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How to Write a Character From Start to Finish

How to Write a Character From Start to Finish
The best fiction is about a character who changes in some significant way. The selfish brute learns to put others first. The woman marrying for money decides to marry for love. The career ladder climber learns to cut back on his hours to enjoy his family. We love to see characters transformed. —by Jeff Gerke Most of the time, main characters in fiction are changing for the better. But there’s also room for characters who change for the worse. Perhaps most intriguing of all is a “bad” character who flirts for a while with the idea of being good, but then decides that his true self is on the dark side of the street. Of course, not every story has to be about a character who changes. Whether your protagonist ultimately turns toward or away from the light will be up to you, but we’ll look at ways to send her on a journey in which she’s transformed. The Inner Journey In fiction terms, a character’s transformation is called his inner journey or character arc. The Nexus The Seeds of Change

Anne Tyler’s Tips on Writing Strong (yet Flawed) Characters Anne Tyler belongs to a disappearing generation of writers, those who came into their own in an era when it was more than enough to—well, to simply write. Intensely protective of her craft, she hasn’t given an in-person interview or participated in a book tour since 1977. In an age where writers are expected to lead double lives as self-promoters to enjoy any semblance of commercial success, Tyler carries on just as she always has, remaining steadfast in her singular devotion to her writing process. And she can get away with it, too, because she’s Anne Tyler—and she’s just that indisputably good. If Tyler’s writing career sounds like a luxury, a lofty dream come to life—penning a well-received book every few years in the quiet of her home in Baltimore, eschewing the media in favor of the companionship of her characters—it’s one she’s earned. Her books are about families, and the complications therein—marital discourse, sibling rivalry, resentment and, underneath it all, love.

Keeping it Real: A Rough Guide to Using Real People As Fictional Characters Pop quiz: what do Ebeneezer Scrooge, Alice in Wonderland and Tintin all have in common? OK, the title makes the answer obvious (and if it didn’t, you’re too tired to be reading this): all of these ‘fictional’ characters were based on real people. It’s not an unusual thing for a writer to do. In fact it’s so common, the subject has inspired a whole book of its own: The Godfather Was A Girl written by Eamon Evans, who, I’m assuming, is a real person and not a piece of fiction inspired by a real person. But let’s not get reductive. The big no-no: writing about your family When author Hanif Kureishi produced his novel Intimacy in 1998, its story line about a man who leaves his partner for another woman seemed unexceptional. You can see her point. I'm just the messenger. To which you might ask how Kureishi might have felt if his partner had chosen to make a record of her own. But at least Kureishi attempted to disguise his subject matter. I see dead people: channeling historical figures

25 Ways To Fuck With Your Characters - StumbleUpon As storyteller, you are god. And to be frank, you’re not a particularly nice god — at least, not if you want your story to resonate with readers. A good storyteller is a crass and callous deity who treats the characters under his watchful eye like a series of troubled butt-puppets. From this essential conflict — storyteller versus character — a story is born. Put differently, as a storyteller it’s your job to be a dick. It’s your job to fuck endlessly with the characters twisting beneath your thumb. And here’s 25 ways for you to do just that. 1. Gods have avatars, mortal or semi-mortal beings that exist on earth to embody the deity’s agenda. 2. The audience and the character must know the stakes on the table — “If you don’t win this poker game, your grandmother will lose her beloved pet orangutan, Orange Julius.” 3. Impossible odds are a powerful way to fuck with a character. 4. Drop the character smack dab between two diametrically opposed choices. 5. 6. This one? 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Character Traits Character Chart for Fiction Writers - EpiGuide.com - StumbleUpon 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. Fill in only as much info as you choose. Have fun getting to know your character! If this character chart is helpful, please let us know! Looking for more character questionnaires / charts?

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. 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.

Dark fantasy 20 Great Writers on the Art of Revision It’s a new year, and hopeful souls around the world are working diligently on their plans to revise — their health, their attitudes, their lives. But who knows more about the art of revision than great writers? Sure, they mostly know about rewriting their own work, and they may not always have applied the principles to their daily habits, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try. “If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.” — Elmore Leonard, Newsweek, 1985 “Whenever you feel an impulse to perpetrate a piece of exceptionally fine writing, obey it – wholeheartedly – and delete it before sending your manuscript to press. “I have rewritten — often several times — every word I have ever published. “Mostly when I think of pacing, I go back to Elmore Leonard, who explained it so perfectly by saying he just left out the boring parts. “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” — Mark Twain

Character Trait Chart Character Trait Chart and Personality Components It can sometimes be helpful to make a Trait Chart for each character. This is especially helpful during the early stages of character development, before the character becomes as real to you as your mother. There are several charts of this sort available, some extremely detailed and some containing only facts and figures. I've tried to make one that includes the most important traits to help you visualize your character, both physically and emotionally. To use this chart, print it out and make a copy for each of your characters. Full name - a character's name is very important. Besides the character's official name, we also need to know what he is called (and, perhaps, what he prefers to be called). Date of Birth/Age - we should carefully consider assigning our character a birthday. Height - this doesn't need to be specific. Hair - keep in mind the character's ethnic background in assigning hair and eye color. Smell - everyone has a smell.

Savvy Authors | Writing Paranormal When I first informed people I was writing a paranormal, I inevitably got one of two responses. One response was from non-writers and the other was always from those more savvy in the publishing field. The first and foremost was, “Paranormal is so hot right now! You’re going to be a millionaire!” The other was, “The paranormal market is so saturated right now. It’s going to be a hard sell.” I am not, what I call, a “what’s hot right now” writer. Secondly, and most importantly, I write what I love. So, you ask, how did you break into an overcrowded field? The other thing that I did was read, read, read. I also really listened when people talked about their favorite books. So, I had a goal I wanted to reach. In the end I believe I achieved my goals, and written something that readers would connect with. J. Evie Shepard’s nightmare begins when she finds herself buried alive, with no idea how she got that way. Somehow she has come back…And she wants revenge.

Six Easy Tips for Self-Editing Your Fiction | Kristen Lamb There are a lot of hurdles to writing great fiction, which is why it's always important to keep reading and writing. We only get better by doing. Here are some self-editing tips to help you clean up your book before you hire an editor. When I worked as an editor, I found it frustrating when I couldn't even get to the story because I was too distracted by these all too common oopses. There are many editors who charge by the hour. #1 The Brutal Truth about Adverbs, Metaphors and Similes I have never met an adverb, simile, or metaphor I didn't love. First of all, adverbs are not all evil. Check your work for adverbs and kill the redundant ones. Metaphors and similes are awesome, but need to be used sparingly. When we use too much of this verbal glitter, we can create what's called "purple prose." Huh? Oh, the boulder is squarish shaped! Thing is, the metaphor made me stop to figure out what image the author was trying to create. Go through your pages and highlight metaphors and similes.

Top 10 Tricks to Make your Villain Stand Out Welcome back to the column that breaks down gaming into what’s really important, ten things at a time! Any story arc needs a good villain. The best big bads are more than just another devil or vampire or dragon. 1. Why do people follow this villain? 2. The villain should have a single overriding goal that drives all his or her actions. 3. Along with the goal, place concrete steps the villain needs to take to reach the goal. 4. The villain should be making progress if nobody is stopping him or her. 5. Give your villain a weakness the adventurers can figure out and exploit. 6. Avoid faceless or generic threats. 7. Make the villain’s presence known in every corner of the campaign. 8. One of the best ways to make the villain’s presence known is by reusing symbols and calling cards. 9. Take note every time the adventurers fail to stop the villain, or let a part of its plan succeed. 10. Your villain will be more well-rounded if there are some things he or she won’t do. Written by loganbonner

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