I. Start with the Minimum
- A clear Character
- What does the Public need to know?
- Who’s the Character?
- What does she want?
- What she’s going to do to reach it?
- Why does she have trouble reaching it?
- If you can answer these questions, you have a Character.
• Relationships
• Characters are defined by their Relationships.
• Who does the Character spend her time with?
• Who does she spend most of her time with?
• Who does she spend least of her time with?
• Why?
• Who is this person?
• What does she offer to the Character?
• How do they spend this time together?
• What gathers them?
• Are they satisfied by their relationship?
• What’s the nature of this relationship?
• Let them grow with the Story
• What’s the Function of the Character in the Story?
• Is she the Protagonist?
• Is she the Antagonist?
• Could this function change?
• What’s her Role?
• Is she a Leader?
• Is she an Advisor?
• Does she enjoy supporting others?
• How does she help them?
• As the Story unfolds, the Character’s goal & interests will evolve.
II. Create Characters Easily
• Name & Goal
• The Name & the Goal define the Character’s Identity.
• What is her Name?
• What is her Goal?
• How do they relate to each other?
• Where is the Character born?
• Who raised her?
• Who gave her her Name?
• Who inspired her?
• Who influenced her?
• What was she influenced by?
• What entice her to pursue her Goal?
• Why?
• When did she decide to pursue this Goal?
• Strengths & Weaknesses
• The Character’s Strengths & Weaknesses define her Behaviour.
• Where did she grow?
• Where does she live today?
• How are these 2 places different?
• What are her Strengths?
• How do they make her Likable?
• What are her Weaknesses?
• How do they make her Relatable?
• Who would identify to this Character?
• Would you identify to this Character?
• Which Relationships does she develop?
• Does she associate with similar Characters?
• Does she associate with Characters different from her?
• Quirks
• What makes this Character Memorable?
• Is it her Appearance?
• Is it a Habit?
• Is it her Silhouette?
• Is it her Hairstyle?
• Do she have a peculiar Hat?
• Do she wear Unusual Clothes?
• Does she behave in an unusual manner?
• Does she behave in a surprising manner?
• What makes her Surprising?
• What makes her Unusual?
• Where does she Belong?
• How is she attached to this place?
• How is it Displayed in her Behaviour?
• How is it Displayed in her Appearance?
III. A Character just like you
• Goal
• What do you want?
• You may want to Write…
• What do you want to Write about?
• Who do you want to write about?
• Do you want to Paint?
• Do you want to Sculpt?
• Do you want to Play Music?
• Do you want to Design Games?
• Do you want to Program?
• Do you want to give Speeches?
• Do you want to create a City?
• Do you want to create a World?
• You’re writing.
• You could do all of these things.
• Either in your books.
• And as you write about them.
• Behaviour
• What defines your Behaviour?
• What are your Strengths?
• What are your Weaknesses?
• Which Strengths would you want to have?
• Which Weaknesses should you get rid of?
• Which Weaknesses should you keep?
• How do these Behaviour trait define you?
• Who would you become if they disappear?
• How do you want to evolve?
• How would you evolve?
• Reactions
• How do you react when you’re Sad?
• When you’re Happy?
• When you’re Angry?
• When you’re Afraid?
• What triggers these different reactions?
• How do you react when you are distressed?
• What is the cause of this state?
• What constitute a Crisis to you?
• What do you do when you need to rest?
• Where do you rest?
• Do you ever Panic?
• How often?
• In which circumstances?
• How often are you enthusiast?
• What cause this enthusiasm?
• Quirks
• What’s your Favorite Item?
• What’s your Favorite Piece of Clothing?
• What’s your Favorite Animal?
• Do you have Pets?
• What’s your most Recognizable habit?
• When does it occur?
• How?
• How does it make you Unique?
• How do you make yourself more memorable?
IV. 3 Characters, Not like you
• Goals
• Which goal would you like to pursue?
• Which goal would you not pursue?
• Why wouldn’t you?
• Do you think you can’t?
• Is it impossible?
• Why is it?
• Do you know someone who chose to pursue this goal?
• Are you looking for someone who wish to pursue this goal?
• Would this help you?
• Would this benefit you?
• How would this person behave?
• What would be her Goal?
• What would be her Interests?
• What defines this Person?
• Which other Goal would you like to pursue but can’t?
• Will you look for a person who pursue this Goal?
• How would she be like?
• What is your Ideal person looking for?
- Appearances
- Are there Clothes you’d like to wear?
- Can’t you wear them?
- Why?
- Do you not dare to wear them?
- Is it forbidden to wear them?
- You Can’t find them?
- Because they do not exist?
- Which Hairstyles do you wish you could have?
- Which Hairstyles would she have?
- Which Weapons would she use?
- Which Physique would she have?
- How’s her body?
- How’s her face?
- What does she Wear?
- How does she Behave?
- What does your ideal person look like?
- Reactions
- What do these person want?
- Why can’t they reach their goal?
- Who opposes them?
- How do they relate to you?
- Do they look like you?
- Are they another version of you?
- How you were?
- How you would like to be?
- How you prefer not to be?
- What are 3 things you’d never do?
- Would they do it?
- How do they react in times of Crisis?
- When they are Angry?
- When they are Afraid?
- When they are Sad?
- When they are Excited?
- How does your ideal person act?
• Can you make 3 of them?
• What makes them Likable?
• What makes them Relatable?
• What makes them Memorable?
• Which Environment Defines them?
• Which Relationships define them?
V. Own Your Characters
• Attachment
• Inter-Character relationships create Attachment.
• Inter-Character relationships create Depth.
• Inter-Character relationships create Permanence.
• Can you view yourself as a Character?
• How can you create a sense of proximity with The Public?
• Why would they want to get attached to you?
• What makes you relatable to them?
• How do you Create a relationship with your Characters?
• Would your Characters enjoy you?
• Would they Relate to you?
• How would you get attached to them?
• What makes them exist?
• How do they exist for the Public?
• How does the Public relate to them?
• Belonging
• How do you create Real Characters?
• How do you create a Real World?
• Coherence.
• How do you Create Coherence?
• Consistency.
• Continuity.
• Sustainability.
• Like with every Enterprise.
• How consistent is your World?
• Take a whole Year to Develop its Foundations.
• How Integrated are your Characters in this World?
• What Memories will you quit your World with?
• What will Stay with the Public?
• The will to write ever more
• If you’ve got a child, can you stop feeding her?
• Start with these 4 Characters.
• And others will come.
• Stories will come.
• And then, more Stories.
• What do you want to write about?
• What gives you Strength?
• What stimulates your Ambition?
• What makes your day Great?
• How can you reach this State consistently?
