
Anyone
can write a book - but it takes something special
to create a best-seller

Lee Masterson's step-by-step guide can show you
how!
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Online Art Schools
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Character Creation
This section is
devoted to articles about creating characters
into real, believable people, and the methods
used to achieve this.
Scroll down for a list of articles on Naming
Characters, Creating Villains
Bringing Characters To Life and Creating
Non-Human Characters
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Naming
Characters & Dialogue
What's in a Name?
by Cynthia VanRooy
Naming your characters can be a difficult process for
some writers and close to impossible for others. Cynthia
looks at ways to select your character names.
Writing Dazzling
Dialogue
by Lee Masterson
Putting a realistic, believable conversation into your
story is not as simple as it seems. Dialogue can be one
of a writer's most important tools.
What's in a Name?
by Scott Nicholson
Names do matter, and
one of the quickest ways that fiction spoils itself is by
having an unbelievable character.
Creating
Villains
The Other in Fiction: Creating Wonderfully
Wicked Villains
(this link will take
you to Horror Factor)
by Carolyn Kaufman, PsyD
Characters with psychological problems and quirks have
appeared as long as people have told stories. So how do
you write these quirks into your tale believably?
Creating Villains
People Love to Hate
by Lee Masterson
Why create a strong hero for your story unless you are
willing to give him a worthy villain to beat?
Villains
by Vicki Hinze
Don't cheat your protagonist by giving him or her a weak
opponent. Create a truly worthy antagonist or villain for
your story.
Creating
Characters
Casting Your
Characters
by Lee
Masterson
When beginning a novel, the tendency of most writers is
to create a Protagonist to suit the plot or story they
have imagined and then dive into the fun stuff of writing
the book. But many authors forget the need for a strong
supporting 'cast' - the players around the Protagonist
that bring a book to life.
Creating Memorable
Characters
by Lee Masterson
Anyone can create a character, but it takes hard work to
turn that character into a memorable hero that will leave
your readers craving for more.
Creating
Unforgettable Characters
by Dr. Vicki Hinze
Story people emulate
real people, though they are actually just the creative
genius of the writer who develops them. Creating
something or someone from nothing and convincing others
the creation is real IS creative genius. And writers do
this by incorporating little strokes.
Creating Memorable
Characters (Physical vs. imagination)
by Cheryl Wright
Learning to describe a character without giving a long,
boring narrative description can be a challenging task.
Cheryl looks at ways to give information about character
without resorting to descriptions.
Creating a
Character for a Horror Story (this
link will take you to Horror Factor)
by Sarah Todd
The most important part of fiction is the characters you
create to tell your story. A good horror story character
is a fictional being every bit as alive and as much a
unique individual as anyone with whom we are acquainted.
Seven Common
Character Types
By Terry W. Ervin II
A fuller understanding of the character types and their
uses can increase a writers effectiveness in
weaving his own fictional tales.
A Cast of Thousands
by
Tina Morgan
Is your story populated with enough people to fill a
small city? Or have you only introduced enough important
characters to propel your story?
Mysterious
Liaisons: Creating Characters Through Life
by Cheryl Wright
Cheryl takes a look at ways to develop fictional
characters from real-life people you meet everyday!
All Characters Are
3 Dimensional, Right?
by Tina Morgan
Secondary characters can sometimes be crucial to the
development of a major character, but they don't have to
be cardboard cut-outs.
The Mystery of
Character
by Robert Wilson
The second most asked question by any writer is: How do
you think up your characters?
Bringing
Characters to Life
Trust Your Readers
by Lee Masterson
Are you giving your readers enough credit for supplying
their own details based on your descriptions? Or don't
you trust them to complete the picture for themselves?
Make 'Em Perfect -
Give 'Em Flaws
by Cheryl Wright
Nobody's perfect, so why do writers want to make perfect
characters? People empathize more readily with a strong
protagonist with realistic flaws. Cheryl looks at ways
you can create the perfectly flawed characters.
Build Your Own
Platypus
or How to Create Unique Characters
by Tina Morgan
Creating unique, complex, three-dimensional characters is
much easier than you think!
Developing
Realistic Characters
by Tina Morgan
Once you've created you characters, how do you develop
them to a point where they are as real as you are?
Developing
Character Traits
by Tina Morgan
What makes your character act the way she does? And are
those reactions realistic? Take a look at some ways to
add depth to your characters
Physical Character
Traits
by Tina Morgan
Why does your character look the way he does? And are his
physical attributes believable enough to be integral to
your story?
Using Body Language
to Create Believable Characters
by Lisa Hood
55% of our communication is through body language. Lisa
looks at ways to bring depth and realism to your
characters by using body language
Character Traits:
Mannerisms
by Tina
Morgan
Mannerisms are those unique little gestures and movements
we make that set us apart from those around us. What are
your characters doing?
Adding Character
Depth Through Perception
by Lee Masterson
Every person on the planet sees life through their own
personal perceptions. These differing perceptions are
what make us unique as human beings - but are you using
your characters' perceptions to highlight their own
individuality?
Picking the Right
Viewpoint Character
by Tina Morgan
Choosing the right person to tell your story is almost
important as the story itself.
It's My Novel
by Tina Morgan
The character that came, stayed, refused to leave and
tried to take over. And how that's not such a bad thing.
Building Realism
Through Characters
by
Leslie Esdaile Banks
Creating realism in a work of fiction is easy - once your
characters are fleshed out into living, breathing beings!
Direct vs. Indirect
Characterization
by Terry W. Ervin II
As a writer, you have the choice of describing your
characters in two ways - directly or indirectly. Which
way will you choose?
Characters and Viewpoint (This link will
take you to Children's Fiction Factor)
by Laura Backes
Telling your story from the right point of view can be
crucial to your story.
Gazing into the
Looking Glass - Bringing Your Character to Life
by Tina Morgan
Most author struggle with and - and when - to describe
their characters. Tina looks at how the pros do it.
Create Vivid,
Memorable Characters - Breathe Life into Your Fictional
People
By Lucia Zimmitti
If your readers don't care about your characters, you're
sunk. Readers don't necessarily have to like all of your
characters, but they have to care about what happens to
your main character, or there's no reason for them to
keep reading.
Creating Non-Human Characters
Aliens and Faeries:
Non-Human Characters Acting Badly
by Lee Masterson
A quick guide on making your non-human characters more
than just humans in bad masks.
Creating Believable
Aliens
by Tina Morgan
No longer can a science fiction writer create a
goo-dripping alien just because a story line requires an
adversary from another planet to drop in on our
unsuspecting world.
Creating New Alien
Species
by Lee Masterson
Creating a
whole new alien species for your science fiction story
can be as simple as asking the right questions about
environment
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