Narrative Writing - Narrative Writing - CharactersCharacters

CREATE YOUR OWN CREATE YOUR OWN CHARACTERCHARACTER

No matter what sort of narrative you No matter what sort of narrative you are writing, you are going to have to are writing, you are going to have to populate your story with characters, populate your story with characters, and a lot of them, if not all of them, and a lot of them, if not all of them, you are going to have to create from you are going to have to create from scratch.scratch.

The ProtagonistThe Protagonist

Most stories have a main character Most stories have a main character whom the plot is surrounded on. The whom the plot is surrounded on. The character influences how the story character influences how the story develops and the reader or audience develops and the reader or audience will feel most strongly for this will feel most strongly for this character. This person is called the character. This person is called the PROTAGONISTPROTAGONIST

ExamplesExamples

EXAMPLEEXAMPLE

The ProtagonistThe Protagonist

The story is only as interesting as the The story is only as interesting as the protagonist therefore it is important protagonist therefore it is important that you create an impressionistic that you create an impressionistic character that will capture the character that will capture the readers’ attention. readers’ attention.

Ask yourself what are your favourite Ask yourself what are your favourite stories and why. The reasons will stories and why. The reasons will most likely be the protagonist or an most likely be the protagonist or an important character in the story. important character in the story.

How to create a characterHow to create a character

Don't start your character off with a Don't start your character off with a name or a physical description. name or a physical description.

- We are usually influenced by name - We are usually influenced by name stereotypes therefore do not give stereotypes therefore do not give your character a name yet. your character a name yet.

How to create a characterHow to create a character

Do start developing your character by giving Do start developing your character by giving him a problem, a dramatic need, a him a problem, a dramatic need, a compulsion. compulsion.

Even if you don't have the slightest idea Even if you don't have the slightest idea what your story is going to be about yet, what your story is going to be about yet, you do not know where it is going to take you do not know where it is going to take place, and you have not found anything place, and you have not found anything compelling that you would like to say to an compelling that you would like to say to an audience of more than one, you can do this. audience of more than one, you can do this. Say "My main character wants _____ more Say "My main character wants _____ more than anything else in the world." than anything else in the world."

How to create a characterHow to create a character What does the character want? Love, respect, What does the character want? Love, respect,

courage, revenge, a kidney for his kid sister, to courage, revenge, a kidney for his kid sister, to find the son she gave up for adoption when she find the son she gave up for adoption when she was sixteen? Throw something down on the was sixteen? Throw something down on the paper. It will not be written in stone and you can paper. It will not be written in stone and you can always go back later and change it. Or you can, always go back later and change it. Or you can, when you create the character, bank him for a when you create the character, bank him for a later story if he does not fit your needs once you later story if he does not fit your needs once you get started. In writing as in life, nothing you do is get started. In writing as in life, nothing you do is ever wasted. ever wasted.

Your character wants something. If he is like Your character wants something. If he is like most people, he wants several things, and about most people, he wants several things, and about the time you allow yourself to start discovering the time you allow yourself to start discovering them, you will begin to find out where your story them, you will begin to find out where your story is going, and what it will be about. is going, and what it will be about.

How to create a characterHow to create a character

He also wants to He also wants to avoidavoid something and these something and these things the character wants to avoid can be more things the character wants to avoid can be more difficult to overcome by far than the things he difficult to overcome by far than the things he hopes to gain. What scares him to death? hopes to gain. What scares him to death? Humiliation, disfigurement, pain, terminal illness, Humiliation, disfigurement, pain, terminal illness, poverty? What will he do anything to avoid? What poverty? What will he do anything to avoid? What has he already done to avoid his greatest fears? has he already done to avoid his greatest fears? Give him something that will wake him up in a Give him something that will wake him up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, hands cold sweat in the middle of the night, hands clutching his covers, body rigid with terror. If you clutching his covers, body rigid with terror. If you want to really make your character come to life, want to really make your character come to life, choose something that terrifies you -- you'll find choose something that terrifies you -- you'll find that when you write something that makes you that when you write something that makes you shake, you'll make your reader shake, too. shake, you'll make your reader shake, too.

How to create a characterHow to create a character

A rule of good storytelling is that the protagonist A rule of good storytelling is that the protagonist will confront the thing he fears the most and will confront the thing he fears the most and overcome it in order to win the thing he desires overcome it in order to win the thing he desires the most. This isn't a hard-and-fast rule, and for the most. This isn't a hard-and-fast rule, and for every book where the writer followed it, you'll find every book where the writer followed it, you'll find at least one where the writer ignored it at least one where the writer ignored it completely. But overall, the most satisfying completely. But overall, the most satisfying stories will at least approach this rule.stories will at least approach this rule.

How to create a characterHow to create a character

Do empathize with your Do empathize with your character.character.You can only write those things you know (or the You can only write those things you know (or the things you know will be the only things you write things you know will be the only things you write well, anyway.) So when you write the villain, you well, anyway.) So when you write the villain, you have to be the villain. You have to understand have to be the villain. You have to understand why the villain acts as he does, you have to know why the villain acts as he does, you have to know that if you were him in that situation, you would that if you were him in that situation, you would do as he does -- because if you can't do this, no do as he does -- because if you can't do this, no one who reads what you have written will believe one who reads what you have written will believe in the characters you have created. in the characters you have created.