1. Writing Characters Part Two
Dr Gitsham Creative Writing Elective
Lesson Seven:
Writing Characters Part Two
@dcijoneswriter
© Paul Gitsham 2013 – Free for non-commercial use

2. Stories are about characters
Many would argue that it is often the character that is the most important component in any story
Ask a person what they liked most about a story and often they will name a character

3. They are hopeless with women
Imagine a sitcom about a group of flatmates who are University Physicists
They are hopeless with women
Their idea of a good evening involves rolling dice and pretending to be orcs and trolls
They are obsessed with Star Wars and Star Trek
The woman across the hallway is a failed actress who waits tables
Switching a light-switch off via the internet makes them run around the living room in excitement
So why is this the number one sitcom in the US, entering its seventh season and earning its stars up to 1 million dollars per episode?

4. Dr Sheldon Cooper PhD

5. Every person has a story to tell
Look around the high street next time you are in town
Every person you see has their own story
Some are heroes, some are villains, all of them have personality, all of them have quirks.
Ask the right questions and nobody is boring.

6. Take a photograph from the pile
Study it and answer the following questions:
What is their name?
Where are they from?
How old are they?
What is their favourite pastime?
What do they do for a living?
What is their most precious secret?
What is their fondest desire?
Flesh out some extra details eg
What is their favourite colour?
What sort of music do they like?
These things can be as profound or as banal as you wish. As grand or as small

7. What is their story?
Write a short story – just a few paragraphs about your character
Write whatever you want
Eg What’s the story behind the photo?
A typical day in their life
The day that changed their life
Their dream.