Institute for Instructional Excellence: Creating Characters That Come Alive! From the course, CWE200 Creating a Character Sketch Presented by Janie Sullivan, MBA, MAEd Director, Center for Writing ExcellenceCenter for Writing Excellence © 2010 Center for Writing Excellence A 20/10 Webcast (20 minutes for $10)

Institute for Instructional Excellence: A bit about Janie © 2010 Center for Writing Excellence Freelance Writer – Newspapers – Magazines – Published book: Do You Call Yourself a Writer? Available at Lulu PressLulu Press – Online for multiple sites Trainer Curriculum Specialist Educator, Facilitator – Bachelor degree in Journalism – Master degrees in Education & Business

Institute for Instructional Excellence: Webcast Topic Nine Steps to Creating a Character that will step off the pages of your story and into the lives of the reader. © 2010 Center for Writing Excellence

Institute for Instructional Excellence: Character Description Her veined and age splotched hands were barely distinguishable from the faded coverlet as she nervously picked at loose threads. Wisps of yellow-grey hair flew about her wrinkled face, her eyes darting from the window to the door as if she expected someone, or something to enter either opening. She gasped and jerked as a tiny sound, like pebbles on the screen, came from the window. The stained light green cotton bed jacket slid off her bony shoulders with the movement. Whatever made the sound was gone now, but she still stared fearfully at the window. It was growing dark outside and she became visibly more anxious as the light faded. She sighed, lips flapping over empty gums while her teeth rested in a glass of murky water on the bedside table. Her surprisingly bright blue eyes closed and she thought, Im afraid to sleep, afraid not to sleep. © 2010 Center for Writing Excellence

Institute for Instructional Excellence: Step One Start with a PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION of your character. © 2010 Center for Writing Excellence

Institute for Instructional Excellence: Step Two Describe the kind of VOICE your character has. © 2010 Center for Writing Excellence

Institute for Instructional Excellence: Step Three What does your character DO FOR A LIVING? © 2010 Center for Writing Excellence

Institute for Instructional Excellence: Step Four What are your CHARACTER'S THOUGHTS ON LIFE? © 2010 Center for Writing Excellence

Institute for Instructional Excellence: Step Five How does your CHARACTER INTERACT WITH OTHERS? © 2010 Center for Writing Excellence

Institute for Instructional Excellence: Step Six What are your CHARACTER'S MAIN INFLUENCES IN LIFE? © 2010 Center for Writing Excellence

Institute for Instructional Excellence: Step Seven WHERE DOES THE CHARACTER LIVE? © 2010 Center for Writing Excellence

Institute for Instructional Excellence: Step Eight Finally, determine WHAT KIND OF PERSON THE CHARACTER IS. © 2010 Center for Writing Excellence

Institute for Instructional Excellence: Step Nine Once you have written your character sketch, sit back and think about the character, get to know him or her in your mind so when you introduce him or her in the story, you are introducing someone you know very well. © 2010 Center for Writing Excellence

Institute for Instructional Excellence: In Summary Create a detailed character sketch for each of the characters in your story. Relate the characters to each other in the sketches. Use a show me dont tell me approach to introducing your characters. Do NOT use all the character sketch information in detail in the story. © 2010 Center for Writing Excellence

Institute for Instructional Excellence: About the Center for Writing Excellence Creative Writing Classes 20/10 Webinars Fiction in Five Contest Fiction Prompt Challenge Writing Services © 2010 Center for Writing Excellence

Institute for Instructional Excellence: Thank you Contact Information: Center for Writing Excellence – address: – Skype/Phone: InstructionalExcellence or (623) © 2010 Center for Writing Excellence