|WRITING COMPLETE CHARACTERS| | CHARACTER DESIGN FORGE | Table of ContentS: Introductions…………………………………………………………..………………………………………………… pg. 4 PART I: YOUR CHARACTER’S UNIQUE IDENTITY Chapter One: Create Friends, Not Characters…………….…………………………………….….. pg. 7 Chapter Two: Your Character’s Primary Objective and Personal Goal……….…….……. pg. 15 Chapter Three: The Unique Gift…………..……..……………………………………………….…….… pg. 23 Chapter Four: Give Your Character Fears and Flaws……………………………..…………….. pg. 27 Chapter Five: Your Character’s Deepest Secret…………….……..…………………………..…… pg. 39 Chapter Six: Your Character’s Personal Beliefs and Worldview…………………..….…….. pg. 43 Chapter Seven: Your Character’s Relationships……………………………………………….…… pg. 53 Chapter Eight: Your Character’s Passions………………………………………………….……..…. pg. 60 PART II: YOUR CHARACTER’S UNIQUE STORY Chapter Nine: The Three-Act Structure …………………………………………………..…………… pg. 68 Chapter Ten: What is a Character Arc and Why Does it Matter? …………………………… pg. 86 Chapter Eleven: Creating your Character’s Origin Story…………….……………………….… pg. 91 Chapter Twelve: Killing Your Character………………………………………..……………………… pg.105 Acknowledgments ………………………………………………………………………………………….. pg 118 About the Author …………………………………………………………………………………………….. pg 119 |WRITING COMPLETE CHARACTERS| | CHARACTER DESIGN FORGE | Copyrights and Permissions: No part of this publication may be redistributed or resold in any format electronic or otherwise based on sect. 107-108 of the United States Copyright Act. All rights reserved. Copyright 2020 Character Design Forge Taylor Eggleston | WRITING COMPLETE CHARACTERS| | CHARACTER DESIGN FORGE | 4 I N T R O What is a complete character? What makes a character ready to be brought out onto the stage for all to see? I often like to replace the word “character” with “person” because a character is precisely that. This idea that a character exists in another state outside of our realm or blocked off in some blank page away from the effects of your coffee-stained hands confuses the idea of what a character truly is and what readers expect from their role in your story. Characters need to be as complex, as purposeful as you and I. Their lives need to come full circle in your story whether you’re creating a comic, short story, or a 50,000-word novel. As long as they make an appearance they must be complete from the inside out. So how do you create a complete character, one that readers will celebrate? What does a complete character look like? How do you know if your character is truly “complete”? | WRITING COMPLETE CHARACTERS| | CHARACTER DESIGN FORGE | 5 Well, your curiosity on the subject has brought you this far, and to that I say air-five, friend. You’re about to snatch answers to all those pesky questions. This book is aimed at breaking down the role of your unique character. It’s designed to help you understand the identity of your character, what they need to do to satisfy your audience, and validate participation in your story. It’s aimed to help you reach deep into the creative wells of your supple soul and help you bring out the best in your character. This book will discuss the overarching purpose that drives your character all the way down to the subtle nuances readers truly salivate over. Whether you have a concept of a character in mind or have no idea who your character is yet, this book is for you. You don’t need any familiarity with writing to benefit from the lessons in these pages either. All you need to have is a yearnin’ for learnin’ and an eagerness to participate because the resources in this book involve you and that beautiful mind of yours. So get comfy or sit up straight— really get into whatever position helps you work that thinkin’ cap, friend— because your character is about to emerge and set the world on fire. | WRITING COMPLETE CHARACTERS| | CHARACTER DESIGN FORGE | 6 P A R T i YOUR CHARACTER’S UNIQUE IDENTITY “You’re a painter. You’re a baker. You like to sleep with the windows open. You never take sugar in your tea. And you always double-knot your shoelaces.” - Katniss Everdeen about Peeta Mellark This section discusses your character’s persona from the inside out. We take a look at every angle of a character and why even the littlest details matters in storytelling. | WRITING COMPLETE CHARACTERS| | CHARACTER DESIGN FORGE | 7 C h a p t e r O n e : Create Friends, Not CharactErs Rey the Scavenger. Bilbo Baggins. Miles Morales. Princess Leia. Finn the Human. Katniss Everdeen. Edmond Dantes. Citra Terranova. Ben Solo. Why am I listing a bunch of character names? Because these are characters that matter to me. These are characters from various works of fiction that have stuck out in my mind through the years and remained beloved friends. Yes, friends. What characters have become friends to you over the years? Think about your favorite books, shows, comics, or movies: who sticks out to you the most? Why does that specific character resonate with you? Why are they your friends? What about them stands out head and shoulders above the rest? | WRITING COMPLETE CHARACTERS| | CHARACTER DESIGN FORGE | 8 Now take those answers and steer them toward your characters: how do you create characters that matter to your readers as much as these guys? You create, not just a character, but a friend. Because friends matter to your readers, not characters. So now let’s take this a step further and think about your real life friends for a moment. Think about your best friend, in fact. Think about what it is that makes your best friend special to you and why. In fact, on the following page, I’ve provided your first interactive worksheet and hey-o, it’s about your best friend! So take a moment now to fill out the worksheet as best you can, and take your time with it. | WRITING COMPLETE CHARACTERS | | CHARACTER DESIGN FORGE | 9 Does each My Best Friend: Will each scene character matter to the plot? BASICS: motivate the plot? Name:_________ Siblings (if any):________ Age:___ Level of Education:_______ P.O.B:________ Background:______ (Place of Birth) FAVORITES: Band:__________ Ice Cream Flavor:_______ Activity:________ Song:________ Movie:_________ Superhero:________ Outfit:_________ Book:________ Place to Visit:______ Memory with you:________ _____________________ DEEPER INFO: Their hardest struggle:_______________________ Their worst childhood memory:_________________ Their proudest achievement:___________________ Their secret crush: _________________________ Their biggest secret:_________________________ | WRITING COMPLETE CHARACTERS| |CHARACTER DESIGN FORGE | 10 My Best Friend (continued): DEEPER INFO: Their dream job:_________ Their most admirable skill:___________________ Their defining quality:_______________________ The bravest (or stupidest) thing they ever did:_______ _______________________________________ TICKS AND IDIOSYNCROSIES: What habit of theirs drives you crazy?:____________ What is your favorite personality trait about this friend?:__________________________________ What does their laugh sound like?:_______________ Do they ever do anything that makes you crazy? If so, what is it?:________________________________ Do they slurp their drinks or chew with their mouth open?:______ Are they an early riser or a night owl?:____________ Any other ticks or odd habits that you notice: ________________________________________ | WRITING COMPLETE CHARACTERS | | CHARACTER DESIGN FORGE | 11 Is your BFF trustworthy? Funny? Does he have similar interests as you? Hopefully he does and hopefully those interests involve Star Wars and tacos. Think about details. What funny little quirks does he have? Maybe he has this awfully nervous tick where he laughs during funerals. Maybe he falls asleep in class and hopefully you take full advantage of that by flinging spit balls at him. Yep, you’ve got just a super interesting best friend. After all, he’s got personality, flaws, idiosyncrasies, a favorite pair of shoes, a favorite band, a record for highest consumption of tacos in one sitting, plus multiple other talents, imperfections, and secrets. What’s the point? Your characters should have these things too. Your character needs to not only have a unique personality but all the subtle nuances that come along with an individual as complex as your BFF. On the following page, I’ve provided a second worksheet. Only this one is about your character. When you fill out these questions, I want you to think about your character in a new light. Think about him like you’re actually going to meet him for ice cream later. Make him real. Make him as real as you or I. | WRITING COMPLETE CHARACTERS | | CHARACTER DESIGN FORGE| 12 My Character: BASICS: Name:_________ Siblings (if any):________ Age:___ Level of Education:_______ P.O.B:________ Background:______ FAVORITES: Color:__________ Sweet Treat:_______ Activity:________ Song:________ Food:_________ Idol:________ Outfit:_________ Book:________ Place to Visit:______ Memory of home:________ ____________________ DEEPER INFO: Their hardest struggle: ______________________ Their worst childhood memory:_________________ Their proudest achievement:___________________ Their secret crush:____________ Their biggest secret:_________________________ | WRITING COMPLETE CHARACTERS | | CHARACTER DESIGN FORGE | 13 My Main Character (continued): DEEPER INFO: Their dream job:_________ Their most admirable skill:___________________ Their defining quality:_______________________ The bravest (or stupidest) thing they ever did:_______ _______________________________________ TICKS AND IDIOSYNCROSIES: What