If you are looking for a post on foreshadowing and symbolism, head over to the Insecure Writer's Support Group site to find it.
Do you use Character Worksheets for writing?
As I'm tutoring this summer, I keep coming across tools I use to write.
I use both Character Worksheets in a binder and the Save the Cat! Writing Software equivalent within that program.
Here's a list of questions of areas I like on Character Worksheets. The most important/favorite ones are in bold.
MAIN CHARACTER WORKSHEET
1. Name: Age/age range:
2. Family:
3. Occupation/hobby:
4. What does this character look like?
5. Where does this character live? Is the character happy/unhappy there?
6. Is this character happy with life/surroundings/society/friends?
7. Does this character have any fun quirks?
8. What makes this character happy?
9. What makes this character sad/angry?
10. What are this character’s strengths?
11. What are this character’s weaknesses?
12. Write three adjectives to describe this character?
13. Does this character have any special abilities?
14. How could this character change/grow in the course of the story?
15. What does this character think he/she wants?
16. The most important question: What is this character’s heart’s desire?
Heart’s Desire: What the character wants/needs the most in the world. This is usually the heart of the story or dilemma.
For example, the character may think he/she wants to have the best place to live in the world like a mansion by the sea, but what the character really needs is a place to feel at home, a sense of belonging and family. In this story, the character might try to get the mansion by the sea and lose sight of a friend, then learn that they need that friend to have a sense of belonging. The end result of this story might be a reward (the character gets the friendship back and the mansion), or a partial reward (the character gets the friendship but not the mansion), or a punishment (the character loses the friend and the mansion).
For Antagonist Characters, I add these questions:
Why does this antagonist stand in the way of the main character? Is the antagonist a villain? Is the antagonist a friend of the character who thinks he/she knows what’s best for the character? Is the antagonist even human?
Do you use character worksheets or something like them to keep track of your characters?
I don't do something that detailed, but I do outline them a bit. One tip I received years ago was to have the characters describe each other as they saw them, unique to their perspective. That really helped.
ReplyDeleteYes I do. I use it to teach kids how to design a character when I do school visits. I love that you included "heart's desire" - my list has a place for that character's dream.
ReplyDeleteHi Tyrean - enjoy your summer tutoring ... you've certainly covered many aspects here - and then the commenters always add useful goodies ... always essential to look at things from all points of view. Take care - Hilary
ReplyDeleteI tend to copy and paste info onto a page for reference. It's not as organized as yours but it has most the same things. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette