The Writers’ Nook is a place where we, as a group, can provide a safe and positive environment in which to encourage one another and hone our own writing skills.
Who are your characters, really?
You might remember a story, or not. You might remember the wittiest of dialogues ever, or you might not. Perhaps it was the setting that was descriptive and memorable; maybe not so much. But the characters, original characters — your favourite characters of all time? You’ll remember them for the rest of your life! Let’s talk about how to develop characters like this.
The Handout
Please download and print this Handout. Bring it with you to the meeting, these are the topics we will be discussing. If you cannot access the Handout, contact me and I’ll email a copy to you.
The Challenge
Your challenge, after this meeting is over and before our next meeting on November 26th, will be to develop a small character chart (see example on the last page of the Handout) for two people that you know well, so you can easily use their real characters (just don’t tell anyone). Then, make one of them the protagonist, the other the antagonist in a short story, or an imaginary newspaper article, or anything about their confrontation. Create a story of your own or find inspiration using one of the following writing prompts:
— A car accident, one character’s car bumps into the other…
— Character A overhears Character B verbally abusing a child…
— Your mother-in-law is telling you how to treat your spouse…
When you are finished writing your story, please send it to me so I can post it below for others to read, for feedback.
Responses
(Members, after reading the following responses, please continue on down this page to Comment on them. This is where we provide feedback to one another; this is one of the ways we learn from each other.)
Life On Eighth Avenue by Marilyn McAllister
Conkered by Alistair Johnston
Ocean by Jutta Dewitt
The Day’s Words by Normand Blondin (from October 22nd reading)
The Wrench by Joyce Adrian Sotski
The Chair and the Pot by Tom Wainwright
Life On Eighth Avenue: Marilyn, You have said so much in this poem. It’s sparse, I love that, but brimming with an array of emotions and images that leave me speechless. Very effective. Beautifully written.
Conkered: Alistair, How much I learned in the few short minutes that it took to read this! So full of information. You talked first about the fruit but I didn’t know that this is what kids did with it. Very well and clearly written, and so full of action it made me long to try it out even though I was, obviously of the wrong gender. And I’d never had any trees like that growing in our community. What fun it must have been. An enjoyable read.
Ocean: Jutta, Is there a parent out there who can’t identify, not with the ocean so much, but the constant vigil that we keep on our children. Then one little slip and — the guilt! Well done. I felt it all.
Life on 8th Avenue: I so enjoyed how you set the scene and wove into the tale, the simple pleasures of childhood,the leasure that back in the day helped us learn valuable life skills. I loved reading your expansive descriptions of all the environmental elements that formed the backdrop of the story and would like to discuss with the group some day, how we as writers manage the role description plays in or story telling. Lovey read
That’s a good idea Alistair. Maybe we should use that for a discussion.
Ocean: As parents we have all experienced some similar sense of panic as we expose our kids to the world’s vagaries. What held my attention was the balance between identified danger, the sense of helpessness and the need for urgency. This might have been many years ago but it invoked recognizable emotions in me of the challenges parenting presents us.
Context: Normand, I enjoy your writing. It has a peaceful quality to it; and some of your phrases, such as, “So, I stop. I open the ears of my heart,” are beautiful, and encouraging us, the readers to slow down too. I hope you share many more of your writings.
The Chair and the Pot: Tom, Trust you to force us to concede that, to settle our last meeting’s discussion, inanimate objects really can be characters! Well done. This was silly and humorous and well read. You gave us all a chuckle.
Ocean. Jutta I loved your story, so real and you captured what it is to be a parent, always vigilant
The chair and the pot. Talk about imagination and creative writing, it was wonderfully done. Inanimate objects.
Alistar how well written and informative. Such fun growing up in that neighbourhood. And I love the tree as well, as did everyone living in Anmore at the time. 400 residents and we wouldn’t let hydro cut them down.
The Days Words. Normand I find your work very soothing and at the same time informative. There is a peacefulness and commitment in your writing.