CHARACTERS – Daily Wisdom Words

OUR DAILY WISDOM WORD TODAY IS PROTAGONISTS. AS I MENTIONED AT THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, THERE ARE SOME CHANGES TO THE DAILY WISDOM WORDS POSTS YOU WILL READ. WITH SO MANY AUTHORS BECOMING MEMBERS OF DAILY WISDOM WORDS, WE WILL BE INTEGRATING ARTICLES ABOUT WRITING NOVELS, AND SHORT STORIES, BOTH FICTION AND BIOGRAPHY.

WE WILL FIND OURSELVES FOCUSING TODAY ON PROTAGONISTS. WITH ANYTHING WE DO IN LIFE IF WE WITE AND DEVELOP OUR CHARACTER INSTEAD OF BUILD ON FULL PICTURE WITH AN OUTLINE, IT CAN OVERWHELM US. WHEN WE BREAK THINGS DOWN INTO STEPS, OR GOALS OR PARTS, WE BEGIN TO LOOK AT ONE THING AT A TIME. BEFORE WE KNOW IT, WE HAVE SUCCEEDED IN MASTERING OUR HUGE, OVERWHELMING TASK BECAUSE WE TOOK THE BULL BY THE HORNS ONE STEP AT A TIME. THE SAME IS TRUE IN WRITING NOVELS. IT IS BEST TO START WITH THE BASICS.

A PART OF BEGINNING ANY BOOK IS TO DEVELOP OUR PROTAGONIST. OUR PROTAGONIST IS OUR MAIN CHARACTER, OR WHO OUR BOOK SHALL CENTER ON. WHEN WE DECIDE WE WILL LOSE FIFTY POUNDS OF WEIGHT, WE BREAK THIS WEIGHT LOSS KNOWING THAT WE CAN’T DO THIS OVERNIGHT. YOU WILL PERHAPS CREATE YOUR PROTAGONIST OVERNIGHT, BUT YOU WILL ADD TO THEIR CHARACTER THROUGHOUT THE BOOK YOU ARE WRITING IT IS BEST, JUST AS WITH GOAL SETTING TO BREAK YOUR PROTAGONIST DOWN INTO THE VARIOUS ASPECTS WE WANT THEM TO BE. DO YOU WANT THEM TO BE KIND OR RUTHLESS? DO YOU WANT THEM TO BE GENEROUS OR STINGY? DO YOU DECIDE YOUR PROTAGONIST IS A PASSIVE PERSON OR HAS A FIERY SIDE TO THEIR PERSONALITY? IF YOU WISH TO WRITE GREAT NOVEL, THE CLOSER YOU CAN KEEP YOUR CHARACTERS TO REAL PEOPLE, THE BETTER.

WHEN YOU MEET SOMEONE FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE SECOND AND SO ON, HOW LONG DO THEY TAKE REVEALING THEMSELVES TO YOU? SOMETIMES, SAYING LESS ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER UNVEILING THEIR PERSONALITY OVER TIME WORKS BEST, LEAVING SUSPENSE AND INTRIGUE. LET YOUR AUDIENCE GUESS! ON THE OTHER HAND, WE MUST HAVE VERY REALISTIC PROTAGONISTS TO ALLOW THE READER TO IDENTIFY WITH YOUR CHARACTER. THE MORE TRUE TO NATURE YOUR CHARACTERS ARE, THE EASIER IT WILL BE TO DEVELOP THEIR CHARACTER.

IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU ARE WRITING A BOOK ABOUT SUPER-HEROES; THEY STILL NEED TO BE CLOSELY RESEMBLE HUMAN BEINGS. IT IS SO MUCH EASIER TO WRITE ABOUT YOUR PROTAGONIST IF YOU’RE ABLE TO PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR SHOES AND DEVELOP THEM FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF REALITY OF OTHERS OR YOURSELF. THEY WILL DEVELOP HUMAN QUALITIES TRUE TO LIFE, AND OUR PROTAGONIST OR MAIN CHARACTER IS OUR FIRST STEP LEADING TO A BESTSELLER.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS COMES FROM DOING MANY, MANY BOOK REVIEWS, FOR NEW AUTHORS, AND EXPERIENCED ONES. I FIND MYSELF ABLE TO IDENTIFY WITH THE PROTAGONIST DIRECTLY IF THE PROTAGONIST IS BUILT FROM OVER TIME. REAL PERSPECTIVES IN THE WORLD WE LIVE IN SHOULD INTERACT. LET US TAKE A LOOK AT THE DEFINITION OF “PROTAGONIST” FROM OUR WEBSTER DICTIONARY AND THE DAILY WISDOM WORD DEFINITION.

WEBSTER DEFINITION, PROTAGONIST-1. THE LEADING CHARACTER OR ONE OF THE MAJOR CHARACTERS IN A BOOK, NOVEL, MOVIE, OR STORY.

DAILY WISDOM WORD DEFINITION OF PROTAGONIST-THE MAIN CHARACTER(S) IN A BOOK OR SOMETHING WE WRITE THAT MUST BE CREATED TO SHOW THEIR HUMANITY. AND CLOSE TO FORM IN REAL LIFE.

I READ ALL MY LIFE AS A CHILD AND STILL DO. NEVER EVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF READING. YOU SHOULD BE READING OTHER’S WORK THAT INTERESTS YOU TO INCREASE YOUR VOCABULARY, FIGURING OUT WHAT CAUGHT YOUR INTEREST OR WHAT DOES OR DOESN’T WORK AND LEARN TO CONVEY CLEAR DESCRIPTIVES FOR THE PROTAGONIST(S) IN ANY BOOK. DOING A SKELETON OUTLINE OF YOUR PROTAGONIST AND ADDING SUBFACTS UNDERNEATH EACH HEADING EACH CREATE THE PROTAGONISTS DYNAMICS. HAVING CLEAR, DETAILED OUTLINES IS A GREAT WAY TO CREATE REALISTIC PROTAGONIST(S). THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING ABOUT PROTAGONISTS TODAY. HAVE A BEAUTIFUL AND BLESSED DAY. SAMANTHA

MUCH EFFORT GOES INTO CREATING A CHARACTER FOR A NOVEL, PLAY, SHORT STORY OR SONG. YES, ALL OF THESE KINDS OF WRITING NEED GOOD OR BAD DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS WHEN CREATING INTEREST FROM OUR READERS INTEREST IN ANYTHING WE WRITE. THIS POST WILL GO INTO KEY EXAMPLES WHICH CREATE A GREAT CHARACTER IF YOU USE THESE SUGGESTIONS.

BEFORE WE DO THIS, LET US TAKE A LOOK AT THE DEFINITION OF CHARACTER IN OUR WEBSTER DICTIONARY AND OUR DAILY WISDOM WORD DEFINITION. WEBSTER DEFINITION OF CHARACTER-THE MENTAL AND MORAL QUALITIES DISTINCTIVE TO AN INDIVIDUAL. 2. STRENGTH AND ORIGINALITY IN A PERSON’S NATURE.

DAILY WISDOM WORD DEFINITION OF CHARACTER-FEATURES ON THE OUTSIDE AND INSIDE OF A PERSON WHICH DISTINGUISHES WHO THEY ARE.

I LOVE LOOKING UP THE DEFINITIONS OF WORDS AND IT NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME HOW ENLIGHTENING THE DEFINITION OF A WORD CAN BE. LET US GET BACK TO THE CURRENT QUESTION; WHAT MAKES A GOOD CHARACTER WHEN WRITING?

1. NAME-THE NAME OF A CHARACTER IS SO IMPORTANT. IT IS LIKE HAVING A PIECE OF CLAY AND DECIDING THE OVERALL CHARACTER OR SHAPE OF WHO A PERSON IS. NAMES ARE SIGNIFICANT AND IF YOU WISH TO BE A BESTSELLING AUTHOR, START WITH A NAME THAT MATCHES a character WHO YOUARE SHAPING.

2. AGE-THE AGE OF A CHARACTER IS CRUCIAL IN DETERMINING SUCCESS WITH YOUR NOVEL. THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS WHY AGE MATTERS. LET’S SAY YOUR NOVEL SPANS TWENTY YEARS. THERE IS MUCH DIFFERENTIATION WHEN A CHARACTER IS TEN YEARS OLD AND THIRTY YEARS OLD. YOU WILL NEED TO CREATE DIFFERENT BIOGRAPHIES OF FOR EACH AGE OF THIS CHARACTER.

3. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS-AS WRITERS IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CREATE VISUAL ACUMEN FOR EACH OF OUR CHARACTERS WHEN WRITING ANY STORY. HOW TALL IS OUR CHARACTER? HOW DOES HE OR SHE STYLE THEIR HAIR? WHAT KIND OF CLOTHES DO THEY WEAR? WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR CHARACTER’S EYES AND HAIR? IS HE OR SHE ATTRACTIVE? EACH OF THESE ITEMS COUNT WHEN BUILDING YOUR CHARACTER BIOGRAPHY.

4. DOES THE CHARACTER USE PROPS? PERHAPS THEY HAVE A CUSTOMIZED CASE WITH THEIR INITIALS FOR THEIR CELL PHONE? MAYBE THEY USE A CANE? BACK STORIES DESCRIBING HOW THE PROPS BECAME PART OF A CHARACTERS LIFE HELP DISTINGUISH EACH ONE. USE MORE DESCRIPTIVES ABOUT HOW THESE PROPS LOOK, AND WHAT COLOR THEY ARE. IF WE DON’T PAINT A CLEAR PICTURE THOROUGHLY DESCRIBING THESE CHARACTERS, WE DO NOT ESTABLISH CREDIBILITY WITH OUR READERS. WE AS WRITERS MUST BUILD DESCRIPTIVES WHO OUR CHARACTERS ARE OR CHARACTERS ARE GIVING THEM A PERSONAL IDENTITY. DO THEY HAVE DENTURES? WHAT KIND OF COLOGNE DO THEY WEAR? DESCRIBE THEIR HANDBAG. BETTER YET, ADD A SENTIMENTAL STORY ABOUT WHERE ITEMS CAME FROM. ADJECTIVES, ADVERBS, AND CREATIVITY ARE ALL YOUR BEST FRIENDS WHEN CREATING YOUR CHARACTERS.

5. HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER SPEAK? DOES THE CHARACTER HAVE A LOW OR HIGH PITCHED VOICE? DO THEY STUTTER? DOES THEIR SPEAKING FLOW EASILY OR DOES THE CHARACTER PAUSE THINKING CAREFULLY ABOUT EACH WORD THEY USE BEFORE SPEAKING THE WORDS? DO THEY ARTICULATE WITH EMOTIONS WHEN THEY TALK? DO THEY HAVE A LISP IN THEIR SPEECH? EACH OF THESE ITEMS CREATE A VISUAL IN THE EYES OF OUR READER TO SEE.

6. WHAT IS YOUR CHARACTER LIKE AS A PERSON? ARE THEY HONEST OR DO THEY LIE? DO THEY CHEW GUM OR SMOKE? DO THEY HAVE A PET AROUND? WHAT IS THEIR TASTE? IN MUSIC? HINT: CREATE A FAVORITE FOOD FOR YOUR CHARACTER. CREATING AND CRAFTING EACH CHARACTER IS PART OF WHAT MAKES EACH CHARACTER BELIEVABLE WHEN WRITING A STORY, YOUR BOOK IS ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR CHARACTERS BELIEVABILITY ARE.

7. WHAT DOES YOUR CHARACTER LIKE OR DISLIKE? WHAT MUSIC DO THEY LISTEN TO? DO THEY PREFER OPERA OR KARAOKE NIGHT? WHAT DO THEY WATCH ON TELEVISION? WHAT KIND OF HOLIDAY DOES YOUR CHARACTER PREFER? DO THEY LIKE CLEAN AND CONTEMPORARY OR DO THEY LIKE TRADITIONAL ITEMS? ARE THEY TIDY OR MESSY?

8. GIVE A BACKSTORY TO THE CHARACTER. YOU MUST CREATE SOME KIND OF PAST. SHOULD YOU NOT COME UP WITH AN INTERESTING BACKSTORY, BELIEVABILITY BECOMES AN ISSUE. MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE A FEW EVENTS THAT HAS SHAPED THE CHARACTER INTO WHO HE OR SHE IS IS THE PRESENT. IT IS SHARING SOME EXPERIENCES THAT HELP THE READER CONNECT WITH YOUR CHARACTER.

WHAT IS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MAKEUP OF YOUR CHARACTER AND WHAT EVENTS BROUGHT HIM TO WHERE HE IS WITHIN THE TIMEFRAME OF THE STORY? THERE ARE MORE THINGS TO LOOK AT REGARDING CHARACTER ANALYSIS. IF YOU ARE NEW TO WRITING ON YOUR FIRST NOVEL, I RECOMMEND A CHARACTER OUTLINE PAGE FOR EACH IMPORTANT AND SUPPORTING CHARACTER WITHIN YOUR WRITING PRIOR TO STARTING YOUR STORY. THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING ABOUT CHARACTERS TODAY! SAMANTHA LEBOEUF/FOUNDER

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