Welcome to the fourth in my blog series on creative writing tips and techniques! Today I want to examine character creation. Read on for information on how to build characters for short stories and novels – and in the meantime, don’t forget to check out our Creative Writing Retreats in Mexico and Costa Rica!
A Character Creation Technique
There are many ways to build fictional characters for a novel or short story, and ‘status’ is one approach I want to discuss today. While we may find it unpleasant to think about, all of us project a ‘status’ in our interactions with others, and that status is ever-shifting, depending on the people we are with, the spaces we move through, and our comfort level. A student called to the principal’s office to answer charges of cheating on a school exam will likely project a low status, while the same character, boasting about their ‘exploits’ to friends later on, may assume a higher status. Comedy and drama occur when we place characters in situations where status plays out in unexpected ways.
Creative Writing Prompt: Status Battles
This is a great way to create conflict in a scene! Imagine a situation where two characters find themselves battling to be ‘top dog’. This can be comedic, or dramatic. Examples: two elderly folks compare their ailments, each wanting to trump the other in their gruesome descriptions. Two would-be actors chat as they wait for an audition. Each desperately wants the job, and their words are carefully chosen to show the other person they are better prepared, more confident, more worthy of the role.
Creative Writing Prompt: Status Reversal
Think of a scene in which a certain status interaction would be expected, and then reverse it for an impact that is shocking, or hilarious. Example: if you were stopped for speeding, you’d pitch your status lower than the police officer’s – correct? So imagine the opposite: a police officer who lacks confidence, and a driver who bullies them. Right away, you have the makings of a great scene.
Character Creation Writing Prompt: Status Extremes
Imagine a situation that might make a character feel super confident, or entirely lacking in confidence, and see how the scene plays out. Example – an interaction between a teen who has just passed an exam with flying colours, and a parent who has just discovered they have lost their job, and potentially their home. What if neither acknowledged or listened to the other?
If you are looking to create characters for novels, short stories or screenplays – or if you are looking to add conflict and drama to a scene – paying attention to the status of your characters is a great way to do it. This can also be a terrific way to raise the stakes in a scene… and it’s great fun to do.
Julie Hartley is the director of Centauri Arts. Her poetry and fiction have been published in literary magazines in Canada and England. ‘The Finding Place’ – her novel for middle grade readers – was published last year by Red Deer Press. juliehartley.ca
