Creating Characters

By Ruth Punton

Creating Characters
This book deals with most issues faced by aspiring writers when starting out and for building characters out of the air.
It includes notes on, and exercises in, the introduction to writing, setting up to write, how to increase creativity, journal writing, names, driving force and a very detailed character chart with ideas for almost all aspects of a character. At the end of the course (if you have done all the work) you will have completed a short story ready to go.
This course accrued from notes handed out to students over several years of teaching creative fiction writing for TAFE and in smaller groups in Australia.
The complete book Create and Craft Tall Stories will be available as soon as it has been reworked of eBook distribution. Creating Characters will get any aspiring writer started on the right path before the complete book becomes available.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ruth Punton
• Release date: Nov 17, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310080098

Ruth Punton

Born and educated in Dunedin New Zealand.Now retired and living in Busselton Western Australia.When I'm not writing, I read mainly murder mysteries. Painting and photography I also enjoy.As a humanist I consider that all people are more important than any belief system.As a feminist I believe that women, though different from men, should be equal to them in all ways excepting in anatomy and physiology.I am an atheist although I think the whole idea of god is an unknowable concept.I vote Green for no other reason in they have more compassion for people than any other political party.I do not believe Australia is a democracy. How can we be when every 3 or 4 years we can vote for one or t'other and have to put up them and their many stupid ideas for the next 4 years. With the advance in technology why are we not asked by our representative what we think about all major issues and they vote for what we say and not the party.

Book preview

Creating Characters

Ruth Punton

Copyright 2016 - Ruth Punton

Smashwords Edition

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Getting Started

Journal Writing

Creativity

Chapter 2

Creating Characters

Building Characters

Names

Driving Force

Basic Human Needs

Creating Ideas

Essential Homework

Character Chart Setup

Appendix A

The Character Chart

Appendix B

The Body

Features and Complexion

Behaviours

Greetings etc.

Appendix C

Creativity Stimulating Exercises

Bibliography

Authors Notes

INTRODUCTION

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FICTION WRITING WORKBOOK

The complete set of the following eBooks is called Fiction Writer's Workbooks.

Module 1 Creating Characters

Module 2 Plots & Tension

Module 3 Writing the Story - Story Basics and Rewriting

Module 4 Grammar and Punctuation

Module 5 Writing for Children, Stage/ Screen. Haiku Poetry - This book is only suitable for people who have completed the previous modules.

For eBook publishing, google Smashwords Style Guide by Mark Coker (free). It is better to format your books for eBook distribution using the Smashwords guide and then they can be uploaded to Amazon without further formatting.

For traditional publishing find the requirements for submissions by googling your publishers

Exercises - There are many exercises throughout this module. I have not supplied any answers. Learn to look critically at your own work and make sure you are correct. It is easy to become blasé.

Chapter 1

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This workbook will get you started on your writing journey by introducing you to the importance of developing realistic people who live and breathe in your imaginary world.

This workbook is structured so a group or an individual can work though it at his/ her own pace or it can be used in a classroom situation.

At the end of Chapter 2 there are many creativity-tapping and relaxation exercises to use prior to writing or at the beginning of each group session.

In a group situation, it is better to start with one of the breathing or relaxing exercises so people can shut off any busyness or anxieties prior to the class. The other exercises work towards freeing up your creativity. Use these exercises prior to any stream-of-consciousness writing, to brainstorm or just unblock your thinking.

At all times, remember good writing is simple, clear and concise. Using obscure or complicated words is usually showing off and unnecessary in fiction writing.

There are many chapters to work through in the complete series and by the end of the course, - if you do the work – you will have written a short story to send off to a publisher or short-story competition. Apply everything you learn for writing a short story to writing a novel except for time, energy and sheer persistence.

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Exercises

Throughout the book, there are exercise sections to practise what has been taught. Do these exercises in the class situation and discussed the results. If you are working alone, do the best you can and look for people to give feedback on your stuff. Otherwise be your own judge and jury.

Make the time to do all the exercises

At the end of each chapter is a self-assessment section.

If you wish to be a published writer or just write well, take the course seriously and do the exercises to reinforce what you have learned and/or expand your thinking.