter. My own chapters tend to run to maybe 5,000 words (20 double-spaced pages in manuscript). That is, the reader should understand that the characters are in a hell of a fix, and maybe the characters themselves know it too. Every scene in the chapter should do something like this as well. The technical term for this is anagnorisis: "ana" is Greek for "up," and "gnorisis" or "gnosis" means "knowledge." On the level of the scene, we simply present some characters with a challenge and see how they handle it: Indiana Jones is resourceful robbing a tomb, but then panics at the thought of a snake.
Establishing the Right Point of View Establishing the Right Point of View: How to Avoid "Stepping Out of Character" by Marg Gilks Return to Characters, Viewpoint, and Names · Print/Mobile-Friendly Version "Dalquist was shaking with rage, tears streaking down her face. Yikes! If you can see what's wrong with this excerpt, congratulations. What's wrong with the above excerpt? Paragraph one is ambiguous. Every scene should have only one POV character, and everything must be filtered through that POV character's perceptions. But, isn't it so much easier just to tell the reader what character X is thinking, rather than trying to show it in ways the POV character (and thus, the reader) can see and understand? Let's look at that again, and we'll see a hint: isn't it so much easier just to tell the reader what character X is thinking, rather than trying to show it in ways the POV character can see and understand? Yup: "show, don't tell." Yup: characterization. "Lexas didn't turn around. There's no confusion here. Find Out More...
Surname Meanings and Origins Surname Meanings and OriginsL, M, N, O, P, Q Lacey is an English and Irish place name of Norman origin, derived from Lassy in Calvados, which got its name from a Gaulish given name Lascius + -acum (a local suffix). Lacey is most common in Nottinghamshire, but is found all over. Ladd - from the Welsh word lladd, to destroy Lamb (English) Dweller at the sign of the lamb; one with some characteristic of a lamb. Lancaster (English) One who came from Lancaster (Roman camp on the Lun River), the county town of Lancashire. Langley: (English) One who came from Langley (long wood or clearing), the name of many places in England. Larrabee: (French) Dweller at the riverbank. Larsen (Norwegian) The son of Lars or Lawrence (laurel, symbol of victory) Larson/Larkin/Lawson,/Lorenzo: The name Lawrence was derived from 'laurel' - symbol of victory, and was popularized by St. Latham: (English) One who came from Latham or Laytham, both in Yorkshire, or Lathom in Lancashire, all three meaning barn enclosure.
Web Resources for Developing Characters When developing characters, many writers use personality traits that they see in themselves and in others, such as friends, family and celebrities. A new source of material and information that can help you develop characters is the Internet. The Internet offers some unique resources for character development, such as psychological testing websites, baby name databases and other reference sites and databases. These websites certainly weren't created for writers developing characters; nevertheless, these site are extremely useful for writers. Psychological Resources Psychological websites can help writers learn the underlying principles of behavior that motivate or cause people to act as they do. Psychological websites can also help writers because they explain common personality traits, people's reactions to loss, illness, stress and tragedy and they often provide case studies and examples. Biography Resources Biography resources can be a great help to writers. Naming Characters