Writing Activities: Creating Characters

 

Characters are basically the most important part of any story. So, when Luna Grey and I teamed up to do a web comic together, one of the first things she started doing with my script was figure out characters!!

 

This is an example of a few versions of our main character,  Monica, in Ghost and Girl. She’s a girl who, instead of getting haunted by scary ghosts, does a little bit of haunting of her own. Deep down she’s resourceful and strong, but a little afraid of some things going on in her life at the moment. It was tough to choose which design we liked best, especially since Luna did such an amazing job. I liked number 3,4, and 5 and I thought number 2 was really cute. In the end, we decided to go with a design very much like number 5. Sometimes it’s hard to tell why certain characters resound with you and your story, they just kind of come into your mind and start unpacking their bags and setting up house in your head.

I think some of the best characters come from mixing something really important to you and something new and exciting together in one person. These two things can come together in one new and interesting person for a story. The qualities they have that are like my own helps me connect to them, and the qualities that are different keeps them fresh and exciting. For me, writing is often about discovering. Sometimes I even discover things I didn’t know about myself through my characters.

So, try out this writing activity. Sketch out a character you’ve never met before and list two things about them.

1. Something you have experience in/something you care about—like an event or belief in your life.

2. Something you’re not so experienced with. Something that might scare you, or something your character might be good at but you’re not. This helps you explore new things and think deeply about who your character is.

 

Sometimes discovering a new character can be quite the journey, but it’s always exciting!

Below is a sheet to print if you want!

And if you want to meet my newest character, You can meet Monica here in "Ghost and Girl"

 

Name______________________________ Something about them I can relate to:   Something about them that is NOT like me:   Something they are good at:   Something they are bad at:

Sketch