All Questions
Tagged with character-development planning
26
questions
1
vote
4
answers
155
views
How do I write a major character from scratch?
I've designed loads of characters, most remaining in my head, some being written down on paper and others even having the honor of being in a book/short story. I'd like to pride myself by saying I'm ...
- 772
3
votes
4
answers
236
views
Are filler chapters/episodes unnecessary?
I was considering the use of filler chapters in my story, to flesh out the character's problems and daily life. These don't necessary progress the plot, but they do help the characters' relationships ...
- 1,143
2
votes
2
answers
195
views
What should I do when I keep thinking that a concept of a character is boring?
The thing I usually focus on in my story are the characters. They are the ones I can do, but at the same time not. I had a concept of a character but I sometimes think that they are too generic. ...
- 1,143
2
votes
2
answers
150
views
How do I decide my characters' relationships?
When I want to make character relationships, I include the theme of family/siblings, be it in a good or bad relationship. I want to use it to help deepen the characters and the plot.
I have trouble ...
- 1,143
0
votes
1
answer
87
views
What should I do if I have similar concepts for characters but different roles?
In one of my previous questions, I asked about how to get solid concepts. This one is similar but I'm asking what to do if I have two characters with similar concepts but whose differences make it ...
- 1,143
5
votes
4
answers
4k
views
When do you have to kill a character?
We all know that a character dying is very common in the world of fiction. I'm struggling to find reasons to kill a character. One reason I know of is killing a character, when their whole potential ...
- 1,143
8
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How do you get solid concepts and stop scrapping ideas?
As a young writer, I usually write when I have the time; after I finish my homework or school. I find it difficult to get a solid idea. For starters, the first thing you need for a story is concept or ...
- 1,143
-1
votes
1
answer
182
views
How far is too far with escalating sexual content?
I am writing about a main character who begins the story as a virgin, and over the course of the story escalates her sexual behavior from 1 on 1 heterosexual sex to prostitution and then to what might ...
- 593
2
votes
1
answer
346
views
Software to track multiple protagonists, bios, and timelines
This will probably be hard to explain so I'll list off what I'm looking for.
Software that allows me to have more than one main protagonist. My story has five main characters and the POV switches ...
4
votes
2
answers
184
views
Help! I have a strong concept, but a million decisions to make! How do I finish my first draft?
During the lockdown, I wrote 60,000 words of my children's fiction book. It wasn't a consistent process and as such, it has many inconsistencies and obsolete scenes.
At the moment, the draft looks ...
- 41
7
votes
2
answers
783
views
When should the protagonist have a self-revelation?
So far, I've been learning rules and guidelines for plotting a good story from John Truby's excellent "The Anatomy of Story".
Truby structures plot using 22 steps (a summary here). Among them, the ...
- 93
6
votes
7
answers
298
views
What should I do if I can't properly formulate the personality of one of my characters in my novel?
In my novel, my protagonist joins a team with four other characters to go on a quest. Each character in the team is supposed to contribute to the journey in someway and all are mentioned in a prophecy....
- 353
0
votes
4
answers
246
views
How would I be mean to my character? [closed]
My book is about a boy who wants to run away from home, and while writing a plan to run away from home he discovers all the reasons that he should stay, his best friend, his lover, and he discovers ...
- 516
1
vote
3
answers
2k
views
How can I defeat a 'force of nature villain' without killing him? [closed]
In my story, I have found myself in somewhat of a pickle: Although the hero is more than powerful enough to defeat a villain (which is your typical 'Dark Lord’) I don't think my protagonist is ready ...
14
votes
6
answers
720
views
Why is character lifetime proportional to character development so often?
Hollywood movies are a good example of this, but also many books feature the rule.
When the plot revolves around life and death situations, the first to die are the characters with least development. ...
- 285