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Creating a character outline

If you want to create a character from scratch, you could start by -  a) thinking of someone from your past who still sticks out in your mind. Write down what made the person interesting.   b) turning an inanimate object into a character. Look around your home for possibilities. Think about how common this is in Disney movies (talking teapots, etc) or films such as Night At The Museum, a fossilized T-Rex acting like a dog, a bust of Teddy Roosevelt becoming Roosevelt himself.

c) start with something simple such as, “a friend about to go on a road trip with me” or “that friend I had in elementary school who moved away but showed up today” or “that person who helped me at (fill in the store) seemed really interesting; let’s build a character from him/her.

-it can be, “a new neighbor,” it can be, “the sister I always wanted,” anything-just create the outline of a person.

Developing your character

Once you have an outline, you need to develop your character into a well-rounded person, quirky habits and all. The following are exercises that work.

1.Write ten 'factual' statements about your character, then ten lies, then ten odd/bizarre statements. 

The 'lies' work as a stepping-stone to finding the odd habits that make your character unique.

Here's an example:

Truths: He's tall He likes gardening  His mother is Irish  He works as a driver He's generous  He's a good father  He's fun to go out partying with  He drinks too much  He lost his driving license He has a dog

Lies: He's ugly He bites his nails He's a good listener He has lots of friends He's overweight Appearance doesn't matter to him He drives a BMW He's having counseling He never wanted children He plays golf

Bizarre: His partner sings him lullabies at night He rides a sparkly-pink Harley Davidson He collects seashells He buys heather from gypsies He lives in a caravan by the sea He only has a bath when there's an R in the month He wears shorts in winter He washes his hair in beer His dog sleeps in his bed and vice versa He only eats fish that he thinks are unattractive.

2. Write a back-story - very important

Your character should have a back-story, because this can help you decide how s/he might behave in present situations. Here are some questions to answer about your character:

Background: Gender Race Social class How many siblings Parents' relationship Neighbourhood Health/disability Religion Level of education IQ Special abilities

Present circumstances: Age Marital status How many (if any) children Sexuality Political views Appearance Habits Fears/ phobias What s/he gets upset about What s/he gets excited about What s/he really dislikes in other people What s/he admires in others

3. Give your character a few contradictory traits.

No-one is ever that straightforward. For example, all these traits could easily exist in one person:

a zen-like peacefulness but when finally angered erupts.

incredibly generous...except when it comes to sharing chocolate.

admires ants but hates spiders.

praises artists(musicians, painters, dancers, etc) as vital to having cultured society but would never let his/her daughter/son date one.

 

4. If your character were an animal, which one would s/he be, and why?

Do the same exercise for: a piece of music food  a building.

5. In which ways would your character behave differently when interacting with -

mother boss friend neighbour  lover and so on

6. Write a short scene or a poem in your character's voice. Create a situation for your character: she/he walks into a diner after being in the road for ten hours. Or, he/she wakes up on his/her wedding day thinking, “I can’t do this.” Or, she/he is holding a yard sale but ends up just giving away each item a person asks about. Or,...any situation your mind comes up with! Take that character you‘ve just rested and drop her/him somewhere, into the middle of something, see what she/he does and let them tell us about it. This is a short scene only; don’t worry about a story, don’t worry about rising action, climax, resolution...if it goes that way, great, but it does not have to. It’s a scene, it’s “painting a portrait.” Let your character be the voice of it, and really try to let him or her go where he/she wants to go. Don’t force it. Listen to them. Perhaps you will do more with this character next week. Perhaps you’ll shift instead to another character that briefly pops up here. Or you’ll become interested in the setting and revisit it in another assignment. This is about character development and learning to trust the process. This scene should be TWO FULL PAGES. If writing a poem (and one can look at it as part of a poem; this, like the scene, does not have to be complete), write at least thirty lines and no more than fifty.