#7: 5 Questions to Help You Write Better Characters
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Apr 14, 2020
Learn how to write better characters by answering five key questions: what do they want, why do they want it, what's standing in their way externally and internally, and what's at stake if they fail. The importance of character goals, motivations, conflict, and growth are also explored.
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Character Goals
Give each character, especially your protagonist, a clear goal.
This goal drives the external plot and creates smaller scene goals.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Katniss' Shifting Goal
Katniss Everdeen's initial goal is her family's safety.
It shifts to personal survival when she enters the Hunger Games.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Character Motivation
Determine why your character wants to achieve their goal.
A strong motivation prevents them from giving up and makes them believable.
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In this episode, I'll walk you through five questions that will help you write compelling characters. I highly recommend using these questions to flesh out both your protagonist AND your antagonist, but you can also use these questions to help you develop your secondary characters, too. Here's a preview of what we'll cover:
[01:45] Question 1: What does your character want? Your character's goal will help you shape the external plot of your story as well as each of your story's scenes. [05:00] Question 2: Why does your character want to achieve this goal? Your character's motivation needs to be strong enough to push them through the story without allowing them to give up. [06:55] Question 3: What's standing in his or her way externally? What's the external conflict? This is essentially the antagonist or the antagonistic force in your story. [8:20] Question 4: What's standing in his or her way internally? What's the internal conflict? This is essentially any inner demons, fears, or an outdated worldview that your character needs to overcome in order to succeed in accomplishing their goal. [10:30] Question 5: What's at stake if they fail to accomplish their goal? In other words, what are the consequences for your protagonist if they fail? [12:30] Key points and episode recap. [14:00] How many characters should you answer these questions for? [14:45] Bonus exercise: Grab your favorite book and see if you can answer these five questions for the protagonist. Were the answers easy to identify?
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