CHAPTER 4: BRING YOUR WORLD AND CHARACTERS TO LIFE
Here you'll be able to learn the elements of:
- A character profile sheet.
- Understanding the character's sympathetic traits.
- Learning to premise.
- Seeing the big idea.
20. A character profile sheet. -
You know the main characters, antagonists
and supporting cast but who are they really? What do they look like? What drives them? Is the main character sympathetic with relatable flaws or a major jerk? The more that is known about the characters, the more readers will care about their story.
21. Understanding the character's sympathetic traits. -
Why do we root for Peter Parker as much as his alter ego, Spiderman? Because we feel for Peter and want him to succeed. He’s a geeky college student behind one of the most powerful superheroes in the world— but he can’t afford to buy a simple sandwich, is always losing his job, and is awkward around certain people. Some of us can relate. Your main character can’t be all hardcore gangster, like Joe Pesci in Good Fellas. The character needs a redeeming quality to get the reader on his team, even if your protagonist is the bad guy.
22. Learning to premise. -
The Nature of Conflict. Character. The Underside of Your Characters. Strengths and Weaknesses. Narration. POV. Voice. Tense. Chapters. Transitions. First and Last Chapters. Creating scenes. Processes. Setting. Language. Narrative. voice. Speech (dialogue). The Senses.
23. Seeing the big idea. -
Plot. Character. Narration. Irony. The Fictional World. The Intellectual World. Chapters. Research. Psychology of Creativity. The Ethics of Writing. Writing, Rewriting, Editing. Publishing. Final Thoughts.