1. CHARACTER
The Bone Structure

2. Character – Character – Who for out thou?
At first, you only know your character externally. Overtime you will get to know them deeper. If you don't learn the deepest depths of your character you will always have a flat character.

3. Character – Character – Who for out thou?
Lajos Egri a famous author who wrote the book The Art of Dramatic Writing that all colleges use as a tool for teaching creative writing and screenwriting states that “Character is the fundamental material we are forced to work with, so we must know character as thoroughly as possible.”

4. Character – Character – Who for out thou?
It is not enough, in your study of [character] to know if he/she is rude, polite, religious, moral, and degenerate, you must know why.

5. 3 Dimensions of Character
There are 3 dimensions to the human being:
physiology,
sociology,
psychology.

6. 1st dimension – physiology
Lame, deaf, ugly, beautiful, tall, short, etc. see the world differently.
Depending on your physiology, your outlook on life is altered:
“Our physical make-up certainly colors our outlook on life. It influences us endlessly, helping to make us tolerant, defiant, humble, or arrogant. It affects our mental development, serves as a basis for inferiority and superiority complexes.”

7. Physiology Activities
Activity “Character Step 1” - Describe the character you created in “Character Bio” activity.
Is he/she/it hunchbacked, have pimples, very short, too tall, have warts, have beautiful long hair, shapely figure, overweight, strong, muscular?
Character Step 2 – Are they attractive in society? Ugly, average? Keep in mind their society maybe different than ours. In a fantasy world, warts may be attractive. Explain how they are or are not.
We are not necessarily talking about Earth 2014

8. 2nd Dimension – Sociology
Sociology is how the world and people around you affects you. What station in life – rich, poor. Good parents, bad parents, abandoned.

9. Sociology Activity Activity “Character Sociology 1” -
You were born in a basement. Your playground was the dirty city streets of Chicago or New York. How do you believe your outlook on life would be like?
You were born a while male in a mansion. Your playground was a pristine play area assisted with nannies. You went to a private school. How do yo believe your outlook on life would be like?
Now, in these situations it is necessary to analyze your differences:

10. Sociology Activity continued
Who was your father? Mother?
Were they sick or well? Busy? Did they give you much attention?
What as their occupation?
Who were your friends?
How did you influence or affect them?
How did they affect you?.
What kind of clothes did you like?
What books did you read if any?

11. Sociology Did you go to church? What is an example of a normal dinner?
Give an example of how a normal evening was spent?
Who are you?
What does your bedroom look like? Do you share a room?
If so, how do you find private time?
What is your secret place?
What elder do you look up to? Is it a family member? Is it someone on the street?

12. 3rd Dimension - Psychology
It is the product of the other two dimensions. Their combined influence gives life to ambition, frustration, temperament, attitudes, complexes. Psychology then, rounds out the three dimensions
To understand the Psychology of a character, we must look at the motivation which compels him to act as he does.

13. Psychology – The Physical makeup
What does the character look like and how has this affected that character’s life?
How did he/she get to the point they are in your story?
How did he/she become the interest for your story?
What compelled you to create or use this character?
Important as this physical dimension is, it is only part of the whole.

14. Psychology – The Physical Picture
What is the setting of your character
What is the background
How were they raised
What are their morals

15. 3 Dimensional Character Activity
Answer the questions on your handout “3 Dimensional Bone Structure”