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Around the Bloc
April 2009 Edition
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1. The Editors' Notepad
2. Featured Poem by Judi Weiss
3. Featured Article- Debra Weiss
4. Character Tips from the Group
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Psalm 90:9a
… we spend our years as a tale that is told.
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1. Editors' Notepad
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Creating characters is always a challenge… you have to overcome stereotypes and cookie-cutter clichés that make a character seem lifeless. In your fingers you have the descriptive power to turn words into a breathing personality that speaks directly into the reader’s ear. This newsletter edition is full of writing tips to sculpt and create a truly unforgettable character.
Enjoy!
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-Debra Weiss, Contributing Editor
Contact information: thewritersblocgroup@yahoo.com
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2. Poem by Judi Weiss
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Let’s name him Edward
No, let’s name him Bob
And he’ll be a neat freak
No, wait, he’ll be a slob
Let’s name her Katrina
Oh, wait, let’s name her Sue
And she’ll be a lawyer
Ah, that will never do
Let’s give him a sweater
Let’s give him a coat
Let’s let him live in a castle
Complete with a moat
Let’s give her blue eyes
No, let’s make them green
Let’s make her hard to understand
Only writers know what I mean
Let’s make it a love story
Wait, it’s always better scary
So let’s make him skinny
And let’s make her really hairy
Let’s make them mean
No, let’s make them sweet
Let’s give him glasses
Let’s give her huge feet
Let’s make him wear a baseball hat
Let’s give her eyes that shine
Let’s make him a smooth talker
Who never ever rhymes!
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3. Featured Article- Debra Weiss
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Creating Realistic Characters
When creating characters, it is important to remember that your readers want to identify with people like themselves. They want to read about realistic characters. While this expectation for realism doesn’t mean that all of your characters must be based off of real-life people, it does mean that that all of your characters must have a few things in common:
Flaws. All of your characters must be flawed in some way. The problem with perfect characters is that there is no conflict, and it’s certainly difficult to have a viable plot line when the character and the world that he/she lives in is perfect! Give each main character at least one major flaw that they must overcome before the story’s end.
For the sake of this article, let’s create a character. Maybe a geeky teenage hero named Toby. Toby’s flaw will be fear. He’s too afraid to step outside of his small world to experience new things. But Toby is going to have to change through the course of the story and overcome his fear.
You can even give a character a reason for the flaw. For instance, what if Toby’s dad died while riding a motorcycle? What if his dad had been a daredevil? Toby believes that had his dad chosen to live a quieter lifestyle, his father would still be alive.
Adding a reason for the flaw deepens the character and allows readers not only to sympathize with Toby but to root for him as well.
Good Qualities. When giving Toby flaws, we also want to add some good qualities. In fact, one teen writer told me she thinks of qualities she’d like to develop in her own life, and then uses those qualities in her character.
Let’s see, we’re going to make Toby reliable. If he gives you his word, he will keep it. Sometimes this means Toby will get taken advantage of because he’s too weak to stand up for himself.
For one reason or another, he never fits in with his peers. This lack of human companionship and acceptance has made him sensitive to others’ needs. He’s probably a kind, helpful person….the kind of guy that would walk a girl home at night. The kind of guy that would put others before himself. This gives us the quality of self-sacrificing.
Details. Now that we’ve gotten the major points of Toby’s character sketched out, let’s give some details that will add life to this sketch. Remember, it’s the little things that can make a huge difference (from the way your character talks to the way they dress).
Toby’s true passion will be photography. He’s the perfect type of guy to be a photographer, simply because other people don’t notice him. People notice the camera but not the guy behind it. We’re also going to give him an obsession with vanilla ice cream (maybe that’s what he compares himself to). Perhaps Toby thinks the other flavors are too bold or maybe he’s one of those people who doesn’t enjoy chocolate.
Family and Friends. Next we need to layer in Toby’s family and friends. His mom is a single parent, struggling to pay the mortgage every month and probably doesn’t pay enough attention to Toby simply because he’s not a demanding child. Then we will give him a younger sister, probably around ten and since his mom works all day, it will be his responsibility to look after her.
We could keep going until we’ve given Toby a myriad of habits, phobias, obsessions, hobbies, favorites– and all these things add up to create a realistic character.
However, you should know that there isn’t a perfect ‘formula’ for creating a character. Each writer goes about it differently. The way we created Toby was just one way to do it. Some writers start with the good qualities then add flaws. Some write entire biographies on their characters before ever typing the words ‘chapter one’.
Whatever method you choose, however you go about it, add multiple layers to your characters to make them realistic and you can’t go wrong.
Debra Weiss, editor of Today’s Teen Writer, is a freelance writer living on the East Coast. When she’s not writing or editing, she can usually be found at her website (http://debra-weiss.blogspot.com).
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5. Character Tips from the Writer’s Bloc Group
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“I like to imagine what is going to be the characters biggest challenge.That's how I figure out everything about my characters. Is their biggest challenge walking the dog, speaking in front of people, or just sitting down and relaxing?”
-Jamin
“Every time I create a character, I usually have the character stuck in my mind for weeks, and eventually find out physical details (how they would react to
certain situations, their personalities, etc). My characters always seem turn out a little differently than I had originally planned. Choosing a name for
my character is actually one of the last things I do, and most of them are loosely based off of people I know. I think characters are my favorite part of
creating stories!”
-Arianna
“Keep a ‘Character Notebook’ on hand. Notice any particular or distinguishing feature on someone's face? Write it down! You never know when that will come in handy. Names are hard... however, using a search engine, look baby names. From there, you can pick out names from a long list. For last names, try your phone directory. Or, have fun and make up one of your own (just be sure that it sounds familiar enough for your reader to be able to pronounce). Also, every time you write a description about your character, save it in a separate file! Trust me, midway through your story you'll forget if you gave your character blue eyes or green eyes, dark hair or light, one earring or two, etc!”
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“I don't base characters off of people intentionally. The characters usually come to me out of nowhere. The characters come to me and whisper a line or two (usually the first sentence), and I feel compelled to write their stories. Somewhere in the middle of writing the story, I get to know the character better and we usually become pretty decent friends. It is the ‘becoming friends’ process that is difficult for me. I know so very little about them when I first start (usually only a name) that sometimes I send them in a direction they don't want to go in. Then we fight and argue and eventually, make up only to go through this a few more times before we finally *know* each other.”
-Debbie Weiss
“My characters come from watching people. I'll go out with a specific plot in mind and pick out characters from everywhere... Wal-Mart, church, the bank… I study people, listen for accents, and watch their facial expressions.”
-Judi
“Character description for me is first all about what they wear. Hoodies or jackets? Sneakers or sandals? Short-sleeved or long-sleeved shirts? Eventually I know what kind of personality my character will have from the clothes they like to wear.”
-Ashley
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