A Creativity Tool At any point when you create your story, you will come to places where you need to do some brainstorming. It could be at the beginning when an idea first begins to germinate. You’ll need to choose your characters, their profession, the goals, conflicts, and more. Or maybe it’ll be in the […]
Writing Lesson 24 – Unique Character Voices
February 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Today we’ll focus on your character’s speech and mannerisms. In past lessons, we’ve discussed external and internal goals, core values and conflicts, physical details, and personality traits. Another layer in a character’s personality is speech. Each layer adds depth and makes your reader feel as if they know this person. Readers sometimes see themselves in […]
Writing Lesson 19 – Conflict of Values
January 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Creating Unforgettable Characters, Part 4 In my last post we explored Internal and External Goals. Each of us has things we value. It makes us ‘tick.’ We don’t always recognize, though, what our values or goals are. We roll on in life doing what we believe is right and never stop to ask why we act the way […]
Writing Lesson 16 – Picking Ripe Characters
December 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Stories Start on the Brink of Change When you’re thinking about the characters for your story, choose ripe characters. Concoct a man who is on the brink of a choice. Or a woman who must make a moral decision, say between saving her job or exposing a lie. A ripe character stands on the precipice […]
Writing Lesson 13 – Digging for Goals
November 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Creating Unforgettable Characters, Part 3 Dig up a goal to motivate your characters into action. They will have depth and your story will come alive. Delve into each character’s personality and ask about the hidden fears, secrets, and the values. Find out what makes them tick. Interview the characters you’ve created. Ask about their external […]
