Recap:

In the last writing post, the setting section of working on your craft came to a close. I hope everyone enjoyed it and gained some new insights. The Historical setting was a fun one to end on, for me, at least. Last week you got a run down of my progress on my works, what to expect this month, and a recap of the previous month’s content. If you missed it, don’t forget to go back to the June Newsletter! Now, let’s dive into a favorite topic of blogs, writing books, and writing conferences, character.

What Are Characters More Than Just People in Your Story?

In recent years, there has been a growing trend in fiction towards character-driven stories. This means that the characters are the focus of the story, and the plot is driven by their actions and motivations.

But what makes a character-driven story? What are the elements that make characters so compelling?

Before we get into how to write character driven stories, we will explore the aspects of character development and how you can create characters that are memorable and engaging.

What Are the Aspects of Character?

There are many aspects of character development, but some of the most important include:

• Personality: A character’s personality is the defining traits that make them stand out from the crowd. These traits can be positive or negative, but they should be consistent throughout the story.
• Experience (Backstory): Everyone has a story, and the story is how they came to be who they are now. Remembering that your character had a life before the story begins will help you create characters that feel real and believable.
• Actions: The actions they take define a character, just as they do for us in real life. Without understanding what actions your character would take, you have yet to round out your character.
• Motive: A character can’t take action without motive. Even the slightest motives can drive the largest actions, and vice versa. Your character’s motive develops from all the above factors, but there are different factors that change a person in an instant.

How Can the Study of Character Help Your Craft?

There are many ways to study the craft of character creation. One way is to follow along with these blog posts, which will offer a unique perspective on character creation based on my experience reading, researching, and writing books. I do not promise a wholly unique character creation process, but I do hope to offer you new insights that will help you create more complex and memorable characters.

Here are some specific ways you can study the craft of character creation:

• Read books and articles about character creation.
• Analyze the characters in your favorite books and movies.
• Take a creative writing class or workshop that focuses on character development.
• Experiment with different character creation exercises.
• Get feedback from other writers on your characters.

The most important thing is to practice, practice, practice! The more you write, the better you will become at creating believable and engaging characters.

Conclusion

Characters are the heart of any good story. They are what make us care about what happens next. If you want to write compelling fiction, you need to take the time to develop your characters. Study your favorite stories and find the ones where the characters are the main reason you love them. For example, some of my favorite characters are Kelsier and Sazed from The Final Empire, Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows, and Falcio val Mond from Traitor’s Blade.

By following the tips in this blog post, you can create characters that are memorable, engaging, and relatable. So get started today and start crafting your own unforgettable characters!

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