Elements of FictionFocus onCHARACTER1Enhancing Your UnderstandingThere is no story without a character. 1Identify the Characters 2Focus onDevelopment 3Discover Their Purpose 2Identify The CharacterWho and What 1 3The Antagonist

Its WHO is AGAINST the Protagonist.

Usually bad, but NOT always.

The Protagonist

Its WHO the story is all about.

Usually good, but NOT always.Major Categories of Characters

4The ROLES They PlayRound vs. Flat 2Focus On DevelopmentDiscovering the Character 7

Its not just about the telling a story, its aboutSHOWING IT8And I dont play the dozens or believe in standing around with somebody in my face doing a lot of talking. I much rather just knock you down and take my chances even if Im a little girl with skinny arms and a squeaky voice, which is how I got the name Squeaky. From Raymonds Run by T. BambaraDirectCharacterization

9The old man bowed to all of us in the room. Then he removed his hat and gloves, slowly and carefully. Chaplin once did that in a picture, in a bank--he was the janitor.From Gentleman of Rio en Medio by J. SedilloIndirectCharacterization

From Ernest Hemingway's stories, I learned to listen within my stories for what went unsaid by my characters.Nadine GordimerSaying it without saying itHow the character speaks

What the character thinks

How the character actsHow the character reacts

How others react to the character

What others say about the character

3Discover Their PurposeWhy bother with characters at all? 18Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way.Les BrownMOTIVATION

19Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.Tennessee Williams

RELATIONSHIPS

20I try to take every conflict, every experience, and learn from it. Life is never dull.Oprah WinfreyCONFLICT

21Fountain GeyserWant to jump to a bookmark in your video?

Hover over the video and youll be pleasantly surprised.

Did we mention you can add bookmarks, include fades, and trim your videos now?

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Whats Your Message?

FOCUS ON FICTION23