Blog - Related to Character

The Drama Triangle & The Games People Play

Posted: Monday, 11th January 2010

I looked, a couple of days ago, at Transactional Analysis – the Drama Triangle in particular:

• First as a means of conflict resolution for those experiencing problems with their personal relationships.
• And second – for writers and aspiring authors – as an innovative way of creating fictional characters.

THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY

The theory of transactional analysis is that in our normal, everyday, relationships, we are all involved in playing one of three roles: Parent, Adult, Child. I’ve explained this in my article titled: Conflict Resolution: Relationship Psychology - And Creating Fictional Characters and I would suggest that you read this before continuing with the article below.

Articles on related themes: Creative Writing; Character; Relationships; Personal Growth; Marriage

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Conflict Resolution: Relationship Psychology - And Creating Fictional Characters

Posted: Wednesday, 6th January 2010

What I’m about to tell you will revolutionise the way you perceive your personal relationships. It will also give you immense insight when it comes to creative writing and publishing a book and, in particular, when you’re creating fictional characters.

Articles on related themes: Writing & Publishing A Book; Relationships; Personal Growth; Self Help; Character

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How To Write Description In A Novel: Characters

Posted: Wednesday, 2nd September 2009

Describing characters is a necessary part of creative writing, as is describing location. But I had to smile when I read yesterday’s review in The Daily Telegraph, of the American TV drama, The Tudors. It appears that in order to refresh viewers’ minds as to Who’s Who, from the first series, characters not only told each other what they were called, but also – helpfully – gave a brief CV of themselves! I can just imagine it.

“Good morrow, fair Anne Boleyn, the second of my eight wives, and a replacement for Catherine of Aragon.

Articles on related themes: Writing & Publishing A Book; Character

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Modern Morality: What Is Its Place In Contemporary Fiction?

Posted: Wednesday, 25th February 2009

What do you learn about life, characterisation, plot or theme from what you read, or watch on TV? Do you, in fact, analyse such elements as, say, individual responsibilities or manipulative behaviour? Or do you see drama and literature as merely entertainment?

I ask because my eldest daughter, knowing me well and being of similar mind, has sent me a book for my birthday. Titled Friedman’s Fables (read the Amazon review), it was written by the family therapist and rabbi, Edwin Friedman, who practised in Washington DC for over 35 years until his death in 1996.

Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Self Help; Assertiveness; Plot; Character; Theme

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Descriptive Writing Styles: Conveying A Sense Of Place, Person, Personality and Mood

Posted: Monday, 2nd February 2009

When you sit down to write, do you find that the bit you like best is when you can indulge your love of description? Is that the part of your prose that you feel most proud of? Does it give you a thrill when you read it back to yourself? If so, you are not alone.

Most new writers are rather prone to the use of too much description. Large blocks of illustrative writing about the weather, the scenery, appearance, character and atmosphere add little to the modern narrative and should be used sparingly, if at all.

Articles on related themes: Writing & Publishing A Book; Character; Viewpoint

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Reviewing Techniques When Resolving Conflict

Posted: Thursday, 15th January 2009

This is the first Post on my shiny new laptop. As I wrote, yesterday on my Twitter wall (I think that’s the correct jargon) setting up a new computer is a nightmare of mistakes, misunderstandings and misapprehension. Hence the lack of time to add anything to my blog for a few days.

So I thought, today, that I’d write a combi-post. As some of you may know, in addition to posting articles on Creative Writing, my aim is to “offer hope to the hurting” (Click to see What Drives You) . Quite often – as I’ve said before – the two overlap.

Articles on related themes: Self Help; Personal Growth; Relationships; Writing & Publishing A Book; Character

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Fiction - Main Characters And How To Choose Them

Posted: Monday, 10th November 2008

Last week, in Ten Tips Before You Begin, I wrote about the necessity of identifying your readers before you begin to write your book. That advice holds true whatever the genre in which you are writing. Today, we’re going to concentrate on writing a novel, and in particular, the importance of identifying all the main characters in your book.

FICTION – MAIN CHARACTERS

This need to identify which of your characters is going to advance the plot of your story is crucial. As I wrote in the last of my August posts, characters are not merely travellers on the journey through plot, but are the drivers.

Articles on related themes: Writing & Publishing A Book; Character

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CREATIVE WRITING - Creativity in Conflict

Posted: Friday, 5th September 2008

DEALING WITH CONFLICT – DO YOU KNOW HOW?

Ever felt that you fall out with your partner / colleague / mother about the same thing, over and over? Not sure why this happens? Even less sure what to do about it?

This Post will, I hope, be of interest to anyone reading it, not simply to aspiring writers. I wrote a couple of days ago about the need to bring credibility to the characters we create. Now I’m going to show you how you can bring creativity to the way you manage conflict – in your own lives, as well as the lives you write about.

Articles on related themes: Writing & Publishing A Book; Plot; Character

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The How-to of Creative Writing - Credible Characters

Posted: Monday, 1st September 2008

A couple of days ago in the How-to of Creative Writing, I said that Characters – whether in fiction or true-life stories – need:

• Credibility – to be true to life
• Creativity – in the way they respond to conflict
• Complexity – depth which makes them three dimensional

Today we’re going to look at the first of these features:

CREDIBILITY

In this Post, and the next, I’m going to show you how to know and grow your Characters.

Articles on related themes: Character; Writing & Publishing A Book

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The How-to of Creative Writing - Characterisation

Posted: Saturday, 30th August 2008

DO YOU ANALYSE WHAT YOU READ AND WATCH?

Last week we looked at the way in which Theme determines the subject or focal point of a story. Have you found, since then, that you’re beginning to be a little more analytical about what you read and watch?

Before I started writing professionally, I never considered the books I read or the films I saw in terms of Theme. We all tend to share our enthusiasm about the latest ‘must-read’ or ‘must-watch’ in language which is to do with Plot. We tell the story: ‘He did this; she said that; this was the consequence.

Articles on related themes: Character; Writing & Publishing A Book