Your Tip of the Week will be Character Plot. Many of you are dumbfounded when it comes to naming your characters and encircling a big key role around their parts. Here's your guide on how to;
Bonus Story Ideas: Turning Names into Inspiration
You can use this list to find the right names for your characters. But you can also use it to get ideas for new characters and stories.
Here's how:
1) Pick a name from the list. What mental picture does that name bring to mind?
Different names call up different mental images. If I picture a woman named Gertrude or a woman named Shoshana, I see two very different characters. For example, I imagine a Gertrude being about sixty years old, with short white hair, no makeup, and slightly bulging eyes like a frog's.
Take some notes based on the name you chose. How old might the person be? How does the person wear his or her hair? How does he or she dress? Write down whatever comes to mind -- there are no right or wrong answers.
2) Now, let's get to know this character a little better. Using the same technique -- just jotting down your ideas without worrying if they are right or wrong -- answer the following questions about the name you chose:
• What is this person's occupation? • What type of home does the person have? • Is the person in a relationship? With what kind of partner? What is positive and negative about this relationship? • What is his/her family like? • What does he/she enjoy doing? • What are his/her greatest strengths and weaknesses • What is his/her deepest desire? • What is his/her greatest fear? • What is something the person desperately wants to change about himself or herself? • What is something the person doesn't know about himself or herself?
You can find a more complete character questionnaire on the Creative Writing Now website.
3) Okay, now you have developed a detailed character. Ready to turn your character into a story? Choose one of the story ideas below. The great thing about these prompts is that the stories they inspire will depend completely on the specific character you've created. So you can use them as many times as you like and get a totally different story every time.
• What did you decide was your character's deepest desire? Imagine a situation in which your character has the chance to obtain this desire... but there are terrible obstacles in the way (What obstacles? You decide). • What did you decide was your character's greatest fear? Imagine a situation which forces your character to confront this fear head-on. How does your character react? • What did you decide was your character's greatest strength? Imagine a crisis in which this strength could turn your character into a hero... if only his/her weaknesses don't stop him/her from acting in time. • Imagine a situation in which something your character doesn't know about himself or herself is about to ruin his or her life, unless the character is capable of making drastic changes.
Here's the link where you can find these ongoing names. Enjoy!
Bonus Story Ideas:
Turning Names into Inspiration
You can use this list to find the right names for your characters. But you can also use it to get ideas for new characters and stories.
Here's how:
1) Pick a name from the list. What mental picture does that name bring to mind?
Different names call up different mental images. If I picture a woman named Gertrude or a woman named Shoshana, I see two very different characters. For example, I imagine a Gertrude being about sixty years old, with short white hair, no makeup, and slightly bulging eyes like a frog's.
Take some notes based on the name you chose. How old might the person be? How does the person wear his or her hair? How does he or she dress? Write down whatever comes to mind -- there are no right or wrong answers.
2) Now, let's get to know this character a little better. Using the same technique -- just jotting down your ideas without worrying if they are right or wrong -- answer the following questions about the name you chose:
• What is this person's occupation?
• What type of home does the person have?
• Is the person in a relationship? With what kind of partner? What is positive and negative about this relationship?
• What is his/her family like?
• What does he/she enjoy doing?
• What are his/her greatest strengths and weaknesses
• What is his/her deepest desire?
• What is his/her greatest fear?
• What is something the person desperately wants to change about himself or herself?
• What is something the person doesn't know about himself or herself?
You can find a more complete character questionnaire on the Creative Writing Now website.
3) Okay, now you have developed a detailed character. Ready to turn your character into a story? Choose one of the story ideas below. The great thing about these prompts is that the stories they inspire will depend completely on the specific character you've created. So you can use them as many times as you like and get a totally different story every time.
• What did you decide was your character's deepest desire? Imagine a situation in which your character has the chance to obtain this desire... but there are terrible obstacles in the way (What obstacles? You decide).
• What did you decide was your character's greatest fear? Imagine a situation which forces your character to confront this fear head-on. How does your character react?
• What did you decide was your character's greatest strength? Imagine a crisis in which this strength could turn your character into a hero... if only his/her weaknesses don't stop him/her from acting in time.
• Imagine a situation in which something your character doesn't know about himself or herself is about to ruin his or her life, unless the character is capable of making drastic changes.
Here's the link where you can find these ongoing names. Enjoy!
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&am...