Creating complex charaters
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Creating complex charaters
I have many ideas for projects in the future some comedic and some dramatic either way complex charaters are needed for both. Charaters need to be specific yet relateble. I know many of you see the same charater steroetypes we all come across them. So tell me have each of you come up with charaters Im intrested in knowing . For each charater I write down personality 4 traits for each charater 2 that are good the other 2 bad traits .
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jackismyazz
- Posts: 53
- Joined: Sat May 02, 2009 11:18 am
Re: Creating complex charaters
Then, your story line will not go anywhere if their good and bad traits are balanced. Better to skew them 1 to 2 or 2 to 3 so they have more depth on one side or the other of the Dark Side [add heavy breathing here]jackass wrote: For each charater I write down personality 4 traits for each charater 2 that are good the other 2 bad traits .
Entire books have been written on this subject - it is complex.
Characters need to be well rounded - three dimensional. Any character who only has one dominant trait will appear shallow and superficial. Having a background to characters helps as does motivation: Flawed character are very identifiable - Daffy Duck has to be one of the greatest animated characters ever invented.
But situation plays a very big part- a character in one situation or environment will react differently in another ... Crocodile Dundee or Beverley Hill Billies are good examples - people reacting in an unexpected way to a strange/different environment - and there is good comedy in that.
When writing the series in Thailand, it frequently surprised me what the characters did or said in any new situation. I knew the plot, where the story was going but the characters often did something/said something unexpected - you only discover it by physically writing the detail. And that unexpected something is the real pleasure in writing, Example, I needed a name of a English church in a story about undertakers: I played with a number of ideas but the one we used happened by accident. I meant to type St Mary's on the Hill but actually wrote St Mary's on the Pill. (a pill being a tidal estuary stream). When I realized what I'd written, I just fell about laughing - great accident. Another writer on the series invented a vicar who confused biblical lines with music lyrics - inspired. ("the power of love is a curious thing, makes one man weep, another man sing, so sayeth the Lord").
Conflict drives all stories and the way characters act/behave. Ask what they get (or hope to get) out of this problem/dilemma they are in/faced with - the answer is the conflict/motivational angle and it drives all stories.
Not getting what they want can drive a film. Boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after = boring. Peasant boy falls in love with Princess, that's got potential. The King discovers the tryst and forbids his daughter to never ever see that lowlife money-grabbing son of bitch again: Now the story is going places. Who wins? Add a third layer of conflict - the princess is pregnant. You going to turn the TV off now? Don't think so.
So character, situation and story are all linked. Think of the bigger picture as it helps.
Rhoel
Characters need to be well rounded - three dimensional. Any character who only has one dominant trait will appear shallow and superficial. Having a background to characters helps as does motivation: Flawed character are very identifiable - Daffy Duck has to be one of the greatest animated characters ever invented.
But situation plays a very big part- a character in one situation or environment will react differently in another ... Crocodile Dundee or Beverley Hill Billies are good examples - people reacting in an unexpected way to a strange/different environment - and there is good comedy in that.
When writing the series in Thailand, it frequently surprised me what the characters did or said in any new situation. I knew the plot, where the story was going but the characters often did something/said something unexpected - you only discover it by physically writing the detail. And that unexpected something is the real pleasure in writing, Example, I needed a name of a English church in a story about undertakers: I played with a number of ideas but the one we used happened by accident. I meant to type St Mary's on the Hill but actually wrote St Mary's on the Pill. (a pill being a tidal estuary stream). When I realized what I'd written, I just fell about laughing - great accident. Another writer on the series invented a vicar who confused biblical lines with music lyrics - inspired. ("the power of love is a curious thing, makes one man weep, another man sing, so sayeth the Lord").
Conflict drives all stories and the way characters act/behave. Ask what they get (or hope to get) out of this problem/dilemma they are in/faced with - the answer is the conflict/motivational angle and it drives all stories.
Not getting what they want can drive a film. Boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after = boring. Peasant boy falls in love with Princess, that's got potential. The King discovers the tryst and forbids his daughter to never ever see that lowlife money-grabbing son of bitch again: Now the story is going places. Who wins? Add a third layer of conflict - the princess is pregnant. You going to turn the TV off now? Don't think so.
So character, situation and story are all linked. Think of the bigger picture as it helps.
Rhoel
Last edited by Rhoel on Wed May 06, 2009 8:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
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synthsin75
- Posts: 10266
- Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:20 pm
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..but actually wrote St Mary's on the Pill. (a pill being a tidal estuary stream). When I realized what I'd written, I just fell about laughing - great accident. Another writer on the series invented a vicar who confused biblical lines with music lyrics - inspired. ("the power of love is a curious thing, makes one man weep, another man sing, so sayeth the Lord").
No wonder it had to be immaculate conception, she was on the pill (birth control in America). Love the lyric quoting vicar too. I'd watch that stuff it.
, we just finished the face, we'll add rest of the body and Legs soon.
Maybe you could put these samples in your own topic? That way people wanting to comment can do so specifically in your thread and it will be easier for you to keep track of.bleep wrote: Please tell us wat u think
People often post their work in other topics but in this case I'm not sure I find this relevant... plus the images are WAY to big. Considering the lack of detail you would only need half the size or less.
-vern
