Overview
This lecture covers character development in writing, including building sympathy, balancing competence, creating villains, structuring emotional arcs, pacing, humor, and handling multi-book stories.
Building Sympathetic Characters
- Avoid excessive rumination on a character's tragic past; show brief, genuine reactions and resilience.
- Characters become more sympathetic when they strive beyond their pain and try hard, even if they fail.
- Beware of the "Women in Refrigerators" trope—avoid giving characters no autonomy just to motivate others.
Characters, Plot, and Progression
- Characters often change during drafting; their actions can reshape the plot.
- Use character motivations and background to shape their worldview and voice distinctly.
- Align character and plot progression by revising for scenes where both evolve together.
Character Competence and Development
- Balance character competence in one area with flaws or incompetence in others.
- Keep character development steady by ensuring every scene shows growth or change, using feedback from readers for pacing.
Villains and Conflict
- Avoid cliché villains by giving them multi-layered motivations beyond simple power lust.
- Develop villains by showing depth and complexity, even with limited "screen time."
- Make characters with opposing goals sympathetic by giving each clear, relatable motivations.
Writing Techniques and Tools
- Use additional viewpoints to expand story depth, but be mindful each new viewpoint requires establishing interest and an arc.
- Introspection should be used sparingly to keep characters relatable without overwhelming readers.
- Wiki software (e.g., wicked pad) and word processors (e.g., Microsoft Word) help keep story elements organized.
Dialogue and Emotional Arcs
- Not every conversation must advance the plot—dialogue can reveal relationships, provide humor, or offer emotional relief.
- Balance scenes of high tension with quieter moments to prevent reader fatigue.
- When converging multiple plotlines (e.g., "sanderlanches"), stagger climaxes for emotional impact and cohesion.
Representation and Research
- When writing about unfamiliar experiences (e.g., mental illness), research deeply and seek feedback from those with lived experience.
Humor in Writing
- Employ a mix of comic drop (knocking a proud character down), juxtaposition (unexpected pairings), and the rule of three (escalating repetition).
- Combine character-based, relationship, and wordplay humor for broader appeal.
Multi-Book Arcs and Endings
- If planning a series, give each book a satisfying character arc that feels complete.
- A character’s journey can be expanded in sequels by introducing new, meaningful challenges.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Women in Refrigerators — A trope where a character (often female) is harmed/depowered solely to motivate another character, usually the protagonist.
- Comic Drop — Humor technique where a character is reduced from a position of strength to vulnerability.
- Rule of Three — Comedy principle where repetition with variation, typically on the third instance, creates humor.
- Viewpoint Character — The character through whose perspective the story is seen.
- Sanderlanch — Term for a cascading climax where multiple plot threads converge in a rapid sequence.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Complete and submit the attendance questionnaire.
- Prepare questions for next week’s lecture on publishing and the business side of writing.
- Take any assigned quizzes or tests.