Character Development: Creative Thinking and Writing

Character Development: Character Development: Creative Thinking and WritingCreative Thinking and Writing

PlotPlot SettingSetting CharacterCharacter Point of ViewPoint of View ThemeTheme

Elements of fiction Elements of fiction

““The series of events in the story, The series of events in the story, chronological or not, which serve to chronological or not, which serve to move the story from its beginning move the story from its beginning through its climax or turning point through its climax or turning point and to a resolution of its conflicts”and to a resolution of its conflicts”

(Schaefer 2010).(Schaefer 2010).

The plotThe plot

Foreshadowing: Foreshadowing: used as a way to create used as a way to create tension and rising conflict and to move the tension and rising conflict and to move the story closer to its eventual outcome. It gives story closer to its eventual outcome. It gives hints about what may eventually hints about what may eventually occur or be occur or be decided.decided.

Stream of Consciousness: Stream of Consciousness: The author The author provides the protagonist’s thoughts through provides the protagonist’s thoughts through interior monologues throughout the course of interior monologues throughout the course of the story. These thoughts do not have to be the story. These thoughts do not have to be sequential or linear, and they allow the reader sequential or linear, and they allow the reader to experience both externalaction and internal to experience both externalaction and internal thoughts and feelings about the action in the thoughts and feelings about the action in the storystory

Elements of a plotElements of a plot

Can you determine the setting:Can you determine the setting:

His wide-brimmed. Stetson pulled down to His wide-brimmed. Stetson pulled down to cast his face in a shadow, the sheriff rode cast his face in a shadow, the sheriff rode slowly down the dusty main street. Sunlight slowly down the dusty main street. Sunlight sparkled on his silver spurs and on the handle sparkled on his silver spurs and on the handle of his rarely used revolver which hung causally of his rarely used revolver which hung causally by his right side. Stretching his long frame, he by his right side. Stretching his long frame, he dismounted outside the saloon. The town clock dismounted outside the saloon. The town clock began to chime twelve times in the distance. He began to chime twelve times in the distance. He took a long calming breath and pushed through took a long calming breath and pushed through

the saloon doorthe saloon doors. s.

SETTING PRACTICESETTING PRACTICE

Characters are the most important Characters are the most important component of any narrative. Without component of any narrative. Without them, there would be no story. them, there would be no story.

Character development is an important skill Character development is an important skill to master because characters are important to master because characters are important parts of any creative writing from books and parts of any creative writing from books and short stories, from biographies and short stories, from biographies and autobiographies, to poetry.autobiographies, to poetry.

OVERVIEWOVERVIEW of character development of character development ……

You should consider many factors when introducing a character to readers. All of the kinds of details mentioned below are necessary to fully develop a character because each of them reveals a different part of the characters appearance or personality and gives background about that characters traits..

Character developmentCharacter development

Physical Details about the character: Is he/she Physical Details about the character: Is he/she short, tall, thin, old, etc?short, tall, thin, old, etc?

Physical environment surrounding the character: Physical environment surrounding the character: Is he/she on a desert island, in an urban Is he/she on a desert island, in an urban community, living in the mountains, etc?community, living in the mountains, etc?

The other characters surrounding the character: The other characters surrounding the character: What kinds of people does the What kinds of people does the character character associate with?associate with?


The things that the character does: Does he/she The things that the character does: Does he/she go to school, fly an airplane, eat pizza every go to school, fly an airplane, eat pizza every night for dinner, etc?night for dinner, etc?

The things that the character says or thinks: The things that the character says or thinks: These things reveal the character is feelings and These things reveal the character is feelings and opinions about things.opinions about things.


Direct: author describes a character’s Direct: author describes a character’s appearance, personality, or feelings. appearance, personality, or feelings. ((A) Physical appearance and personalityA) Physical appearance and personality

(B) Speech, behavior, and actions(B) Speech, behavior, and actions

Indirect:t he author will leave clues Indirect:t he author will leave clues and expect you to draw conclusions and expect you to draw conclusions about what the person or animal is about what the person or animal is like. like. (A)Thoughts and feelings(A)Thoughts and feelings

(B)Interactions with other characters (B)Interactions with other characters

Characterization Characterization

Direct: author describes a character’s Direct: author describes a character’s appearance, personality, or feelings. appearance, personality, or feelings.

((A) Physical appearance and personalityA) Physical appearance and personality

(B) Speech, behavior, and actions(B) Speech, behavior, and actions

Indirect: the author will leave clues and Indirect: the author will leave clues and expect you to draw conclusions about expect you to draw conclusions about what the person or animal is like. what the person or animal is like.

(A)Thoughts and feelings(A)Thoughts and feelings

(B)Interactions with other characters (B)Interactions with other characters

Direct Characterization Direct Characterization

Protagonist: The central character Protagonist: The central character on whom the story focuses and on whom the story focuses and with whom we with whom we identify. A story could identify. A story could have more than one protagonist.have more than one protagonist.

Antagonists: The characters Antagonists: The characters aligned against the central aligned against the central character. They can be character. They can be internal or internal or external.external.

Flat characters: Extra characters Flat characters: Extra characters whose purpose is to highlight what whose purpose is to highlight what the the protagonist is experiencing.protagonist is experiencing.

Types of charactersTypes of characters

Round characters: These characters Round characters: These characters are complex and three-dimensional; are complex and three-dimensional; they are they are included to help the reader included to help the reader understand the scene in a way that understand the scene in a way that advances the action.advances the action.

Stock characters: Characters who are Stock characters: Characters who are so obvious and predictable that their so obvious and predictable that their roles roles and personalities are clichés. and personalities are clichés. Stories should not be too full of these Stories should not be too full of these characters or else they will be boring.characters or else they will be boring.

Types of charactersTypes of characters

Setting: where & when of a Setting: where & when of a story. story.

Setting includes:Setting includes: TimeTime LocationLocation CircumstanceCircumstance

Understanding a story’s setting can give Understanding a story’s setting can give you a context for the events of the plot. you a context for the events of the plot.

SETTING SETTING

Time (High Noon)Time (High Noon) Location (the Wild West)Location (the Wild West) Circumstance (Sheriff entering a Circumstance (Sheriff entering a

saloon)saloon)

PREDICT: What is going to PREDICT: What is going to happen?happen?


Time (Midnight)Time (Midnight) Location (A graveyard)Location (A graveyard) Circumstance (A student is Circumstance (A student is

sleeping next to a tombstone)xsleeping next to a tombstone)x

PREDICT: What is going to PREDICT: What is going to happen?happen?


Most stories follow the same basic Most stories follow the same basic sequence of events, and as the sequence of events, and as the character moves through these character moves through these events he/she grows and develops.events he/she grows and develops.

EventsEvents

Rising Action: Rising Action: Everything that leads up to the Everything that leads up to the climaxclimax

Climax/Turning Point: Climax/Turning Point: The point at which the The point at which the protagonist decides how to resolve protagonist decides how to resolve a a conflict or conflict or faces those conflicts. At this point the story moves faces those conflicts. At this point the story moves from building conflict to resolving conflict. It IS from building conflict to resolving conflict. It IS NOT necessarily the most exciting part of the story, NOT necessarily the most exciting part of the story, but often but often times it is.times it is.

Sequence of eventsSequence of events

Falling Action: Falling Action: Everything that Everything that happens as a result of the climax.happens as a result of the climax.

Resolution/Denouncement: Resolution/Denouncement: The The part of the story that sums up or part of the story that sums up or brings brings the the conflicts to their conflicts to their conclusion. It should be believable, conclusion. It should be believable, and not a huge surprise, because and not a huge surprise, because the plot should have been building the plot should have been building up to that point.up to that point.

Sequence of eventsSequence of events

Points of viewPoints of view

First-person Point of View: the story is told First-person Point of View: the story is told by one of the characters. by one of the characters.

The character uses pronouns such as The character uses pronouns such as I or we and I or we and usually participates in much of the action. usually participates in much of the action.

Second-person Point of View: story is told Second-person Point of View: story is told using using you. Very rare in fiction.you. Very rare in fiction.

Third-person Point of View: story is told by a Third-person Point of View: story is told by a narrator who is not a character in the story. narrator who is not a character in the story.

Pronouns such as Pronouns such as she, he, and they are used she, he, and they are used

ThemesThemes

Theme: writer’s message or main point Theme: writer’s message or main point about lifeabout life

All elements of a story (plot, character, setting) All elements of a story (plot, character, setting) work work together to develop theme. together to develop theme.

Can be inferred from the work’s title, key Can be inferred from the work’s title, key dialogue, dialogue, characters, and major plot events. characters, and major plot events.

Ask yourself: Ask yourself: 11 What is the story really about?What is the story really about?22 What is the lesson I can draw from this story?What is the lesson I can draw from this story?

33 What inferences can I draw from what the author is What inferences can I draw from what the author is saying?saying?

SummarizationSummarization

Have a Protagonist and an AntagonistHave a Protagonist and an Antagonist Use proper settings and plot linesUse proper settings and plot lines Utilize proper grammar and language Utilize proper grammar and language

skillsskills Demonstrate your knowledge of Demonstrate your knowledge of

characters, use of setting, and plotcharacters, use of setting, and plot Be able to back up your character Be able to back up your character

choice if requestedchoice if requested

CRITIQUE THIS SHORT CRITIQUE THIS SHORT FILMFILM

Look at the elements that make up Look at the elements that make up this film.this film.

1.1.SettingSetting

2.2.PlotPlot

3.3.CharactersCharacters

4.4.ConflictConflict

5.5.ThemeTheme

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Character Development: Creative Thinking and Writing