1. Elements of Fiction
Focus onCHARACTER

2. EnhancingYour Understanding
1
3
2
Identify the Characters
Discover
Their Purpose
Focus on
Development
There is no story without a character.
3. Identify The Character
Who and What
1
4. TheProtagonist
Its WHO the story is all about.
Usually good, but NOT always.
TheAntagonist
Its WHO is AGAINST the Protagonist.
Usually bad, but NOT always.
Major Categories of Characters
5. The ROLESThey Play
6. Roundvs. Flat
7. 2
Focus On Development
Discovering the Character
8. Its not just about the telling a story, its about
SHOWING IT
9. Direct
Characterization
And I dont play the dozens or believe in standing around with somebody in my face doing a lot of talking. I much rather just knock you down and take my chances even if Im a little girl with skinny arms and a squeaky voice, which is how I got the name Squeaky.
From Raymonds Run by T. Bambara
10. Indirect
Characterization
The old man bowed to all of us in the room.Then he removed his hat and gloves, slowly and carefully.Chaplin once did that in a picture, in a bank--he was the janitor.
From Gentleman of Rio en Medio by J. Sedillo
11. From Ernest Hemingway's stories, I learned to listen within my stories for what went unsaid by my characters.Nadine Gordimer
Saying it without saying it
12. How the character speaks
13. What the character thinks
14. How the characteracts
15. How the characterreacts
16. How othersreact to the character
17. What others say about the character
18. 3
Discover Their Purpose
Why bother with characters at all?
19. MOTIVATION
Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way.
Les Brown
20. RELATIONSHIPS
Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.
Tennessee Williams
21. CONFLICT
I try to take every conflict, every experience, and learn from it. Life is never dull.
Oprah Winfrey
22. Want to jump to a bookmark in your video? Hover over the video and youll be pleasantly surprised.
Did we mention you can add bookmarks, includefades, andtrimyour videos now?
Fountain Geyser
23. FOCUS ON FICTION
Whats Your Message?