Tag Archives: character

30 in 30: Day 21 – The character actor

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The character actor in a movie typically isn’t the star. Not only are they a supporting character but they are the glue that keeps the movie from being boring. However most movies would not survive without them. They provide depth the the movie. (They are usually my favorite characters.)

Create one for your fiction project. Write an essay about one. Develop a poem around the premise.

Play with it. Try some stuff. Think about your favorite character actors and your writing. Make something happen.

Trust me it will be amazing as long as you have fun with it!

30 in 30: Day Twelve – Turn left… here!

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Okay. Insert an argument. Let this argument start out with some tie in to what you have written previously or something deeply rooted to your character or theme. Then let the argument go left.

You know… when an argument takes on a life of it’s own and is no longer about what it started out to be about.

Yes. Do that.

Take it there.

The more absurd the better.

This makes for beautiful poetry and prose. It takes the reader on a journey that they are captivated with even though they clearly realize they are going in circles.

Have some fun today!

30 in 30: Day Seven – Throw everything in a bag & shake.

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Today I want you to review everything you have written over the past six days. Then mentally, or literally, throw everything into a bag and shake. Then pour it out on the page today. You can take a little from each day or all of it and put it into today’s piece. If you wrote poems, you may want to take a few lines and join them in a piece. If you wrote prose you could drag paragraphs. You could just pull ideas and create something new from what was previously done.

Remember you have two characters, conflict, a setting, and plot to work with.

See what you can make happen! This is definitely the day to cut loose and have some fun. Great things happen when you get a little crazy.

Happy Writing!

30 in 30: Day Three – Antagonism

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  • Antagonist – An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution that represents the opposition against which the protagonist or protagonists must contend
    Okay… let’s start to build this story. Your character needs someone to highlight who they are. They need someone to assist in building conflict. There needs to be an antagonist.
    Take some time to build that character today.
    Remember how this character is different from your initial main character is important. However, so is how they are alike.
    Happy writing!

30 in 30: Day Two – The other side

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So yesterday you created your character and tried to sell them.

Today… let’s be realistic. No one is perfect, even in fiction. So no matter what form you are writing in we need to face flaws.

Take some time to be honest about the flaws of your character. These flaws are what makes your character realistic and gives them depth.

Go ahead. Get creative.

Are you ready for NaNoWriMo 2014?

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Have you started thinking about your project for National Novel Writing Month?

(If you don’t know what I am talking about you should check out the NaNoWriMo Website.)

50,000 words in 30 days can be daunting… especially if you have no clue what you are going to be writing about. Now is the time to really start focusing in on a vague idea of where you want to start. It is perfectly okay to let the story go wherever it wants to go. In fact I find that to be the way with the most fun.

I have begun to develop two characters and a general idea of where I want to start. I tend to start most of my writing with a character.

You can start with a situation, a character, a setting, or even a simple object. You can take a writing prompt and see how far you can take it.

The key is to find that starting point so you are ready to go November 1st.

NaNoWriMo prompts – 27/30 & 28/30

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27/30

Make a list of 5 to 10 things you dislike/hate about yourself (or your character hates about themselves).

Now write a love note, poem, or story honoring those things and how they make you (or your character) unique.

 

28/30

Write about a smile, and how thankful you are for it. Write about more than one if you are so moved. If you are a fiction writer, write about a smile that changes your character’s life or outlook.

 

Happy Writing!