In this chapter, chapter two, the author doesn’t describe this story as an experience that happened to them but in a creative light that reflects that of a fictious book. I really like that the writing style is akin to that of a Y/A author, too; It gives the chapter more humility. Making a character is so difficult, I wonder myself often how to navigate making a complex and morally mean character- I challenged myself a while ago to make one but it was so hard, and I felt so stumped that I gave up halfway through because her ideologies were so juxtaposed to my own. I like that the author is avidly delving into how to write a complex character by giving us head-on examples and advice. It’s a bit refreshing to see that I could use this as a blueprint in the future, and that the author leaves just enough room for the imagination to wander and condense itself into the character archetypes they delve into. I love that the author gives advice on where to get characters from, it’s refreshing to have a source rather than sit and contemplate for two hours about what the character will do next based on actions that you yourself have to make up. Their idea of romanticizing this fictionalization of your characters also has really helped me.
The idea that desire is the fundamental core of a character when it comes to writing stuck out to me as someone who, though I’ve been writing for a decade now— crazy as it sounds—I’ve only recently started to improve in the last two or three years when it comes to creating characters, which, despite my love for worldbuilding that is characteristic of the fantasy genre I work in, is the core of my writing as I review what I have worked on. I once heard that every character should be the protagonist of their own story, and this chapter goes into how desire is what sparks interest in your characters. This chapter also discusses contradictory traits, how they make a character feel much more alive than if you just have a trope-type character, such as The Evil Queen in Disney’s adaptation of Snow White, who never once changes and is simply evil for the sake of being evil. Meanwhile, you have characters like “The Magnus Archives” paranormal investigator Melanie King, who, despite sharing a similar goal to the series’ protagonist Jon, of leaving her job as of season three, often butts heads with him due to her strong sense of pride, their conflicts resulting in neither of them making progress come season four. Much like this example, the chapter outlines how a well-constructed character must feel human in order for anyone to be invested in them, whether you are rooting for or against them.
What really stuck out to me were the first two paragraphs. As someone who spent lots of time with friends and family within the confines of a pediatric ward of a hospital, that really stuck out to me. When my sister was there for 2 months, we never really saw anyone who was there to help them, in an educational or creative way, or at least I never saw them. My sister did her school work that I would pick up for her but there was never anyone there to assist them in that type of way. She would spend so much time reading books, or watching something on the television to experience something other than the walls of the hospital. My best friend was the same way, while she spent a little over a year in and out of the hospital, she was always reading, writing, creating or watching something to be able to “meet new people.” I think having someone who is there to add to that creativity and to get those kids to think about something else is really important, and very beneficial. And it can create a positive coping mechanism for them to embrace their situation and to be able to feel a sense of normalcy in such an unnatural situation. I also really liked the idea of creating characters based off of people you know, and people stored away in your memory. That really gives such dimension and understanding to the characters, because you are basing them and their actions after something that is real. I think the best characters that I have created are the ones who are based upon someone I know, or even have a hint of who I am in them. Overall, I think that this section of the text really shows us what a good character really adds to the story and how much more we want to root for them or read more about what happens to them. If they are stagnant and only one sided, there isn’t really much else that we would want to learn from them.
Chapter two is all about the characters. I think one of the most intriguing parts of this chapter is the idea of making a complex character, and more specifically, a villain that is not 100% evil. On page 30 it says, “Literature is filled with great villains. Part of what makes them so compelling is the tiny bit of ourselves we can see in them.” I can recognize a well-written character when I feel sympathy for someone who is so clearly the villain. I think this is something that I struggle with myself. I can make generally complex characters but when it comes to writing bad people I tend to make them a bit more two-dimensional.
Another part of this chapter that stuck out to me was showing versus telling when it comes to getting to know a character. I, again, often find myself taking the easy way out and just telling a character’s personality. When I am the reader, I much prefer when I can pick out character traits by the way the character interacts with others or even how the story is narrated. I seems to be a much more genuine way to “get to know” the character as it were.
I used to write a lot when I was younger, when I had ample free time and opportunities in my English classes in high school to do so. There were times when I would say that I had ‘writer’s block’ not being able to think of something to write about or a story that was supposed to be long just came to an abrupt stop, not allowing me to figure out how to take it further. After reading just the first chapter of this text I feel like I could write 100 short stories, if not maybe even my own novel. The text was not only informational in that it defined terms like novel, short story, and craft but it did so in an entertaining way that was oddly inspiring. A sentence that particularly stood out to me was on page 10: “Anyone who has lived past the age of 18 has enough stories to last a lifetime.” Thinking about everything that I have experienced, things I have loved along the path or my life and the things I have hated, I have ample fuel for writing. I think that combining personal stories with the idea of combining ideas and ‘seeds’ as the text puts it, would be enough for a phenomenal start to an A+ short story. I honestly did not expect to laugh while reading something one would call a textbook but the information was crafted in a way that will make it stick in my head. I also think it is interesting that really only professional or well known writers can break the rules because they have already mastered the rules. They know the rules in and out and how they can go against them in a way that will make their work that much more moving/ meaningful.
– the idea we all see ourselves in villain characters, the writer wants us to be able to relate (30)
– the ability to change and make the character unpredictable so the story is more intriguing and not simple (34)
-keeping the story detailed but relevant (49)
Throughout Chapter 2 of “Gotham Writers’ Workshop-Writing Fiction,” there were quite a few lines that stood out to me. One in particular, stated, “Description, no matter how brilliantly crafted, cannot carry a story. What the piece needed was a driving force, a momentum to thrust the reader forward.” This section resonated with me, because as someone who is familiar with novel writing, I am consistently concerned with balancing description when world-building and introducing characters, with the actual plot. One can not overwhelm the other if they want to keep the reader hooked. However, I don’t believe this line was necessarily echoing that same concern. Rather, I think that the writer is talking about the movement and flow of the story as well. There is a difference in describing a character fleeing their own wedding through a dark forest, for example, and evoking that same stress, adrenaline and fear in the reader. The reader needs to feel the momentum, needs to feel themselves trip over the hem of the tattered white dress and the tree roots, not just see it on the page. Another idea discussed in this chapter was human complexity when it comes to designing characters. The point made was to avoid having your character fall into a specific “type,” and to instead give them something unique to each of them. I found this to be an interesting point, because I’ve noticed that oftentimes authors make the mistake of creating a character solely to fit a role, when in reality, each person has their own individual life. For instance, a queen could be the main character of a story, but that doesn’t mean her gentlemen of a butler doesn’t go home to a family each night or have his own career aspirations. Maybe he never wanted to work for the royal family. Maybe he longs to be a poet and gets his inspiration from the daily events he witnesses in the palace… etc. Finally, in this chapter, I appreciated the author’s emphasis on understanding the story being written rather than just writing it. There is an overarching theme throughout the text in Chapter 2, of depth when it comes to stories, which is the level that needs to be reached in order to fully interest the reader in the story.
Chapter 2:
I found the section on contrasting traits interesting and it was something that I don’t believe that we talked much in class on. We did talk about ways to make a character complex and that doing things like showing how a character is the way that they are is more interesting and entertaining than juts telling. However, the idea of contrasting traits within one character can, like the book said, help to show different sides of the characters personality which can make them more relatable and more complex. This craft incorporated into a piece of work can be very subtle but has an impact on the reader even if they may not even notice it. It has not been something that has jumped out to me in works that I have read in the past, however, it is a great thing to keep in mind to incorporate into my own writing.
When reading through chapter two, I noticed that a lot of the sections all contributed to making a character that is not bland or “one dimensional.” It suggests things from giving them motivations and traits that define the guidelines for how your character should act and react. With this though it also outlines how we can make our character act out of character believably. It generally details how on can make a character change throughout the story by again working with their traits and pushing them to the point of change to some capacity.
A section of this chapter that really stuck out to me, mostly because it is my biggest challenge in fiction writing, is how we choose where characters come from. Deciding on “who” this person will be and then forming them to be such. I thought it was really interesting how they state that most characters come from those we know in our every day lives. Although it sounds obvious, I have always found it difficult to put to words those around me and how they act. It likely comes from a place of wanting to paint them in the “right” light or being too worrisome of their reaction. The way the author described the terms around including details from those closest to us, I believe, swayed me into considering doing so. I say this because of how they state a character doesn’t HAVE to (and in most cases shouldn’t) be written exactly like the real human counterpart, but it can simply include aspects. Thinking about how it could just be the way my partners mouth stays slightly agape in a half-smile when they’re reading something they enjoy. Or, a complete inclusion of all their mannerisms and quirks. Additionally, that including elements of a real person doesn’t lead to requiring that character to be a replica. That taking the subtle things and then creating the rest out of imagination may yield better results in writing and for the writer.
– “The grandness or simplicity of the desire is not important as long as the character wants it badly” (26-7).
– Human nature is difficult to put one’s finger on. We want to think of people in categories, “types” as the book says. However, humans are complex, conflicting creatures who often think and act in different ways.
– Change and character arcs are important aspects to characters, more interesting than characters who remain stagnant.
– Using irl people and people watching for characters can work but you have to fictionalize the characters rather than focus on what the irl person might do.
– 4 methods to reveal character depth: action, speech, appearance and thought
– Actions speak louder than words
– Dialogue can show the juxtaposition between one’s words and actions
– Appearance, even small details, can at least show how the character wishes to portray themselves to the world, if not aspects of who they actually are.
– Thoughts of the narrator can show off parts of them that may not otherwise come out in dialogue or certain events of the story
– Names are like the bow on the present, an important finishing touch.
Something I liked about chapter 2 was the emphasis on humanness. The characters should feel like people, and the little quirks and flaws about them are what make the most interesting characters. The best villains are the ones who are complicated and act like people. I often think the weird little facts about characters are the most interesting, like: What is their favorite condiment? What do they smell like? Things like this mentioned off hand usually don’t have much to do with the story, but a character introduction that goes something like, “She looks like the sort of person who eats salad without dressing, not because of the health benefits, but because she prefers the taste of plain lettuce” is so engaging.
This chapter was all focused on characters and what makes them compelling. There were a few points I found really compelling in this chapter, but the section on change within characters really resonated with me. The book affirms that characters should be able to change, but the reader should also see that the change is earned. By that I mean that the changes we witness shouldn’t feel surprising; They should be built up over time and not just a sudden change of heart. The change we see should be built upon reflection in the story or meaningful actions or awareness.
The concept of reading because reading about the characters is like meeting people is really interesting to me because I feel that in most conventions characters are discussed as more traits than fully realized people that could stand on their own, and it’s good to talk about the importance of making characters feel like they could be real actual people off the page.
After reading the author’s descriptions of some of these stories I really want to read the stories he mentioned, and maybe even improve upon the student work story.
Desire plays such a key role in storytelling and I feel as if it can often be neglected
Writing conflicted and contrasting traits can at first feel and seem like a bad thing to do that won’t make a character make sense, but writing someone that way is fundamentally human, to contradict yourself.
14 thoughts on “JOURNAL # 2”
Colette Murphy (Coco)
Professor Miller
Fiction Writing Workshop
1/23/2024
Journal #2:
In this chapter, chapter two, the author doesn’t describe this story as an experience that happened to them but in a creative light that reflects that of a fictious book. I really like that the writing style is akin to that of a Y/A author, too; It gives the chapter more humility. Making a character is so difficult, I wonder myself often how to navigate making a complex and morally mean character- I challenged myself a while ago to make one but it was so hard, and I felt so stumped that I gave up halfway through because her ideologies were so juxtaposed to my own. I like that the author is avidly delving into how to write a complex character by giving us head-on examples and advice. It’s a bit refreshing to see that I could use this as a blueprint in the future, and that the author leaves just enough room for the imagination to wander and condense itself into the character archetypes they delve into. I love that the author gives advice on where to get characters from, it’s refreshing to have a source rather than sit and contemplate for two hours about what the character will do next based on actions that you yourself have to make up. Their idea of romanticizing this fictionalization of your characters also has really helped me.
The idea that desire is the fundamental core of a character when it comes to writing stuck out to me as someone who, though I’ve been writing for a decade now— crazy as it sounds—I’ve only recently started to improve in the last two or three years when it comes to creating characters, which, despite my love for worldbuilding that is characteristic of the fantasy genre I work in, is the core of my writing as I review what I have worked on. I once heard that every character should be the protagonist of their own story, and this chapter goes into how desire is what sparks interest in your characters. This chapter also discusses contradictory traits, how they make a character feel much more alive than if you just have a trope-type character, such as The Evil Queen in Disney’s adaptation of Snow White, who never once changes and is simply evil for the sake of being evil. Meanwhile, you have characters like “The Magnus Archives” paranormal investigator Melanie King, who, despite sharing a similar goal to the series’ protagonist Jon, of leaving her job as of season three, often butts heads with him due to her strong sense of pride, their conflicts resulting in neither of them making progress come season four. Much like this example, the chapter outlines how a well-constructed character must feel human in order for anyone to be invested in them, whether you are rooting for or against them.
What really stuck out to me were the first two paragraphs. As someone who spent lots of time with friends and family within the confines of a pediatric ward of a hospital, that really stuck out to me. When my sister was there for 2 months, we never really saw anyone who was there to help them, in an educational or creative way, or at least I never saw them. My sister did her school work that I would pick up for her but there was never anyone there to assist them in that type of way. She would spend so much time reading books, or watching something on the television to experience something other than the walls of the hospital. My best friend was the same way, while she spent a little over a year in and out of the hospital, she was always reading, writing, creating or watching something to be able to “meet new people.” I think having someone who is there to add to that creativity and to get those kids to think about something else is really important, and very beneficial. And it can create a positive coping mechanism for them to embrace their situation and to be able to feel a sense of normalcy in such an unnatural situation. I also really liked the idea of creating characters based off of people you know, and people stored away in your memory. That really gives such dimension and understanding to the characters, because you are basing them and their actions after something that is real. I think the best characters that I have created are the ones who are based upon someone I know, or even have a hint of who I am in them. Overall, I think that this section of the text really shows us what a good character really adds to the story and how much more we want to root for them or read more about what happens to them. If they are stagnant and only one sided, there isn’t really much else that we would want to learn from them.
Chapter two is all about the characters. I think one of the most intriguing parts of this chapter is the idea of making a complex character, and more specifically, a villain that is not 100% evil. On page 30 it says, “Literature is filled with great villains. Part of what makes them so compelling is the tiny bit of ourselves we can see in them.” I can recognize a well-written character when I feel sympathy for someone who is so clearly the villain. I think this is something that I struggle with myself. I can make generally complex characters but when it comes to writing bad people I tend to make them a bit more two-dimensional.
Another part of this chapter that stuck out to me was showing versus telling when it comes to getting to know a character. I, again, often find myself taking the easy way out and just telling a character’s personality. When I am the reader, I much prefer when I can pick out character traits by the way the character interacts with others or even how the story is narrated. I seems to be a much more genuine way to “get to know” the character as it were.
I used to write a lot when I was younger, when I had ample free time and opportunities in my English classes in high school to do so. There were times when I would say that I had ‘writer’s block’ not being able to think of something to write about or a story that was supposed to be long just came to an abrupt stop, not allowing me to figure out how to take it further. After reading just the first chapter of this text I feel like I could write 100 short stories, if not maybe even my own novel. The text was not only informational in that it defined terms like novel, short story, and craft but it did so in an entertaining way that was oddly inspiring. A sentence that particularly stood out to me was on page 10: “Anyone who has lived past the age of 18 has enough stories to last a lifetime.” Thinking about everything that I have experienced, things I have loved along the path or my life and the things I have hated, I have ample fuel for writing. I think that combining personal stories with the idea of combining ideas and ‘seeds’ as the text puts it, would be enough for a phenomenal start to an A+ short story. I honestly did not expect to laugh while reading something one would call a textbook but the information was crafted in a way that will make it stick in my head. I also think it is interesting that really only professional or well known writers can break the rules because they have already mastered the rules. They know the rules in and out and how they can go against them in a way that will make their work that much more moving/ meaningful.
– the idea we all see ourselves in villain characters, the writer wants us to be able to relate (30)
– the ability to change and make the character unpredictable so the story is more intriguing and not simple (34)
-keeping the story detailed but relevant (49)
Throughout Chapter 2 of “Gotham Writers’ Workshop-Writing Fiction,” there were quite a few lines that stood out to me. One in particular, stated, “Description, no matter how brilliantly crafted, cannot carry a story. What the piece needed was a driving force, a momentum to thrust the reader forward.” This section resonated with me, because as someone who is familiar with novel writing, I am consistently concerned with balancing description when world-building and introducing characters, with the actual plot. One can not overwhelm the other if they want to keep the reader hooked. However, I don’t believe this line was necessarily echoing that same concern. Rather, I think that the writer is talking about the movement and flow of the story as well. There is a difference in describing a character fleeing their own wedding through a dark forest, for example, and evoking that same stress, adrenaline and fear in the reader. The reader needs to feel the momentum, needs to feel themselves trip over the hem of the tattered white dress and the tree roots, not just see it on the page. Another idea discussed in this chapter was human complexity when it comes to designing characters. The point made was to avoid having your character fall into a specific “type,” and to instead give them something unique to each of them. I found this to be an interesting point, because I’ve noticed that oftentimes authors make the mistake of creating a character solely to fit a role, when in reality, each person has their own individual life. For instance, a queen could be the main character of a story, but that doesn’t mean her gentlemen of a butler doesn’t go home to a family each night or have his own career aspirations. Maybe he never wanted to work for the royal family. Maybe he longs to be a poet and gets his inspiration from the daily events he witnesses in the palace… etc. Finally, in this chapter, I appreciated the author’s emphasis on understanding the story being written rather than just writing it. There is an overarching theme throughout the text in Chapter 2, of depth when it comes to stories, which is the level that needs to be reached in order to fully interest the reader in the story.
Chapter 2:
I found the section on contrasting traits interesting and it was something that I don’t believe that we talked much in class on. We did talk about ways to make a character complex and that doing things like showing how a character is the way that they are is more interesting and entertaining than juts telling. However, the idea of contrasting traits within one character can, like the book said, help to show different sides of the characters personality which can make them more relatable and more complex. This craft incorporated into a piece of work can be very subtle but has an impact on the reader even if they may not even notice it. It has not been something that has jumped out to me in works that I have read in the past, however, it is a great thing to keep in mind to incorporate into my own writing.
When reading through chapter two, I noticed that a lot of the sections all contributed to making a character that is not bland or “one dimensional.” It suggests things from giving them motivations and traits that define the guidelines for how your character should act and react. With this though it also outlines how we can make our character act out of character believably. It generally details how on can make a character change throughout the story by again working with their traits and pushing them to the point of change to some capacity.
A section of this chapter that really stuck out to me, mostly because it is my biggest challenge in fiction writing, is how we choose where characters come from. Deciding on “who” this person will be and then forming them to be such. I thought it was really interesting how they state that most characters come from those we know in our every day lives. Although it sounds obvious, I have always found it difficult to put to words those around me and how they act. It likely comes from a place of wanting to paint them in the “right” light or being too worrisome of their reaction. The way the author described the terms around including details from those closest to us, I believe, swayed me into considering doing so. I say this because of how they state a character doesn’t HAVE to (and in most cases shouldn’t) be written exactly like the real human counterpart, but it can simply include aspects. Thinking about how it could just be the way my partners mouth stays slightly agape in a half-smile when they’re reading something they enjoy. Or, a complete inclusion of all their mannerisms and quirks. Additionally, that including elements of a real person doesn’t lead to requiring that character to be a replica. That taking the subtle things and then creating the rest out of imagination may yield better results in writing and for the writer.
– “The grandness or simplicity of the desire is not important as long as the character wants it badly” (26-7).
– Human nature is difficult to put one’s finger on. We want to think of people in categories, “types” as the book says. However, humans are complex, conflicting creatures who often think and act in different ways.
– Change and character arcs are important aspects to characters, more interesting than characters who remain stagnant.
– Using irl people and people watching for characters can work but you have to fictionalize the characters rather than focus on what the irl person might do.
– 4 methods to reveal character depth: action, speech, appearance and thought
– Actions speak louder than words
– Dialogue can show the juxtaposition between one’s words and actions
– Appearance, even small details, can at least show how the character wishes to portray themselves to the world, if not aspects of who they actually are.
– Thoughts of the narrator can show off parts of them that may not otherwise come out in dialogue or certain events of the story
– Names are like the bow on the present, an important finishing touch.
Something I liked about chapter 2 was the emphasis on humanness. The characters should feel like people, and the little quirks and flaws about them are what make the most interesting characters. The best villains are the ones who are complicated and act like people. I often think the weird little facts about characters are the most interesting, like: What is their favorite condiment? What do they smell like? Things like this mentioned off hand usually don’t have much to do with the story, but a character introduction that goes something like, “She looks like the sort of person who eats salad without dressing, not because of the health benefits, but because she prefers the taste of plain lettuce” is so engaging.
This chapter was all focused on characters and what makes them compelling. There were a few points I found really compelling in this chapter, but the section on change within characters really resonated with me. The book affirms that characters should be able to change, but the reader should also see that the change is earned. By that I mean that the changes we witness shouldn’t feel surprising; They should be built up over time and not just a sudden change of heart. The change we see should be built upon reflection in the story or meaningful actions or awareness.
The concept of reading because reading about the characters is like meeting people is really interesting to me because I feel that in most conventions characters are discussed as more traits than fully realized people that could stand on their own, and it’s good to talk about the importance of making characters feel like they could be real actual people off the page.
After reading the author’s descriptions of some of these stories I really want to read the stories he mentioned, and maybe even improve upon the student work story.
Desire plays such a key role in storytelling and I feel as if it can often be neglected
Writing conflicted and contrasting traits can at first feel and seem like a bad thing to do that won’t make a character make sense, but writing someone that way is fundamentally human, to contradict yourself.