This week's prompt might not be an easy one for you. I know that a lot of my characters are just a different version of myself. Most of the time I just give them a quirk that one of my friends have and call it a totally different person. If you're totally stumped like I am, here I have some interesting things to read while you're trying to get over your writer's block.
I was able to find a really interesting page called Writing a character you don't like, which goes over exactly what we need to help along with this week's assignment. The author made a few really good points when it comes to writing an unlikable character:
On the opposite spectrum, if you've noticed other people don't like your characters, I found another page called The Basics of Creating a Likeable Character, which goes over a few tips on how to make any character likeable. This page includes topics as simple as why a good name is important to remembering that flaws are what makes a character real. Another interesting page I Just Didn't Care: Unlikable Characters in Fiction is worth the read on why a character doesn't have to be likeable or unlikeable at all. His point: a character should be compelling.
In my opinion, a character is a person. They grow and change and develop sometimes on their very own and you may have no control over it. It is your job to tell this person's story, to help the world understand their pain and their joys. It isn't your job to change them and mold them, it's just your job to flesh them out.
I was able to find a really interesting page called Writing a character you don't like, which goes over exactly what we need to help along with this week's assignment. The author made a few really good points when it comes to writing an unlikable character:
- Look at who you know.
- Fill in their speech and word choices.
- Find their motivation.
On the opposite spectrum, if you've noticed other people don't like your characters, I found another page called The Basics of Creating a Likeable Character, which goes over a few tips on how to make any character likeable. This page includes topics as simple as why a good name is important to remembering that flaws are what makes a character real. Another interesting page I Just Didn't Care: Unlikable Characters in Fiction is worth the read on why a character doesn't have to be likeable or unlikeable at all. His point: a character should be compelling.
In my opinion, a character is a person. They grow and change and develop sometimes on their very own and you may have no control over it. It is your job to tell this person's story, to help the world understand their pain and their joys. It isn't your job to change them and mold them, it's just your job to flesh them out.