What are these People Doing in
these Places?
Creative Writing Club
Characters can be…
Major and Minor
 Dynamic and Static
 Round and Flat
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Stock
 Protagonist
 Antagonist
 Anti-hero
 Foil
 Symbolic
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Source for Characters
Imaginary
 Observed
 Autobiographical
 Archetypical
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How they are presented
Direct presentation (or characterization) - This refers to
what the speaker or narrator directly says or thinks about a
character. In other words, in a direct characterization, the
reader is told what the character is like. When Dickens
describes Scrooge like this: "I present him to you: Ebenezer
Scrooge....the most tightfisted hand at the grindstone,
Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching,
covetous, old sinner!" - this is very direct characterization!
 Indirect presentation (or characterization) - This refers to
what the character says or does. The reader then infers what
the character is all about. This mimics how we understand
people in the real world, since we can't "get inside their
heads". In other words, in an indirect characterization, it's the
reader who is obliged to figure out what the character is like.
And sometimes the reader will get it wrong.
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Ten (Direct or Indirect) Ways in
which a Character Can Be Revealed
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1. By psychological description.
2. By physical description.
3. By probing what s/he thinks.
4. By what s/he says.
5. By how s/he says it.
6. By what s/he does.
7. By what others say about him or her.
8. By his or her environment.
9. By her reaction to others.
10. By his reaction to himself.
Character Archetypes
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The Bully - Intimidates others
The Creature of Nightmare - Threatens the hero’s life
The Damsel in Distress - The hero rescues her
The Devil Figure - Tempts the hero
Dreamer - Wants to be something else
The Evil Genius - Seeks revenge and hates all
Friendly Beast - Assists the hero
The Hero - Main character who may fulfill a task or bring justice
The Initiates - Need training to become heroes
Martyr - Willing to die for a cause
Mentors - Train and counsel the initiates
The Outcast - Exiled for a crime and becomes a wanderer
The Star-Crossed Lovers - The pair usually meet tragedy
Survivor - Never gives up and always pulls through
The Temptress - A beautiful woman who seduces the hero
Tyrant - Wants to be in charge
Wizard - Has special powers
Etc.
Ideas for Creating a Character
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Give them a talent.
Give them an ambition.
Give them a deep dark secret.
Give them a best friend.
Give them an archenemy.
Give them some things they carry with
themselves.
Give them something to lose or to have lost.
Give them a name.
Description
Setting
Can provide for a conflict
 Can provide for character description
 Can provide for creating a mood of the
narrative
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Genres usually have a typical setting
◦ Break it?
◦ Keep it?
Holes – Louis Sachar
There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. There once was a very
large lake here, the largest lake in Texas. That was over a
hundred years ago. Now it is just a dry, flat wasteland.
There used to be a town of Green Lake as well. The town
shriveled and dried up along with the lake, and the people who
lived there.
During the summer the daytime temperature hovers around
ninety-five degrees in the shade— if you can find any shade.
There's not much shade in a big dry lake.
The only trees are two old oaks on the eastern edge of the
"lake." A hammock is stretched between the two trees, and a log
cabin stands behind that.
The campers are forbidden to lie in the hammock. It belongs to
the Warden. The Warden owns the shade.
Setting Archetypes
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The Garden - Symbolizes love and fertility
The Forest - Can be a wild place with dangers and beasts. It can
also be a place to reconnect with nature.
The River - Water symbolizes life and the river can show life’s
journey or boundaries.
The Sea - Can be both good and evil, with dangers and treasures. It
can also show infinity.
The Island - Symbolizes isolation
The Mountain - Climbing up can represent a spiritual journey.
The Wasteland - A place for cleansing and finding inner strength
The Tower - Represents worship or power
The Small Town - This is where everyone knows everyone and
judges them, so it represents intolerance.
Etc.
Plot
Beginning > Middle > End ???
 Dilemma > Confrontation > Resolution
???
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Make your own pattern that serves a
purpose
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IMORTANT:
◦ Have a problem to be resolved
Situation Archetypes
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Battle of Good and Evil - Good ultimately triumphs
Death and Rebirth - Shows the circle of life
Innate Wisdom vs. Educated Stupidity - A character will have
intuition and knowledge that is better than those in charge
The Initiation - A character matures and takes responsibility
The Journey - The hero confronts trials along the way
The Magic Weapon - The hero has the ability to use this to
be successful in the quest or to prove he or she is the
chosen one
Nature vs. Mechanistic World - This has nature as being good
and technology as bad
The Quest - The search for someone or something
The Task - Something that must be done
Etc.
REMEMBER
CHARACTER
 SETTING
 PLOT
 NARRATOR
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 INTERRELATED!
Symbolic Archetypes
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Light - Hope or renewal
Dark - Despair or ignorance
Water - Birth and life
Haven - Safety
Wilderness - Danger
Fire - Knowledge, rebirth
Ice - Death, ignorance
Black - Evil, mystery
Red - Passion, blood
Green - The earth, growth
White - Purity, peace, innocence
Three - Trinity; mind, body, spirit
Etc.
Thanks guys!
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Assignment:
◦ Write a short story (around1000 words in
length) about this person. :D