Why is it important to create active characters? The writing world likes to talk a lot about Strong Female Characters. These conversations have gotten me thinking about strong characters in general, regardless of gender, age, or abilities. What attributes define a strong character? After much thought, I’ve concluded that, in general, a strong character is one who is Active.
Read MoreOne technique I use to help me create realistic characters with distinct personalities is to write letters from my characters. It helps me discover the character’s voice, as well as the intimate details about their inner life—their goals, motivations, and fears—that can be hard to discover with character profiles and worksheets alone.
Read MoreCreating realistic characters that are multi-dimensional involves knowing as much about them as possible. That includes knowing what they lie about, who they lie to, and why. Knowing these details about your characters will help give them authentic, well-rounded personalities.
Read MoreWe all want to create vibrant, lively, realistic characters with personality that leaps from the page. We want our characters well-rounded and interesting. We want our characters to each have their own “voice.” All of that is important, yet none of it guarantees our readers will care about our characters.
Read MoreWriting a book with a large ensemble cast of characters gives a writer many opportunities to create memorable, unique, and varied characters readers will love. But if the characters are not sufficiently distinct, the result can be confusing for the reader and distract from an otherwise good story.
Read MoreDramatic irony, one of three forms of literary irony, occurs when the reader or viewer has information that the characters do not have. It can be used to great effect in fiction, plays, and movies to create tension, suspense, empathy, or even humor.
Read MoreCreating characters that are multi-dimensional involves knowing as much about them as possible. That includes knowing your characters’ secrets, and who they are keeping them from. All people keep secrets, and knowing your characters’ secrets will help you make them more well-rounded and add layers to their personalities.
Read MoreCreating a character requires that a writer pay attention to the details they share. Describing a long list of traits will not necessarily create a character that is memorable or vivid. A few carefully chosen details can be much more effective.
Read MoreCreating interesting and memorable characters—especially main characters—can be the most thrilling part of writing. When you create a fascinating character, it's sometimes difficult to find ways to show all of the traits that make your character so special. One way to be sure that your character's strengths and weaknesses are vivid and unmistakable is to match your character with a foil.
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