The Writer's Journey: Character Creation

Which character will be your star? How about all of them! 

When we talk about 'Percy Jackson & The Olympians,' 'The Hunger Games,' or even 'A Series of Unfortunate Events,' these stories are not just exciting; these stories are about the characters. Great character development draws readers in by giving them strong personalities with whom they can identify. When you, the writer, don't have a clear sense of your characters, what and who they value, or even what they are afraid of, your reader will be unable to appreciate the events in your story. If this happens, then your story will have no impact on the readers.

In this class, students will start from the very beginning of character development. We will study stories and look at the characters of these stories. By the end of the class, students will have created an original protagonist and original antagonist - knowing what the characters look like, how they act, their background, and much more.

Pre-Frist Week: 
Students should choose a book with a character they loved. This character does not have to be the protagonist. They should also choose a book with a character they dislike. They do not have to be in the same book. There will be a worksheet that they should fill out before the first class.

Week One - What is Character Development:
To intrigue a reader, writers not only need a great story, but they also need to have great characters. This week, we will learn what character development is and how it can influence your story. We will take a look at the stories we have read. We will talk about the character(s) we love and the one(s) that made us put the book down and refuse to finish it. We will go over the worksheet the students completed. 

Homework: Each student will start to create their protagonist and antagonist. If the student doesn't have a story idea, I will present them with a particular situation, and they will create two characters for that situation. What do they look like physically?

Week Two - Types of Characters:
Where do we get character ideas? In this class, we will discuss the four places we can get character ideas. Also, students will learn the different types of characters to write. We will have an introduction to archetypes that we can use for our character(s). We will also discuss the homework from week one.

Homework: Students will choose a single central archetype that they will use for their protagonist and antagonist. 

Week Three - Getting to Know Your Character: 
What's in a name? Depending on your story, a lot. In this class, students will learn the importance of choosing a name for their characters. We will talk about some names in stories we have read. We know where we get our characters, we know their primary archetype (and maybe some sub-archetypes), and we may even know what they look like and their name, but who are they really? For the last part of this class, students will do interviews as one of their characters. I will supply some questions that the interviewer can choose.  

Homework: Have a family member, friend, or someone you know interview your other character. Record the interview.

Week Four - The Backstory:
What is a backstory? Yes, we are creating characters for our story, but we also need to know the backstory of our characters. This week we cover why creating a backstory for your character(s) is essential and how their backstories will influence the overall novel. 

Homework: Students will finish the backstories for their protagonist and antagonist.	

Week Five - Point of View (POV):
In this class, we will go over what Point of View is and why what POV you choose may influence your character(s). We will also talk about trying various POVs for your characters to see which one works best.

Homework: Write a short scene where your two characters interact. Then choose another POV and rewrite the same scene. This scene does not have to be a part of the story you are writing.  

Week Six - Putting It All Together:
During our final week, students will present their complete Protagonist and Antagonist to the class.