Tag: character

Another element of fiction that is always compelling is contrast (the other is change). There is something inherently striking about two opposites placed in close proximity, whether that is the differing personalities of lovers, a scene of wild waves battering an immutable cliff, or the starkness created by positioning black against white. Contrast creates an…

One element of fiction that remains compelling no matter what is change. Perhaps this is due to our desire for personal growth, or the way we hope to be adaptable to real-life conflict. Whatever the cause, change in a narrative feels dynamic, impactful and true to life. Change could concern a relationship (from friends to…

A display of emotion is compelling both in real life and in fiction, and it is well worth designing a narrative so that characters have emotional highs and lows. This is not to say they should be going from one extreme to another, but that on occasion they are seen to be humoured or annoyed.…

An effective storytelling technique is to ensure there is ever-present clarity regarding the character’s central goal and their motivation for pursuing it (an exception here is when an unclear motivation is deliberately used to foster mystery.) These elements help invest a reader in a story for two reasons: Note that a reader needn’t empathise with…

A useful benchmark for character creation is to orient their initial design around being relatable, eccentric, or in some way mysterious. Over time, a character can grow to become more distinct, but these three starting personalities will help ensure that the final result of a character’s design is interesting to the reader. Mystery can be…

Creating unique characters is key to making them memorable, though individualising a character should be implemented with care, else they risk becoming more cartoonish than authentic. The more authentic a character feels, the more relatable they become, and the more relatable a character is, the more emotional engagement they’ll engender from a reader. Authenticity can…

A reader can only recall so much. Best practice then is to keep character appearance descriptions concise, using concrete nouns to describe details that are memorable and distinct from other characters. He was bald as a stone and he had no trace of beard and he had no brows to his eyes nor lashes to…