CharacterNice to meet ya!

To Develop or Not to Develop ROUND or DYNAMIC vs. FLAT or STATIC

Character Development: A Checklist for Success

Desire: lots of it

Consistency, yet…

…Contrasting Traits and… (cont.)

…Ability to Change

Origins

Character Development: The Nuts and Bolts

The BEST WAY to develop characters is to let traits unfold NATURALLY through ACTION, DIALOGUE, or THOUGHTS

For characters, always try to avoid long passages of DESCRIPTION, even for APPEARANCE

Consider interesting NAMES or NICKNAMES

Show Not Tell: Names

Faustina O’Brienthe Baedecker girlsMr. Albrucksburger Miss HaagArdita Fitz-PetersMr. P. JewettMiss Claudia HipYoung Goodman Brown

Nicholas NicklebyWackford SqueersSir Mulberry HawkMiss SnevellicciHumbert HumbertAntonopoulisNicknames: Singer, Machine, Toast, etc.

References Gotham Writers’ Workshop

Writing Fiction: The Practical Guide from New York’s Acclaimed Creative Writing School

Janet Burroway Imaginative Writing: The Elements of Craft

Journal: Pick one of the following and write….