Creating Captivating Characters
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- Опубликовано: 2 июн 2024
- Your characters drive the story, so it’s important that they be figures worth following. Using my acronym ARCS, I’ll show you how to create a better framework for building memorable characters.
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Hi there, viewers! You can read an adapted text version of this video on Medium: link.medium.com/tU0ybi3gv5
Will you be uploading more videos? You do a great job with making really enjoyable and informative videos
Thank you!! ❤️
Thank you. This video was really helpful.
question: can a character have multiple main goals?
I think I just found the most interesting writing channel on RUclips.
I second this. I like how this channel never comes across as pushy with advice. It's very soothing.
You should also check out jenna moreci
You are being sarcastic right?
Yes
If you like interesting writing channels maybe look at “terrible writing advice”
One of my favorite character arcs is Bilbo Baggins, who graduates from a selfish but relatable desire to stay safe and comfortable to using his humble abilities to stave off a war and save his friends.
I watched the fellowship of the ring today what a coincidence
@@daki2223 I started reading the books for the first time in a long time, and holy cow there's a lot of stuff they left out in the movies, which I can totally understand.
A piece of character advice that changed my life- a character's greatest strength is almost always connected to their greatest weakness.
I really love characters that are bitter and pessimistic, to open up and find the things in themselves that make them human. How they overcome their fear of letting people in, and suddenly selvelessly start risking everything for another person. I also very love the trope of "Who is the monster"? I live for characters that seem to be the typical bad guy turning out to be sweet and caring on the inside, while the "prince charming" or "trustfull friend" turns out to be the real monster of the story.
I love those types of extreme reversals, too!
@@QuotidianWriter Hehe, good thing I have both those themes in my novel then. Thank you again for putting all this great videos out there. I binge-watched a few of them recently, and they really really helped me with the writing process. They brought things to mind that I didn't even consider before, and are very clear and inspirational. Thanks
I feel like you would love my favorite shows: Hannibal, Supernatural, the Sandman, Dexter, Lucifer
@@angeloliver7613 Really love Hannibal and the Sandmann. Haven't really watched the others though. But maybe I should :D.
@@blackhagalaz That is your decision to make, but the 'who is the monster' trope is definitely put into Dexter. Supernatural too, but somtimes the show forgets its own canon or changes significant things. Killing eve could be interesting for you too, people handle it as the 'female' version to Hannibal TV. Edit: I love how artistic Hannibal and Sandman was. Full of pictures, references, art and really cool cinematic elements
I really like characters who start out timid but get stronger as the series goes on. My favorite of these characters is Audrina Adare (My Sweet Audrina), and Piglet from (The World of Pooh).
I also really like characters who start off as pessimistic jerks but get better. My favorites of these are Zooey Glass (Franny and Zooey), and Eric from (Tenderness). Also, the television character Charles Winchester (MASH).
I also really like characters who are always there for others. My favorites of these include Pooh (The World of Pooh), Nina (The Summer I Saved the World ... in 65 Days). Also, the film character George Baily (It's a Wonderful Life).
neigh102 You're right.
Same! That’s why I loved Caroline Forbes on TVD. She became stronger, wiser, kinder, confident, and deep. She had very strong character development.
When it comes to attractive talents I´m drawn to characters that use their inteligence and wit to overcome obstacles. I just love it when a protagonist has outsmarted the opposition.
Like Lex Luther? who is much more interesting than Superman
Emil Romin
Ugh Death Note. Oof. It’s even better because both the protagonist and antagonist are super super smart and can easily outsmart everyone else but have a hard time outsmarting each other
Nature Kit
Deathnote is almost its own category. I was thinking more of stories where wit beats might.
I couldn't help but think, "I wonder if Jonathan Strange is the ancestor of Doctor Strange. They have the same last name and use magic."
Omg I thought I was the only one who thought that 😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Wow. That's really strange!
I thought the same.
@@daredavid123 no pun intended 😂😂😂😂😂
the characters i found very captivating in the recent time have been from AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER the cartoon for children...
they are so well written and thought out that i was amazed in the work they put in them for such a simple target audience (yes i watched it as an adult just because of its writting and IT WAS WORTH IT). (i read somewhere that they spent approximately 9 months researching and preparing each episode's characters plot and writting, and it can be noticed!!!)
as for my favorite all time, that goes to Eragon, from the inheritance cycle. He might not be the best well written character, and the first book may be noticeably written from a new amateur author, but he evolves greatly in my eyes and managed to captivate me a decade ago enough, to still be my fav till now...
Avatar: The Last Airbender is definitely meant for both kids and adults in my eyes, as all good "children's" television, movies, and books should be, like with Pixar films! The show does have brilliant storytelling. Just Write has dissected the writing: ruclips.net/video/vOJmhq-ve2Y/видео.html. And Hello Future Me has dozens of videos on it as well: ruclips.net/video/1fUKBrkDsOw/видео.html
I haven't read Eragon, but the books have clearly had a lasting cultural impact, and I think any books that get people excited about reading are worth admiring. Keep writing! :)
I know this is an old comment, but I just wanted to say I got so excited to see someone mentioning Eragon :)
The most underrated character writer of the last forty years is Stephen King. Perhaps because he writes so much horror and people don't see horror as serious writing. King will give a few details about the physical appearance of a character but his method of describing a character, even very minor characters in his books, is he will tell you a short story about something that happened to the character and from that one story the reader has a clear picture of who the character is.
So many great characters to name but some of my favorite are kids. Chris Chambers (the Body), Scout Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird), Beverly Marsh (IT), Harry Potter. My two favorite literary characters of all time are Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird) and Randall McMurphy (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest).
He is so underrated! I loved Dolores Claiborne
@@briannalee1998 Dolores Claiborne was such a complex character. Agree whole heartedly.
I 100% agree with Atticus Finch being at the top. I've loved his character ever since I read the book the first time.
@@gousc2622 Stephen King is an incompetent hack
That’s not always the beat way to help the reader know your characters. It’s better to use their reactions of immediate things and also background info about them that are drizzled over the book. The choices they make, their thoughts, fears, ambitions, goals. These should be used to show your characters, not a short story about them.
I am not a huge SK fan, no issues with horror, it’s a very difficult genre to write in but I don’t enjoy his pacing and writing style.
Each to their own though.
The way you explained your examples is telling something about yourself. You have that wide but deep look to the world. These two qualities are rarely found in people. The much more astonishing thing about your video is your capability to present all of it (that look) with such ease which reflects a brilliant choice of speaking style. In one short word, clever!
One of my favorite characters: Henry Chinaski
A: Darkly witty, can take a punch, and manages success without too much ego
R: Less than brilliant with women, terribly alcoholic, gets nervous on stage
C: Wants to be creative, and makes time to write novels
S: His status as a successful writer, his sharp mind, the attention of the woman he loves
I just realised why I liked The Martian's main character: intelligent, humorous, resilient, highly skilled - he matches many of the points you outlined there. It's also probably why I *don't* like a lot of sci fi characters: they don't have a lot of reasons to like them.
i think my favorite character is john gardners, "grendel". grendel is all of us to some extent. an outsider who wants to fit in but ultimately accepts that he's different and, well, eats people. in the end, while dying, grendel says, "ah, poor grendel". the ultimate fate of us all. on the death bed, not much matters but our last few breaths. i think grendel embodies the darker side of us all.
My favorite stories are ones in which the protag tries to fight back using the antag's rules and theater of battle. He fails, but then manages to draw in the antag to HIS rules and game... and wins.
"Thief," which I mentioned below, is one of these. I think the best one of this sort of story is "The Silent Partner" with (yes) Elliott Gould as the protag, and Christopher Plummer as one of the most evil, violent antags you'll find.
Am finding your videos really helpful! As an aspiring author, this is great for helping me with my characters. I really hope that you keep making these videos.
I'm so glad! Thanks for watching! :)
I just love Kvothe from The Name of The Wind. He has bigger and smaller goals and actively pursues to reach them, at the same time he so realistically gets distracted from time to time. He is witty and good at heart, a little bit wild and he stays true to himself. Who wouldn't like to have a friend like him?
I love that you show a book to go with your listing of traits/plot/style:) really helpful
I'm back to this video after years to share a realization I've had -- sometimes the Attractive Quality of a character can be just their voice: if it feels compelling, earthy, maybe ironic enough from the start, you're bound to follow.
Yessss! I absolutely agree!
The most captivating character for me out of this bunch is Sydney Carton. Love his arc.
Thank you so much for making this video. I realize I am about 4 years late to the party but I have not seen anyone so far address the ARCS approach.
Thank you for watching! :)
The Anti-hero captivates me.
Read vicious. It's a great morally grey book
Characters that captivate me are Batman, Arya Stark, Aragorn, Tywin Lannister, Katniss Everdeen... ect. Also, I loved the video. Some people on RUclips who discuss writing are kind of pushy, cliche, lack depth, and bring politics into their videos. Your video was the opposite of all of those things.
Love this. Concise and to the point. Wonderful summary of creating characters. I like the way she uses examples from classic literature.
I love Lord Elrond as he has tried the undiplomatic solution of all out warfare, and has seen how man has failed. Yet even after he turns to pacifism he still hold on to his feeling of unknowing he has seen too many things but still will not try to predict the future.
Thanks for the great video! Harry Potter will probably always remain the most captivating character for me. Though Dumbledore and Jaxon Hall come close. But this writing advice is very helpful: I'm writing a HP crossover fan fiction story, but the main character from the other book series is a bit too flawless. It's helpful to see how I can improve him a bit.
This acronym ARCS drives us on emotional tracks
Excellent exercise to test
Thank you Diane ;)
Holden from Mindhunter. He starts off as a nerd nobody respects, but he is passionate, even reckless when pursuing an idea, and he pushes his way through towards success. I admire his grit, but what I really love about his character development is how in the pursuit of his passion he devolves into an arrogant prick who destroys all of his personal relationships and damages the people closer to him because of his obsession, his utter disregard for anything unrelated to his work. Just brilliant.
Your videos are works of art in themselves!
Thanks!
I love these videos. I got the first one in my feed last week and I’m gradually watch them, one after another.
In 7 1/2 minutes I got a better understanding of character arcs than in the past year!
The blade itself was a great example. Almost every character in the book is a horrible person but you can't help but care for them.
I'm captivated by Nate, a character in The Candy Shop Wars Series by Brandon Mull. It has consistently been a favorite series of mine ever since children's literature class in college.
I love Seth in Fablehaven also by Brandon mull, he's such a talented author
This is probably the most useful practicable channel for aspiring and experienced writers on RUclips.
Only discovered you very recently.
Thank you for your great content here and in the other videos. 🤜🤛
I love Peggy Olsen from Mad Men. She's one of my all time favorites because she's so strong. She's not strong the way that some people use the term, as if it only means you kick ass and take names, but she's so emotionally strong. She's shit on and disrespected and insulted over and over and over again and she gets up one more day and puts on her skirt and goes into work to get shit on and disrespected all over again. She has fortitude and she never quits.
I find that as I watch these videos more and more, I begin to see why my stories seemed so boring. Thank you so much for giving us direction on where to improve.
Possibly my favourite character is David (also known as Recovery One or Agent Washington) from the web series Red vs. Blue. He switches from protagonist to antagonist a few times during the course of the show. However, you can always sympathize with his character. Even when he's killing the main characters.
A - Very capable fighter. Among the top 6 in Project Freelancer, an experimental program with the intent to create the ultimate super soldiers for the war against the Covenant.
Intelligent and often underestimated by his enemies.
R - Bitter, unable to trust anyone after so often being betrayed by those he considered his closest friends. He is also kind of crazy after an artificial intelligence implanted in his brain proceeded to kill itself. He once said that he still struggles to distinguish between the dying thoughts of the A.I. and his own. Has few qualms about killing.
C - Expose the Director of Project Freelancer for his crimes during the war, some of which led to the death of multiple of his teammates.
S - He has access to certain information that could convict the Director and have him thrown in jail for a long time. It is likely that if he is unsuccessful in his plan, that no one else will be able to finish what he started.
I've just found your writing advice on RUclips. It's all so well done. Thank you, and please keep posting.
I adore your videos! Thank you for making them, they're so helpful!
I’m glad I came across your channel. Your videos are very helpful and well organized. Please keep making them.
Great video! Love that acronym, and I enjoy how you support it with real world examples. Thank you!
Thank you for all the help!
I LOVE your content! You are so talented at relaying information in a useful way & making the process interactive! Thank you!! LOVE YOUR CONTENT!!!
That was excellent.., thank you… your voice is so clear and smooth too
Hi Diane, your videos change my life! You wouldn't imagine how inspirational your videos are to me, a materials scientist, in the way of viewing the myself, humanity and my scientific research. Can't THANK YOU enough!!!
I really appreciate your videos Diane. I feel like a lot of what you say is super easy to digest and I can apply it to different facets of writing other than just novels
Hi, just wanted to say a big Thank You for this video. I've been experimenting with writing for years now, but it was only recently that I got the chance to create characters for a drama class and it was fabulously gratifying to recognize I had instinctively followed quite a few of the pieces of advice you provide in this video. So thank you again.
I really appreciate that you focus on the internal construction of characters! When I was on deviantART, I saw a lot of ginormous lists to fill out, some hundreds of items long. While window dressings like that can lend some interesting color to a character, it's not nearly as important as the internal, delicious meat covered by ARCS. You make it sound so easy... And maybe it is if you have any capability of making decisions without being paralyzed by anxiety.
You make me want to re-watch Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell! I adored that show. My memory is terrible, though, and I remember very little now. I'm currently watching The Magicians. Have you seen it or read the books? I don't know the books, and I'm only partly through season one, but there is just no angle at which this show isn't amazing--as a SyFy production, as a book adaption, as a moving picture production! I rather fancy Eliot. Upon introduction he seems like he'll just be a snooty asshat, but he quickly comes into his own. He's knowledgeable, confident, talented, and clever. He seems to know just what he wants and just where he's going. Eventually we learn about the struggle he's gone through to get where he's at, and when he ends up having to kill someone it breaks him. Like hardcore, life-is-a-joke-nothing-matters-anymore breaks. It's delicious. I'm really looking forward to seeing how (or if?) he comes out of this. Viscerally painful transformations like this are some of the best in my opinion!
Have you discovered any strategies that have helped you feel less indecisive?
I watched the first six episodes or so of _The Magicians_ many moons ago, but I'd like to get back into it, although I'd probably have to start from the beginning. The first book in the series received polarized reviews, so it's not at the front of my to-read list. Still, I admire Lev Grossman as an author, and I quoted him a few times in my Literary vs. Genre Fiction video. I've heard that they changed a few story elements to make the show feel more focused. I would like to see more urban fantasy shows or movies in the same vein. And yesss, seeing how characters react under pressure can be so satisfying.
I have. Recently I got myself into a situation where I had to make a character for a Mage: The Ascension role-playing game. I was downright floundering until I decided to utilize some aspects of myself as a jumping-off point. I am fascinated by archaeology, so I made my character fascinated by archaeology. I'm withdrawn and antisocial, so I made her withdrawn and antisocial. I was able to cobble together something vaguely resembling a character by developing from that kernel. I also recently wanted to figure out the family of a character in "War for the Sun". It was a daunting process necessitating a lot of decision-making. So I made random.org make some decisions for me. I designated percentage chances of certain things happening (sometimes after some research) and generally worked with what I was given. Sometimes, for the sake of those few ideas that struck me along the way, I would deviate from the generated results. So I was able to determine male/female, whether they survived to adulthood, birthdays... Extreme numbers (like 98 out of 100) were noted to help flavor characters if necessary in the future. On the subject of indecisiveness, though, I must mention that I am terrible indecisive even without depression and anxiety. When there are a lot of options I just lock up because there are just too many things. I'm a very in-the-box thinker. I need boxes. I need borders and limitations. But damn if I won't explore and examine every little nook, cranny, and mote of dust in that box.
What do you mean by "polarized reviews"? What you said here is the most I know about the books. Previously, I knew they existed and that's it. I'm curious about them now--though not enough to get over the terror books inspire in me. I am absolutely on board with you about more urban fantasy shows and movies! Netflix's Bright seemed so promising.... until it came out. Such wasted potential.
The phrase "limitations breed creativity" seems like an apt phrase for your situation, and it couldn't be more true for me as well. I like entering short story contests because they usually provide a word-count restriction and a theme. And yeah, it's easier to write from experience and base characters off of yourself or people you know! I've used some other online generators to help with the brainstorming process; Seventh Sanctum comes to mind.
For Lev Grossman's books, I meant that there are a lot of extremes, as the top reviews feature both one-star and five-star ratings, in a love-it-or-hate-it type of way. It would've been more accurate to say "mixed reviews." Of course, reviews don't always accurately predict whether you personally will like the book or not. I've loved a number of books that received lackluster reviews!
I think I remember utilizing Seventh Sanctum in the past, but I can't recall what for. It's been years, too, so maybe it's time I revisit them to see how things have changed.
Ah, gotcha. I doubt this could possibly explain away those extremes of reviews, but the show taps some seriously taboo subjects (at least to me, who has not watched Game of Thrones...), to the point that two or three episodes included hotline information at the end. Some of the polarization may come from people being upset about that? I have no idea. Just a guess. (But it wouldn't surprise me... "Child molestation??? How dare you! One star!")
Outstanding! This is such a gift. Thank you!
I needed this channel more than anything. Thank you so much...
Enjoying learning about creative writing...
OMG u are AWESUM :D!!! thanks.. Syncronicity is amazing.. exactly what I needed to hear to keep my characters going.. thanks..
You are truly impactful motivator.
Thanks Diane, that was great 📚 ✌️ ☺ 🇮🇪
Very helpful, working on the characters in my first novel. Thanks.
Captivating visuals and brilliant analysis
So grateful for your videos
by far the best video I've seen on this topic
Over the course of the last couple of years or so I've stumbled across 4 stories I really enjoy. 2 of them I couldn't really care less about the characters. In the other 2 I practically only care about the characters. So it's a bit strange :P
Taking the main character Ye Xiu from The King's Avatar for example. (Chinese light novel /animated series)
Attractive talent/quality: He is stubborn, honest and patient. Will do everything in his power to reach his goals and if life gives him lemons, lemonade is fine with him.
Room for growth: He has a lot of room to grow as a person, how to get along with people better for example. And when it comes to talents that aren't playing online games.
Clear goal: Become champion in an E-sports tournament.
Something to lose: His identity and his sense of self. (He does kind of lose it in the beginning, so we know what the stakes are early)
Or Cadis Etrama di Raizel from Noblesse. (Korean webtoon/manhwa)
Attractive talent/quality: His struggles with modern life. How protective he is of his friends especially, but also strangers. His sense of justice. His quiet and down to earth nature.
Room for growth: Learning how to deal with technology. His sense of direction XD
Clear goal: Living a peaceful life with his friends.
Something to lose: His life and his friends and more or less everything he lives for.
For the characters I don't really care about (the world and the ridiculous plot in the stories are more interesting). They're two dimensional and there is not much depth to them.
Shiba Tatsuya from The Irregular at Magic Highschool (anime/japanese light novel)
Attractive talent/quality: His intelligence and his unique abilities
Room for growth: There is no room for emotional growth. No room for growth in either unique abilities or his intelligence, so I am honestly not sure...
Clear goal: Protecting his sister
Somthing to lose: His sister
As for his sister Shiba Miyuki
Attractive talent/quality: Being really good at magic...?
Room for growth: Her self control
Clear goal: Getting others to acknowledge her brother's talents
SOmething to lose: Her brother
Mo Fan from Versatile Mage/Full time Magister (chinese web novel/animated series)
Attractive talent/quality: Coming from another world and being different
Room for growth: He could do with being a bit more humble
Clear goal: Getting the people around them to show his father respect and not treating them like garbage. After he fulfilled that, I'm not sure. Probably being better than everybody else.
Something to lose: His family/his life (but considering the plot armor and his ridiculous luck, you're never really worried)
The world of Irregular at magical high school was really interesting and something new. But, I also couldn't care for the charackters. Especially for the two mains (I hated them lol..).
I honestly really love this
This is such a thorough and helpful video!
Thanks a lot for your wonderful and inspiring lessons. God bless you!
This video is so well made. Thank you and best wishes
Your examples are really good!
This channel is amazing u deserve so many more subscribers keep up the great work
i love your voice! thanks for all the great content~
Thank you for this.
This was extremely helpful.
Excellent video!
I like characters that aren’t necessarily obvious about their talents, those who always hold a secret, sometimes of advantage that doesn’t need to be revealed unless absolutely necessary bcs it adds mystery to the character. Begs the question of why is this particular character important but is also interesting enough to want to know why.
I found this super helpful.
Learning a lot. Happy that I discovered this brilliant channel. Gonna watch all of your videos. By the way, what you say in the end, i find that voice so intriguing 😍 Thanks.
God. What a voice! When building a character, should there be a structure as to how the information is presented? I am writing (what I think is) a short piece, and I leave much to the reader's imagination, occasionally giving info, but not much. Also there isn't much setting description. I have not decided whether I will (or should) enrich the end product at editing time. Now I am just splashing stuff on the page.
Thank you for your kind words! :) I think there's an infinite number of ways information about a character can be presented. Still, readers generally agree that descriptions of the setting and the characters' appearances/accents should be conveyed early on. It can be jarring to realize a character has flaming red hair and an Irish accent halfway through the story, or that it's been winter the whole time and yet snow hasn't been mentioned once in the opening.
I like it when authors peel back layers as the story goes on, hinting at the characters' backstory in the opening ("Ah yes, I had a sister once, too...") and then revealing more about it later, when it becomes relevant ("She died in a fire of my own making. I've hesitated to use the Flames ever since.").
Noirtier de Villeforte from the Count of Monte Cristo.
As the man who was supposed to receive the letter that got Dantes in so much trouble, he is a very passionate and intelligent man; some might call him a visionary in spite of being on the side of Napoleon.
During the course of the timeskip he had become an old man and paralyzed, needing to be taken care of constantly, but he still manage to dominate every scene he is in and survive a poisoning against himself due to the fact he had been exposed to that drug constantly and his body had become resistant.
This is great💜 thank u
Awsome advice
One of the most roguishly likable characters I ever met was Limmar Ponyets, in Foundation, by Isaac Asimov. A= Intelligent, brilliant space trader, loyal to his friend. R= Morally dubious, cocky(?) [not sure if he has any other downsides to be honest, which ought to make his character more shallow, but I don't think it did, in his case.] C= Rescue his friend and somehow fill his seemingly-impossible-to-fill-quota simultaneously. S= He could get kicked out of his Trading Assoc., his friend could die, he could be killed, he could lose money and status, he seemingly must fail to meet his quota.
He has a kind of poneria. If you look that up online, you'll see it translates, basically, as wickedness. But when I did Classical Studies at school, they taught us that this character (in a play by Euripides I believe,) had that quality, poneria, and that it meant wicked-but you're rooting for him anyway! You side with the guy because he's not fully evil, and with his wicked ways, he actually has redeeming qualities like honour-to-friends, charm and so forth. Limmar Ponyets is a bit like that.
Wonderful analysis! Thank you so much for sharing. :)
@@QuotidianWriter Thanks for reading, and for your comment. I've discovered your videos recently and am enjoying working my way through them all. You have some very keen insights which I plan on contemplating while I write my book. Thanks very much for sharing your wisdom and experience. And have a happy New Year🙂
Great VID (Y) !
One of My favorite characters is shiki ryougi from Kara no kyoukai the anime movie series. Because it very emotional and psychological about a
Girl multiple with multiple personalities and her struggles with herself. Though it had beautiful animation and was an the best cult detective I saw me personally.
My favorite characters are the ones you can’t quite put into a bin.
The character that stands out most in my mind is Jinx in the Netflix series arcane. If you were to look at here actions written out she is objectively evil. However if I wasn’t analyzing you would never think that making her kind of an enigma in my mind.
Jerry Cruncher! He is resourceful, funny, flawed (the way he scolds his bride for "flopping!") and loyal.
Love: Sydney Carton, Phillip Pirrup, Reuvan Malter, Asher Lev, Silas Marner.
Go places that nobody else got to go, James forrestal cuz he was well respected
Is it alright if the goal is constantly changing or should there be one clear main goal throughout the story?
Like most writing questions, I think the answer is "anything goes, depending on the execution." In general, though, I'd say a story is stronger if the protagonist has an overarching goal, even if their scene-to-scene goals change. For example, Patrick Rothfuss's _The Name of the Wind_ is somewhat episodic in plot structure, but the character still has this larger ambition of finding the evil being that killed his parents. Similarly, many of the Harry Potter books start out with smaller goals (e.g., getting to Hogwarts safely, learning a new spell) then build toward solving a larger mystery (e.g., finding out who the Heir of Slytherin is, winning the Triwizard Tournament), which is connected to the overarching goal of the series (defeat Lord Voldemort).
However, I'm personally a fan of books where the main goal shifts or evolves in the middle during the "midpoint reversal." Usually, this change occurs because the protagonist either accomplishes their original goal but there are complications, or they discover new information that forces them to change directions. In dystopian fiction like _Divergent_, this usually happens more toward the end of the book, where they go from trying to fit into the system to actively resisting. Even so, the change in goal is a natural progression based on the initial goal, and the stakes become higher as a result.
Your videos are really being helpful to aspiring authors. If it's not a problem, can I ask you if there's anyway I can contact you? I'm an artist but I wanted to work on a story so I jumped into writing, but as this is my debut novel, therefore I need your help just to get critique on my writing.
I've been designing world and plot for 6 months now, and have just started writing now. I've completed 2 Chapters. So can you help me by reading it once and by sharing some thoughts on it.! As I think you are the perfect person to do this.
Thanks (:
Hi there! Thank you for your kind words. I'd love to read your first two chapters as part of my free consultation services. You can contact me through my website: quotidianwriter.wixsite.com/editing/contact-me :)
Hello! ..........................................As an very young peeson , i have an advice . You can just order recommended books online and then read them , its like a magical experience to read in the library or borrow an library copy . A book placed in the corner of an old shelf , probably not read by anyone in these years or even if they are read you know you are connected with people by a book that you shared , in my school library i would write a letter for every book i read for the next reader...and thats how i meet my wife by letters between the books , that we used to write to each other , not knowning anything about each other
Usually I just write what I imagine or dream
It's a good start. But then come the rewrites. A good book isn't written, it's rewritten. But step one, write the book! If it's something that you dream about, it will be more interesting to you, and hopefully more interesting to other people.
Write On!
Same. My imagination is very strange, full of scenarios and situations, and eccentric.
Do you have a video on how to create multiple captivating characters that aren't all clones of each other?
Not yet, but that's a good topic idea! Distinctive speaking styles, backgrounds, and dominant emotions (optimistic, angry, serious, funny, etc.) can help. :)
@@QuotidianWriter I find it difficult to get out of my own head and write things other than what I might say. Or at least to do so without sounding forced or contrived.
@@johnterpack3940 It just takes practice! A lot of writers are more one-note than readers might realize. We all gravitate toward certain character archetypes and dialogue styles, and there's nothing wrong with a little repetition in our own work.
It might help to take two people you know well and combine them into a composite character. It's easier to write from experience, so if you can imagine how your best friend/favorite teacher talks or thinks and recycle that in your fiction, that can give you a new angle to work from when creating characters. Or listen to some vlogs or comedy stand-up and pay close attention to their speaking style and quirks, as well as what topics they gravitate toward.
@@johnterpack3940 A trick that I use is to play different music when I write different characters. Since a lot of times a character has an entire scene to him/herself, this is easy. Chase scenes? Percussion! Seduction? saxophone! The drill Sargent? Can't go wrong with a Sousa march. Dr Suse? His first book was written in the cheep end of a ship; the engine sound dominated his thinking and thus the very driving rhythm.
It's just a trick, but it's easy to try. Spielberg wrote Starwars to differing theme songs; it works for some people. But some people find it distracting. Worth a try either way.
In Total Recall (the recent one) each character has their own theme, the music commenting on the action and the characters. If you watch the movie with an ear for the music you'll see what they do to achieve mood shifts...
This may sound crazy but I've watched numerous videos on character arcs and not one mentioned that arcs was an acronym. Maybe this is considered common logic but I never realised, as i always thought it was more a metaphor (an arc being like a bridge to get to the other side) the other videos I watched were good but thanks for pointing out that it's actually an acronym!
ARCS is an acronym that I came up with for this video, not an official one in the writing community, but it is a play on the idea of "character arcs"! ;) Keep writing!
@@QuotidianWriter oh I see! It makes a lot of sense though! I think it really works, thanks ☺️
A.ttractive Qualities - a moral code, a power, a knowledge pool, a quark, a nack for being wrong place wrong time
R.oom for Growth - personality can change (for better or worse), beliefs (on race, religion) can change, understanding of their relationships change
C.lear Goals - passive (reactive) or active (oriented on effecting the future)? Are they side characters or free agents? Goals can be: survive, triumph, get girl, redemption, finding purpose, etc, and goals can change. what’s their wants and plans?
S.omething to Lose - big and small: death, loss of family, damsels; fear of embarrassment, less forgiveness, not pursuing dreams, regrets, loss of self’s humanity
Alister Azimuth from the Ratchet and Clank series (video game)
The characters that immediately come to mind are the ones from The Good Place, especially Eleanor and Tahani. Both of them in their own ways overcome their self-centeredness and by the end of the series can be seen putting other people first in times of distress. Eleanor goes from being an A-grade jerk who never thought of anyone but herself and had no qualms being mean to people to a person who decides to save the rest of humanity even if she herself could not be saved from eternal punishment. Tahani goes from thinking of herself above everyone else and fighting for everybody's approval and validation to stepping down (literally too lol, she is tall) from her pedestal to engage with others and work for the benefit of herself and the society instead of seeking validation. Of course the show is built in a way that is supposed to show these characters' growth, but even others apart from the main four undergo a lot of change, like Michael and Janet.
Thank you,
I have no advice for creating complex characters, but I do have a way to check if your character is complex. Come up with five difficult choices, for whatever reasons they are difficult. Have two or twenty different choices, but it must be hard. Then, have your character make the choices. If none of the answers surprised you, or are different than what you would choose, or what may be the best decision, go back and try making them more complex.
1:44 "Batman, duh."
My favourite character is Gerry Westerby - The Honourable Schoolboy
I love this videos. I'm an artist and I'm currently working on a comic but I think that about characters, world building and other things prior to the drawing part it is really similar to writing a story on a book, so I wanted your advices if there is a way to contact you, I need some criticism by someone that actually understands what she is doing, obv if you can do it or there is a way to do it
I've helped webcomic artists with plotting and world-building before, and I'd be happy to offer writing coaching for your project. You can read more about my services on my website (www.quotidianwriter.com) or send me an email at quotidianwriter@gmail.com. :)
Jimbo from Treasure Planet. Attractiveness: a carefree, intelligent miscreant. Room for growth: Getting in trouble, would much rather use his intelligence building solar surfers to evade school than applying himself to his future. Clear goals: Go out and make a name for himself and achieve something great in the galaxy. Something to lose: His future, and his mother's pride.
Curiously I have only two characters that spring to mind. The first is a young woman who spends her working hours in a chair that becomes her link to the world. In it she controls robots that perform spying missions for clients. Out of the chair she is weak and hides away from the world. The separation, that cusion, is destroyef when a client tracks her down and a long drawn out battle happens in her apartment. She finds that she is stronger without the chair/crutch she's been using. AND I cannot remember the book, or her name.
Second is Frankenstien's Monster. His need to be accepted, his loving heart beaten in the forge of public opinion into a dangerous hunter of men and his great desire of revenge upon his maker is so thick with meaning that it is hard to make it clear. The book itself is not easy to read, but for that character it was worth it.
A random thought... About the race-car driver... What if that isn't their personality?
What if they are shy and submissive and docile, and racing is the only kind of risky, bold thing they ever do?
It could be a character arc for them to become more assertive and to fight tooth and nail for victory, but maybe that would be out of character...
So what if that character would choose to ignore the sabotage; they'd just fix whatever was damaged and come up with ways to get around the disadvantages without trying to hunt down the one who did it.
Maybe they don't want to stoop so low as to fight on the same level as the bad guy? Or maybe they have a hunch as to why the other person does that, and feels like fighting back would only make things worse?
I'd argue that it would still make for a fascinating story, because the protagonist's safety is on the line, but they'd rather get hurt to prove a point, than fight with underhanded means against someone whom they feel they wouldn't be able to save that way?
(I guess this is a very "anime" kinda thinking, giving away where much of my inspiration comes from ^^)
My favorite stories are ones in which the protag tries to fight back using the antag's rules and theater of battle. He fails, but then manages to draw in the antag to HIS rules and game... and wins.
The best one of these for me is "The SIlent Partner" with (yes) Elliott Gould as the protag, and Christopher Plummer as one of the most evil, violent antags you'll find.
That's also an interesting thing... It certainly has good potential for character development.
I guess I don't really try to "force" character development where I don't think it would happen... It's just like real life, where some people just don't change... or change very slowly...
Those are excellent observations! You're right that it's important to consider the protagonist's personality, even when that makes them seem more "passive." They are still making choices, in the end, even if those choices are to act defensively rather than offensively. Like you said, it shows their strength of character in how they stand by their convictions and would rather choose to get hurt than play dirty like their opponents. Anime and manga are great sources of inspiration for different narrative structures! :)
Indeed!
Maybe, if you really wanted to, you could make a video about that too? About how it's okay not to stick to "classical" narrative structures and techniques for the sake of a unique, compelling story?
Maybe you could even show examples of anime and manga to illustrate your points?
It would certainly be a great help to many who struggle with finding the right narrative structure to best serve their ideas, I think!
^^
That would be an awesome topic, although it'd be difficult to pick examples because there are so many choices. I'd love to include at least one manga example in a future video, since it tends to be an underappreciated medium in critical analysis. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and suggestions!
the adaptation of jonathan strange and mr norell wasn't bad, considering, but the book was dynamite. i read it twice, within the first year of discovering it, miles of footnotes and all