how to CREATE a CHARACTER from *SCRATCH*✍🏼my 3 step character developing process

ana neu
15 Oct 202208:16

TLDRIn this video, Anna shares her 3-step process for creating a character from scratch, emphasizing the importance of starting with the story and themes. She uses her book's main character, Robin, as an example to illustrate how the character's background, social status, and convictions should reflect the story's core message. Anna suggests focusing on a few main characters and recommends using character profiles to further develop their personalities and backstories.

Takeaways

  • 📝 Start by identifying the story's origins and how it came to be, as this will influence character development.
  • 🎯 Focus on the main themes of your story, such as feminism or social dynamics, to guide character creation.
  • 👥 Determine the main characters and limit them to a few key individuals to maintain focus.
  • 💃 Choose character traits like gender, age, social status, and occupation based on the story's needs.
  • 🏰 Consider the setting and the character's role within it, such as a peasant in a kingdom for a revolution-themed story.
  • 👣 Develop a character's backstory to explain their motivations and actions within the plot.
  • 🌟 Use character profiles to flesh out both main and side characters, providing depth and layers to their personalities.
  • 🖌️ Utilize templates for character profiles to streamline the development process and ensure consistency.
  • 📚 Remember that the plot doesn't happen to the characters, but rather the characters happen to the plot.
  • 🌈 Create characters that reflect and enhance the themes you wish to explore in your story.

Q & A

  • What is the main focus of the video?

    -The main focus of the video is to discuss a 3-step character developing process for creating a character from scratch.

  • Why does Anna emphasize the importance of understanding the story before creating characters?

    -Anna emphasizes this because it is crucial to determine the roles and characteristics of the characters based on the story's themes and plot, ensuring that the characters are integral to the narrative.

  • What is the significance of having a limited number of main characters?

    -Focusing on a limited number of main characters helps to maintain a clear narrative and allows for deeper development of those characters, making the story more engaging and impactful.

  • How does Anna decide on the main character's gender and role in her story?

    -Anna decides based on the themes and setting of the story. For her book, having a female protagonist made more sense due to the emphasis on feminism and the character's background as a peasant.

  • What is the role of Robin in Anna's project BB?

    -Robin is the main character in Anna's project BB, a young peasant and thief who is driven by a desire for revenge against the king for the exile and death of her parents.

  • How does Anna use the character's backstory to inform their personality and actions?

    -Anna uses the character's backstory to create a convincing motive for their behavior and to align their actions with the story's themes, making the character's journey more meaningful and relatable.

  • What are some elements that Anna considers when developing a character from scratch?

    -Anna considers elements such as the character's gender, age, social hierarchy position, occupation, and personal convictions when developing a character from scratch.

  • How does Anna recommend further developing the characters after establishing their basic traits?

    -Anna recommends using character profiles to dive deeper into the characters' interests, motivations, and relationships with other characters, adding more layers to their personalities.

  • What is the importance of side characters in the character development process?

    -Side characters are important as they provide additional depth to the main character's story, help to create a more realistic and engaging world, and contribute to the overall narrative.

  • What resources does Anna provide to assist viewers in character development?

    -Anna provides free templates for creating character profiles, which can be found in the video description or linked in the I card, to help viewers develop both main and side characters.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Character Creation from Scratch

In this paragraph, Anna introduces the topic of character creation, expressing her excitement about discussing character development. She emphasizes the importance of characters in storytelling and shares her process of creating characters from the ground up. Anna explains that understanding the story and its themes is crucial for character development. She uses her book project featuring Robin, a female peasant thief with a strong sense of justice and a desire for revenge against the king, as an example to illustrate how the character's background and personality traits are intertwined with the story's themes.

05:02

🌟 Reflecting Themes through Character Development

Anna continues her discussion on character creation by delving into the importance of aligning a character's traits and background with the story's themes. She stresses that the character's gender, age, social status, and occupation play a significant role in shaping the narrative. Anna uses the example of Robin to show how a character's convictions and personal history can drive the plot. She also encourages viewers to consider the role of side characters and provides resources for further exploration, such as character profiles and templates. The paragraph concludes with Anna's hope that the video helps viewers understand the significance of character selection and development in storytelling.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Character Development

Character development refers to the process of creating and evolving a character's personality, traits, and backstory to make them believable and engaging within a narrative. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of crafting characters from scratch, starting with the story's themes and requirements to ensure the characters fit and enhance the plot. The example of Robin, the main character in the speaker's project, illustrates how the character's background, motivations, and role in society were carefully designed to reflect the themes of feminism and revolution.

💡Story Creation

Story creation is the process of构思 and developing a narrative, which includes deciding on the plot, setting, and characters. In the context of the video, the speaker explains that their approach to story creation begins with the story concept, which then informs the selection and development of characters. This approach ensures that the characters are integral to the story and contribute to its themes and messages.

💡Themes

Themes are the central ideas or messages that a story aims to convey. They provide a framework for understanding the characters' actions and the plot's progression. In the video, the speaker highlights the importance of aligning the characters with the story's themes, such as feminism and the struggle of the peasant class, to create a cohesive and meaningful narrative.

💡Feminism

Feminism is a social and political movement advocating for gender equality and the rights and equality of women. In the video, feminism is a key theme that the speaker wanted to explore, influencing the creation of the main character, Robin, as a strong female figure who represents the struggle and resilience of women in a male-dominated society.

💡Peasants

Peasants refer to members of the lowest social class in feudal society, typically working in agriculture and living in rural areas. In the video, the speaker uses the context of peasants and their relationship with the kingdom to explore themes of power dynamics and revolution. The main character, Robin, is a peasant, which allows the speaker to examine the societal structure and the potential for rebellion from the perspective of the oppressed.

💡Kingdom

A kingdom is a large group of people living under a single ruler, typically a king or queen. In the video, the kingdom serves as the setting and a symbol of power and authority. The speaker uses the concept of a kingdom to create a backdrop for the story that explores themes of power dynamics, social hierarchy, and the potential for revolution from the perspective of the peasant class.

💡Revolution

Revolution refers to a significant and sudden change in the structure of society, often brought about by the people's collective action against an oppressive regime. In the video, the speaker's story centers around the idea of revolution, with the main character, Robin, representing the spirit of rebellion and the desire for change among the oppressed peasant class.

💡Hostility

Hostility is a strong feeling of unfriendliness, antagonism, or aggression towards someone or something. In the video, hostility is used to describe the relationship between the peasants and the king, highlighting the tension and conflict that serves as a driving force in the story.

💡Backstory

Backstory refers to the events, experiences, and history that have shaped a character's personality and current situation before the events of the story take place. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of a character's backstory in understanding their motivations and actions, using Robin's tragic past as an example to illustrate how her experiences with her parents' exile and death fuel her actions in the story.

💡Conviction

Conviction refers to a strong belief or opinion that is held firmly, often leading to decisive action. In the context of the video, the speaker discusses how a character's conviction can drive the narrative and shape their role in the story. Robin's conviction of revenge against the king is a key aspect of her character and a driving force in the plot.

💡Social Hierarchy

Social hierarchy refers to the arrangement of individuals or groups within a society based on their status, power, or wealth. In the video, the speaker uses the concept of social hierarchy to create tension and conflict between the peasant class, represented by the main character, and the ruling class, embodied by the king. This hierarchy is central to the story's exploration of power dynamics and the potential for revolution.

Highlights

Anna shares her 3-step character developing process for creating characters from scratch.

The importance of understanding the story concept before creating characters is emphasized.

Characters should reflect the themes and messages of the story, such as feminism and girl power.

The story should dictate the characters' roles, not the other way around.

Limiting the main characters to one to two promotes focus and depth in storytelling.

The character's background and social status should align with the story's setting and plot.

Anna introduces Robin, a character from her project BB, as an example of her character development process.

Robin's character is shaped by her circumstances, such as being a peasant and having hostile feelings towards the king.

The character's occupation and personal history, like Robin's thieving, should serve the narrative.

Anna explains that the character's personality and physical attributes come after defining their role in the story.

The video provides a free template for creating character profiles, useful for both main and side characters.

The process of character development is crucial for telling a compelling and well-structured story.

Anna's method encourages writers to think deeply about their characters' motivations and how they contribute to the plot.

The video offers practical advice for writers looking to create strong, memorable characters from the ground up.

Anna's enthusiasm for character development is evident, and she aims to inspire the same passion in her viewers.

The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to subscribe and explore more of Anna's content for writing tips.

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