BUILDING A CHARACTER BASE FOR YOUR CHARACTER Consider

BUILDING A CHARACTER

BASE FOR YOUR CHARACTER Consider basing the character on someone. To try and make your character believable, you might choose to base it on someone. It could be anyone, a friend, a family member, a celebrity, a stranger you watched awkwardly from a distance, or even you! If you choose to base it on someone you know, you will know how they will react to situations, which might make it easier for you.

WHAT DOES YOUR CHARACTER LOOK LIKE? Know what the character looks like. How tall is the person? Are they of athletic build, slim build or chubby? What colour is their hair and their eyes? How long is their hair? Is it curly, wavy, straight, etc. ? You might wish to look online for some inspiration of what your character looks like. You can use the Sims, look in magazines, online or create an image online with the ‘face makers’ apps/websites. http: //foxrichards. deviantart. com/art/Face. Maker-52755515

OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS. . Know other details about them, such as: When is their birthday? How old are they? Who are their friends? What are their dreams/goals? What do they want to accomplish? What is their past like? Who's in their family? Do they have any family? Any pets? What are their favourite things?

YOUR CHARACTER It is important to know more about your character than the reader ever will. Favourite colour Religion Friends Hobbies Favourite foods Single or married? Drinking patterns Children? Phobias Temperament Faults Something hated? Name Secrets? Age Strong memories? Job Any illnesses? Ethnicity Nervous gestures? Appearance Sleep patterns Residence Pets

INTERVIEW YOUR CHARACTER Once you have the essentials down, start interviewing your character. How does she/he look at the world? Pretend that you're someone on a talk show interviewing a celebrity. Watch some talk shows for ideas on questions to ask your character. Ask as many questions as you'd like until you get a real feel for your character.

MOST IMPORTANT PARTS Appearance. Gives your reader a visual understanding of the character. Action. Show the reader what kind of person your character is, by describing actions rather than simply listing adjectives. Speech. Develop the character as a person — don’t merely have your character announce important plot details. Thought. Bring the reader into your character’s mind, to show them your character’s unexpressed memories, fears, and hopes.

FOR EXAMPLE. . For example, let’s say I want to develop a college student persona for a short story that I am ing. What do I know about her? Her name is Jen, short for Jennifer Mary Johnson. She is 21 years old. She is a fair-skinned Norwegian with blue eyes, long, curly red hair, and is 5 feet 6 inches tall. Contrary to the stereotype about redheads, she is actually easygoing and rather shy. She loves cats and has two of them named Bailey and Allie. She is atechnical writing major with a minor in biology. Jen plays the piano and is an amateur photographer. She lives in the dorms at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She eats pizza every day for lunch and loves Red Rose tea. Shecracks her knuckles when she is nervous. Her mother just committed suicide.

CHARACTER PROFILES!