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 aligning character development with the story's themes. She uses her own character, Robin, from her project 'BB' as an example, highlighting how the character's background, motivations, and social position reflect the narrative's focus on feminism and revolution. Anna encourages viewers to consider these elements when crafting their characters to ensure a compelling and thematic story.

Takeaways

  • 📝 Start by understanding how your story came about to determine the character's role and importance in the narrative.
  • 🎯 Focus on the main characters, usually one to two, to keep the story concentrated and impactful.
  • 🌟 Align the character's traits, such as gender, age, and social status, with the themes and plot of the story.
  • 👥 Choose characters that reflect the story's themes; for example, a female character for a narrative with feminist themes.
  • 🏰 Consider the character's background and environment to inform their motivations and attitudes towards the world.
  • 🔍 Develop the character's personality and backstory to explain their actions and decisions within the story.
  • 👣 Use character profiles to dive deeper into the character's interests, motivations, and relationships with others.
  • 💡 Offer side characters to add layers and depth to the main character's development and story.
  • 📚 Provide templates or guides for creating character profiles to assist others in developing their characters effectively.
  • 📈 Emphasize the importance of character development in telling a compelling and meaningful 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 starting with the story when creating a character?

    -Anna emphasizes this because the story determines the type of characters needed, their roles, and how they contribute to the plot and themes of the narrative.

  • What was the book idea for Anna's project 'BB'?

    -The book idea for 'BB' revolves around themes of feminism, girl power, and the dynamics between peasants and a kingdom, with an emphasis on revolution.

  • How did Anna decide on the main character, Robin?

    -Anna chose Robin based on the story's themes and setting. It made sense for the character to be a female peasant with a backstory of hostility towards the kingdom due to her parents' exile and death.

  • What are some key elements to consider when developing a character from scratch?

    -Key elements include the character's role in the story, their connection to the themes, their gender, age, social position, occupation, and personal convictions.

  • What is the significance of limiting the number of main characters?

    -Limiting the number of main characters helps to maintain focus on the story and allows for deeper development of the characters that are central to the plot.

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

    -Anna uses the character's backstory, such as Robin's parents being exiled and killed by the king, to explain her thieving habits and desire for revenge, which shape her personality and actions within the story.

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

    -Side characters add depth to the main characters by providing additional layers to their personalities, interests, and relationships, enhancing the overall character development.

  • How does Anna recommend further character development after establishing the basic character traits?

    -Anna recommends using character profiles to dive deeper into the characters' personalities, appearances, and backgrounds, and she offers free templates for creating these profiles.

  • What is the main takeaway from the video for viewers?

    -The main takeaway is the importance of carefully selecting and developing characters to effectively convey the story and its themes, and that the characters should reflect and support the narrative's core messages.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Character Creation from Scratch

In this paragraph, Anna introduces the concept of creating a character from the ground up. She expresses her excitement about discussing character development and shares her personal enthusiasm for crafting characters. Anna emphasizes the importance of understanding the story and its themes before creating characters, as this helps in determining their roles and significance within the narrative. She uses her own writing process as an example, explaining that she usually starts with the story and then develops characters to fit within that story. Anna also highlights the importance of having a limited number of main characters to focus on, and shares her approach to creating her main character, Robin, for her project 'BB'. She discusses how the themes of feminism, girl power, and social dynamics influenced her character choices, and how Robin's background and motivations were shaped by these elements.

05:02

🌟 Developing Characters to Reflect Story Themes

Anna delves deeper into the process of character development, explaining how the story and its themes should guide the creation and evolution of characters. She uses the example of her main character, Robin, to illustrate how a character's background, personality, and motivations are crucial for telling the story effectively. Anna points out that understanding a character's social position, occupation, and personal convictions helps in making them an integral part of the narrative. She also touches on the importance of side characters in adding depth to the main characters and the overall story. Anna concludes by encouraging viewers to explore her previous videos on character profiles and offers a template for creating character profiles. She hopes that the video's content and the example of Robin have helped 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 for a narrative. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of starting from scratch and building a character to fit the story's themes and plot, using the example of Robin, a character developed to reflect themes of feminism and revolution.

💡Story Creation

Story creation is the process of构思 and planning the narrative of a story, including its plot, setting, and characters. In the video, the speaker explains that they typically come up with the story first and then create characters to fit within that story, ensuring that the characters serve the plot and themes effectively.

💡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 story's moral or lesson. In the video, the speaker wanted to emphasize themes of feminism, girl power, and the dynamics between peasants and the kingdom, which influenced the creation of the main character, Robin.

💡Feminism

Feminism is a social and political movement advocating for gender equality and the rights and equality of women. In the context of the video, the speaker wanted the character of Robin to embody feminist ideals, making her struggle and journey a reflection of the broader feminist theme within the story.

💡Peasants

Peasants refer to members of the lowest social class in a society, typically working in agriculture and having little political or economic power. In the video, the speaker's story revolves around the dynamics between peasants and the ruling kingdom, with the main character, Robin, being a peasant who stands up against the oppressive regime.

💡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 antagonistic force against which the main character, Robin, rebels, representing the oppressive power structure.

💡Revolution

Revolution refers to a significant and often sudden change in political, social, or economic order. In the video, the speaker's story is centered around the concept of revolution, with the main character, Robin, leading a rebellion against the oppressive kingdom, representing the struggle for change and justice.

💡Backstory

Backstory refers to the events, experiences, and history that have shaped a character's personality and motivations before the events of the story take place. In the video, Robin's backstory, including her parents' exile and death, is crucial to understanding her actions and motivations within the story.

💡Conviction

Conviction refers to a strong belief or opinion that is held firmly, often leading to decisive action. In the video, the speaker describes how Robin's conviction of revenge against the king for her parents' death shapes her character and her role in the story's revolution.

💡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's story explores the social hierarchy of a kingdom, with the main character, Robin, originating from the lowest tier as a peasant and challenging the higher classes.

💡Character Profiles

Character profiles are detailed descriptions of a character's traits, history, and other relevant information that help to define them in a narrative. In the video, the speaker recommends using character profiles to further develop characters, including their appearance, personality, and relationships with others.

Highlights

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

The importance of understanding the story 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 character's gender, age, social position, and occupation.

Anna's main character, Robin, is developed as a young female peasant thief with a desire for revenge.

Robin's backstory, including her parents' exile and death, influences her character and actions.

The character's role in the plot should be determined by their personal convictions and motivations.

Anna recommends focusing on 1 to 2 main characters to maintain a strong narrative focus.

The process of character development should come naturally for some writers, but it's beneficial to consciously consider these elements.

Once the character's role in the story is established, then their appearance and personality can be developed.

Side characters add depth to the main character and the story, providing additional layers of interest.

Anna provides free character profile templates for both main and side characters in her video resources.

The video aims to help viewers understand the importance of character selection and development in storytelling.

Anna encourages viewers to subscribe to her channel for more writing and character development content.