It's important that #MyAdventuresWithSuperman's #Characterization of #JimmyOlsen is strong. Traditionally Jimmy has been the underdeveloped sidekick. It was a long time before #LoisLane achieved importance equal to #Superman. Jimmy hasn't yet, but this show could do it for him, inspiring strong future characterizations. Jimmy has already described himself as Lois's equal - They're both interns - not her apprentice.

What kind of struggles do you build into your characters? How do you balance those with the story so they don't become overwhelming to the reader?

#Discussion #Writers #Writer #WritersOfMastodon #Author #Authors #Writing #WritingTips #WritingTips#Bookstodon @Bookstodon #IAmWriting #struggles #characterization

I wrote about a story from Farah Ali's The People Want to Live and the way a simple description can come to life through the layering of seeming contradiction.

#Books #Bookstodon #ReadingLikeAWriter #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #Writing #WritingCraft #FarahAli #ThePeopleWantToLive #Description #Layering #Contradiction #Characterization #TheLoft

https://bit.ly/PeopleLiveAlive

@sethhalleway

3/ The scene in #StarWars #TheMandalorian immediately following the one I mentioned (about half-way in) has another good example, this one of #CharacterDevelopment.

[Spoiler free] Aside from the large group, Character A, who is trying to lead a mission & doubts they can do what needs to be done, ponders their task at hand. Character B gives them encouragement, by revealing why he has aligned with Char B.

In the process, we see not only Char A as more three-dimensional, but also learn about Char B's motivations for going on this mission in the first place, and for their recent previous unexpected actions in regard to Char A.

Give #characters time to ponder-- moments of self-doubt, introspection, reflection on past events, and strategizing for impending events.

You can use these "breather moments" between action scenes to focus on character building, #motivation, etc.

#Writing #WritingCommunity #WritingAdvice #WritingTips #Backstory #Characterization #WritingCraft

@sethhalleway

2/ The trick with this approach is to make sure the #dialogue sounds natural and not like exposition. There is an excellent example of this being done VERY well in the most recent episode (seven) of #TheMandalorian.

Two groups of characters who haven't spoken in years are sitting down for a meal. Their dialogue artfully brings everyone up to speed on the story so far-- including the folks like me, who haven't seen every episode of every #StarWars series ever.

Having "outsider" / "new guy" #characters also helps: They need things explained to them, and can act as a proxy for the reader/viewer.

#Writing #WritingCommunity #WritingAdvice #WritingTips #Backstory #Characterization #WritingCraft

@sethhalleway
1/ #Backstory for #characters and/or #plot can be done by having them meet up with someone they haven't seen in years, and referring to events of that era or before. It can also be used to catch up on the character. You can also insert some #WorldBuilding scattered throughout.

"Bob! You old so-and-so. What've you been up to since last we talked?"

"Well, Fred... Recently I saved the Ondari solar system from a giant space shark, and lost the love of my life to a two-headed alien from the planet Zargon. Overall though, my career as a space pirate has been doing fairly well. How are things with you? How are your three wives and four podlings doing these days?"

"Pretty good. Hey... Remember that night we got drunk at that space bar, and you met up with a Solarian Princess?" [Dialogue continues on to tell about their shared mutual past.]

#Writing #WritingCommunity #WritingTips #WritingAdvice #WritingCraft #Characterization

‘Not Related to a Digital Currency’ — US Central Bank Addresses Concerns Over Fednow Payment Network - The U.S. Central Bank has issued an update regarding the Federal Reserve’s Fednow ... - https://news.bitcoin.com/not-related-to-a-digital-currency-us-central-bank-addresses-concerns-over-fednow-payment-network/ #massachusettsinstituteoftechnology #federalreservebankofnewyork #federalreservebankofboston #financialtransactions #financialservices #characterization #digitalcurrency

Ah, I do so love how @nlowell writes one character giving another a thorough dressing-down without it sounding like one but in a way that everyone present knows exactly what's being said and the subcontext of same. (Nat and Caoimhin at the dinner party, Nathan. "You wrote a paper with her?") #AmEditing #Characterization #SCMarvaCollins

Jeez. And thinking about competing loyalties. How a character might commit a horrible act but it's done to save someone else.

And I think it's interesting to think about how we sort of rate such things on the scale of evil. Whether harming someone you love is worse than harming a stranger. Whether it's about the body count or the relationships involved or the intentions or a whole variety of considerations.

#WritingCommunity #WritingClass #writing #Characterization #WritingCraft #AmWriting

And you know, when characters are not V-illains, but just regular people who make harmful choices, it's really interesting to think about what sort of value system they have and how/whether they messed up according to that system, especially if it's not the same value system as another character--or the reader. Sometimes moral frameworks clash in ways that are very generative for stories.

#WritingCommunity #WritingClass #writing #Characterization #WritingCraft #AmWriting

And then for purposes of generating a lot of fun writing, I use a REALLY broad definition of evil. It turns into just "does bad things" or "makes bad choices" but that's just not as _catchy_ when I'm trying to get folks to sign up.

#WritingCommunity #WritingClass #writing #Characterization #WritingCraft #AmWriting

One of thing the things we get into in this class (and where it started in my brain) is the concept of empathizing with evil. I like to think about whether we should do that! Why it makes for a fun story, but also what the implications might be.

My working theory is that it's not so much about relating or forgiving, but that we're trying to learn how to keep ourselves from becoming evil.

What do you think?

#WritingCommunity #WritingClass #writing #Characterization #WritingCraft #AmWriting

We're talking about sensibility in my class today--the particular way a character observes the world & how that creates a sense of personality. How looking out is a reflection of the inner workings of a brain.

And I'm thinking about how it's often so iterative for me. I notice my character's sensibility and then I develop it and then I notice new things and develop them.

Do you think about sensibility? Do you build it or notice it?

#WritingCommunity #Sensibility #Characterization #AmWriting

Consider the following #horoscope text:

> At times you are extroverted, affable, sociable, while at other times you are introverted, wary and reserved. You have found it unwise to be too frank in revealing yourself to others. You prefer a certain amount of change and variety, and become dissatisfied when hemmed in by restrictions and limitations. Disciplined and controlled on the outside, you tend to be worrisome and insecure on the inside. While you have some personality weaknesses, you are generally able to compensate for them. You have a great deal of unused capacity, which you have not turned to your advantage. You have a tendency to be critical of yourself. You have a strong need for other people to like you and for them to admire you.

#free #poll #coldread #scientific #experiment #characterization

Now, please choose the option that you think suits you the best:

Consider the following #horoscope text:

> At times you are extroverted, affable, sociable, while at other times you are introverted, wary and reserved. You have found it unwise to be too frank in revealing yourself to others. You prefer a certain amount of change and variety, and become dissatisfied when hemmed in by restrictions and limitations. Disciplined and controlled on the outside, you tend to be worrisome and insecure on the inside. While you have some personality weaknesses, you are generally able to compensate for them. You have a great deal of unused capacity, which you have not turned to your advantage. You have a tendency to be critical of yourself. You have a strong need for other people to like you and for them to admire you.

#free #poll #coldread #scientific #experiment #characterization

Now, please choose the option that you thing suits you best:

#IndieAuthorNews #WriteBetterFiction #characterdevelopment #novelseries #characterization #characters #character #Character #creatingcharacters #series #WritingNewCharacters #5TipsForDevelopingANewSeriesCharacter
5 Tips for Developing a New Series Character

How do you tell your main character to make room for a new voice? Author Tracy Clark shares five tips for developing a new series...
https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/5-tips-for-developing-a-new-series-character

Rewatching #GlassOnion, killing time before the Michigan game.

1. Who do I have to make friends with to get random deliveries of puzzle boxes?

2. The mask choices on this dock scene should win some kind of costume award. Best piece of #characterization in the whole film.

Whether you're working this week or taking some time to relax, I hope you're reading some excellent books!

One of my favourite books is Jane Austen's Persuasion. I love it for many things—the character development, the social commentary, the romance, the quiet heroine—including the brilliant way that Austen opens the book by using sentence structure to set the scene and introduce us to the absurdity of Sir Walter Elliot.

#Characterization #AmReading #JaneAusten

https://www.rookwoodediting.com/2021/02/sentence-structure-and-characterization-in-persuasion/

Three of my favorite classes will be online & asynchronous--meaning you can take them from anywhere, without time zone weirdness.

Starts Jan. 25
Eight Weeks, Eight Drafts (about revision)
https://bit.ly/8Weeks8Drafts

Starts Mar. 15
Evil and Empathy
(about characterization)
https://bit.ly/EvilEmp

Starts Mar. 15
Finding the Right Voice
(about POV) https://bit.ly/VoiceLoft

#Writing #WritingCommunity #revision #editing #villains #characterization #narration #POV #perspective

Looking forward to #MICRO2022 Session 16.4_Me on the #impact and #characterization of (aged) #microplastics in #soil today at 3 pm CET. Tune in for more: https://www.micro.infini.fr