Good writing advice
The Teacher’s Blackboard Ó2006
By
Karen Newcomb
A column for teachers with tools to help their students understand the writing process.
To round out the three-dimensional character they have to have an emotional side.
LESSON FIVE: PART THREE: Developing character traits
- Does the character have a best friend?
- What attracts them to that best friend?
- Does the best friend have traits that are opposite the main character?
- What are the character’s dislikes and pet peeves?
- Does the character have any secret desires?
- What is it that makes them happy?
- Does the character have any phobias?
- Is the character friendly and outgoing?
- Is the character shy and introverted?
- Does the character have any kind of talent or abilities?
- Is the character smart?
- What kind of music does the character like?
- What is the characters favorite color? And why.
- What kind of humor does the character have?
- Does the character have any ambition in life?
- Does the character have any favorite hobbies?
- How does the character like to dress? At home attire? At work or school attire?
- What are the character’s strongest and weakest character traits?
- Does the character have any enemies?
- What is the character’s philosophy of life?
- Is the character educated? In what?
- What is the most important thing that sets them apart from the sub characters in the story?
- How does the character relate to others? At home? At school or work?
- Why will a reader remember this character?
You may have to go back into the character’s childhood memories to decide why they are the way they are emotionally. Of course if they are children characters this is when their personalities begin. But something will trigger them emotionally to make them the way they are.
Think of characters in books you’ve read and I’ll bet the names you recall were characters with strong traits that you’ll never forget. For me Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With The Wind is the strongest character I’ve ever read. Stubborn, pig headed, yet strong in determination when it came to her beloved
Tara plantation and especially to her family and those she thought she cared about. This was one imperfect character! She played beautifully against Melanie’s perfections.
Then we have one of my favorite child characters Tom Sawyer. Tom is growing up and his selection of friends seems wide and varied. And, those friends he associates with influences the types of scrapes he gets himself into.
Every main character should have a dominant and a secondary character trait. For instance, they may have a dominant trait of confidence in everything they do, but a secondary trait is that inside they are unsure of themselves.
Assignment:
Using the character name you selected give him/her their personality by answering the character questions. Once you start building the character, their personalities and traits should blossom. Students should have fun doing this.
Using the books you’ve selected see if you can pick out the main character’s traits from the questions. Not all questions will be answered of course, but the characters you love to read about do come to life to readers. You now have the tools to understand why.
Next month I’ll talk about voice, getting into the consciousness of the character.
This information is courtesy of The Booksite
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