Character Analysis and Development

Character Traits Personality – opinions, reactions to events, how they treat others Appearance – how they look, dress, sense of style Hobbies – what do they enjoy doing Skills – what are they good at doing “Origin Story” – family life, background history Motivation – why do they do the things they do Likes/Dislikes – works into motivation and personality Voice – how do they speak or think, their feelings

Types of Characters Flat Character: A flat character has one or two personality traits that don't change. The flat character can play a major or a minor role. Round Character: A round character has many complex traits; those traits develop and change in a story. A round character will seem more real than a flat character because real people are complex. Stock or Stereotype Character: Stock characters are stereotypes such as hot-tempered redheads, stingy businessmen, and absent-minded professors. They are often used as a tool to move a plot forward. Static: A static character never changes. A loud, obnoxious "background" character who remains the same throughout the story is static. A boring character who is never changed by events is also static. Dynamic: Unlike a static character, a dynamic character does change and grow as the story unfolds. Dynamic characters respond to events and experience a change in attitude or outlook.

Character Development Plot developments may change a character’s viewpoints or personality. For instance, something that happens in your life might cause you to develop different likes or dislikes, change friends, or behave differently. Examples of character development Scrooge Hermione Eragon Batman

Character Analysis Once you’ve studied a character, you should be able to predict exactly how that individual would respond to various scenarios. You must understand a character’s motive (what drives them) and how it influences a plot line.

Now let’s try it out… Listen carefully, and begin thinking about what each character’s actions reveal about their traits. If your sticky note has a BLUE dot, write assumptions about character Ryan. If your sticky not has a RED dot, write assumptions about character Marley.