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Why Character Traits Matter. Character traits define a character’s personality, motivations, and interactions. They add depth and realism, helping readers connect and understand characters more profoundly. Traits can be internal, like wisdom or compassion, or external, like a distinctive laugh or an unusual talent. They are vital because they:
- Character-Driven Stories Don't Equal Lots of Characters
- 4 Qualities of An Essential Character
- When to Combine (and When to Split) Characters
- To Make A Meaningful Cast, Murder Your Darlings
I love character-driven stories. While opinions may differ on this topic, I believe that a story is ultimately about the characters—their choices, their consequences, their trials and tribulations, and the lessons they learn. The characters carry the story and at the end of the day, it is the fate of the characters that the readers are most investe...
The first step in making characters count is to evaluate whether every character is essential. Evaluating your cast is best done after the first draft. This is because it’s hard to figure out which characters are important and which ones are not until you’ve been through the events of the story at least once. An essential character makes at least o...
Once you figure out which charactersmake up the main cast and which ones are side characters, you should determine if every character is essential. In a good story, every character has a purpose. If you’re unsure whether a particular character serves a purpose, maybe it’s time to combine that character into another one or cut it altogether. To do t...
“Murder your darlings” is a common piece of advice given to writers. It’s often attributed to William Faulkner, but can actually be traced back farther. This statement is meant to advise writers to approach their writing objectively and without sentiment, like killing a loved one. Murdering what you love in your story—but also what doesn't add to y...
Jul 13, 2021 · Writing prompts are a great way to help develop our characters. They can help get inside character’s minds and discover what kind of personality they have. Especially when we’re feeling stuck, writing prompts, such as our bespoke Creative Writing Prompt Box, can help unlock answers! 5. Your own reading experiences.
- Lauren Davison
2. Plot Progression: A character’s traits often drive their actions, which in turn push the plot forward. 3. Conflict Creation: Clashing personality traits between characters can create interesting conflicts and tensions in the story. 4. Theme Exploration: Traits can be used to explore themes or moral questions within the narrative. How to ...
Personality Traits: These are the characteristics that define the individuality of a character. Personality traits form the basis of a character’s behavior, response to situations, and overall demeanor. Traits can include aspects like introversion, extroversion, optimism, cynicism, or a myriad of other characteristics that make a person unique.
Jun 10, 2024 · A key step in character analysis is gathering evidence to support your insights. This evidence often comes from the character’s dialogue, reactions to events, personal thoughts, emotional responses, and changes in behavior. Other characters’ perspectives on the subject can also provide a deeper understanding.
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Nov 13, 2022 · Character traits examples: Bossy. Joyful. Daring. Charming. Character traits can be physical or mental/emotional, but what’s perhaps most important to note is the difference between character traits and say, personality. In writing, imbuing characters with these qualities is a process called characterization.
