Tip on building fictional characters
When authors talk about their characters, they often say that the characters cut themselves off from the author and take a life of their own. Some say that the characters become independent to such an extent that they begin to manipulate the plot as well. It sounds weird, and I guess it is.
To people, it [...]
Active & Passive Character Motivation
What motivates my characters? That is a question you will need to ask yourself before and during your writing. Yeah, it’s an important question. I’m in no mood to waste your time (sometimes I just might). Okay, what Motivation gives your fiction what the wind gives to the windmill: Action. Action is excitement, it thrills [...]
Character Sketch
Here is a list of what all you will need to include in your character sketch -
• Character name, age, gender
• Appearance
(Face, hair, weight, height, structure, features, skin color)
• Physical and personal strengths and weaknesses
(Body type, hair, eyes, facial features, dress, posture, movements, mannerisms, speech)
Creating characters
Yossarian; David Copperfield; Stevens, the Butler; Scarlett O’Hara; Heathcliff; you remember them all. They don’t exist in real life, still you see them in your head as clearly as your neighbor. That’s queer, that’s magic. To create such magic, you need to know the tricks, the technique and then you can effortlessly pop out real [...]
Unconvincing characters
I won’t mince words. Characters are the single-most important aspect of fiction writing. But that doesn’t mean that other parts (plot, narration, theme, tone, pace etc.) are not important. It’s just that your readers are most likely to remember your work through your characters. Weak and unconvincing characters will, without fail, help to crash your [...]
How to create powerful characters
Create History
Characters make a story what people make the world. They breathe life into an otherwise insipid environment. Powerful characters are always real, sometimes so real that you remember them as real people. How do you create such characters? What qualities should a character possess? That is no new question. It bounces in every [...]
How to Create Memorable Characters
Characters are the lifeline of a story. Through them, the author progresses the plot and rouses the emotions of the readers. What we remember after reading a story are its characters. Macbeth, Jane Eyre, David Copperfield, Odysseus, Penelope, Scarlet O’Hara, Othello, Maggie are still remembered because they have a personality of their own. They seem [...]
