Marigold Productions LLC
Read Articles:


 Ten Tips For Budding Authors

 Top 10 Tips to Complete a Creative Writing Proj...

 If The Viewpoint Character Is A Secondary Chara...

 Have You Tested Your Plot?

 Have You Plotted Your Story Before Writing It?

 Does Your Theme Contain Character, Conflict, Re...

 Have You Tested Your Theme Against Your Plot?

 How Are You Plotting?

 Can Your Theme Be Proved In Your Story?

 Do You Know What A Plot Is?

 A Guide to Creative Writing That Sells

 Do You Plot With Your Character In Mind?

 Is The Theme Reinforced In The Ending?

 Why You Need a Newsletter

 Beginnings

 Documenting Everything: Your Journal is Your Lo...

 How to Jumpstart your Next Writing Session

 Mission Possible: Get Published with Goals, Gui...

 Writer’s Web Resources

 What Can Go Into A Plot?

 Does Your Story Have A Theme?

 Does Each Element of Your Story Further The Theme?

 Is The Theme Running Throughout The Story?

 Making Freelance Writing Niche Types Fit

 How to Have an Effective Reading Group

 Interviewing an Author: Don't Be Left Speechless

 Article Writing: How To Use Your Chakra Energy ...

 Writing Short Info Reports

 Hooks, Lines & Sinkers

 The Biggest Challenge Facing A Poet, Getting Pu...

 Savage Nature: The Life of Ted Hughes

 Does Your Plot Suit Your Characters And Vice-Ve...

 Guidelines For Reviewing Writing

 English as a Medium For Indian-Writer

 How to Write Bad Poetry

 How to Have an Effective Writing Group

 Learning to Question your Elephant Child: Who, ...

 Unusual Points of View

 Have You Completed A Character Questionnaire?

 Writing Tips For Novice Authors

More Article Pages 1 - 2

 

Creative Writing Tips - Have You Established Your Main Character At The Start?
 by: Nick Vernon

In the beginning of your story you have to grab your readers’ interest and sustain it till the end. Our hook is our character. Readers keep on reading to find out more about the character. To see what he’ll do in the story; how he’ll solve his problems. What his goals are and whether he’ll achieve them.

And because our character is the reason readers become hooked on our stories, establishing him at the start is a must in a short story. And it is essential to establish him at the start because we don’t have the capacity in our limited word length to introduce him at our leisure.

The bond between readers and character has to be developed almost immediately.

You might have a few characters though. How do you decide who your main character will be? A main character is one that drives the story.

Think of it this way… If we were to take him away, there will be no story because it’s his story we are telling. The story will unfold by what is happening or what has happened to him.

When you establish who your main character will be, the next thing to do is to find which of your characters is in the best position to tell the story. Will your main character tell his story or will you give that role to another character?

This is what we call Viewpoint and what we’ll see in more detail in proceeding chapters.

Your main character isn’t necessarily the one who is telling the story; he might not even appear in our story ‘physically’ but will be there through the thoughts of others. So the viewpoint character might be a secondary character.

Whoever is telling the story is the viewpoint character.

The viewpoint character gives the coloring of the story. Whatever this characters says, we will believe. It may or may not be true, according to the main character, but because he isn’t there ‘physically’ to voice his opinions, we will have to take the viewpoint character’s word for it.

In a novel you can play around with viewpoint. You can have several viewpoint characters. In a short story it works best with one.

So your main character, whether he’ll be telling his own story or someone else will be doing it for him, has to be established at the start of your story.

Having said that, let’s see the reasons why the main character may not be telling his own story...

  • Perhaps our main character is one that readers won’t sympathize or empathize with.
  • Or the main character will not view highly with our readers
  • Or the viewpoint character knows all the facts and can tell the story better
  • Etc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let me give you an example of a secondary character telling the story of a main character…

Let’s say your secondary character is a psychiatrist and the main character is the patient. Depending on what’s going to go on in the story, we’ll have to choose who’s in a better position to tell it. In this case, I will choose the psychiatrist.

I’ve done this because the patient is confused, being the one with the problems. The psychiatrist knows all the facts and his opinions will make things clearer to readers.

So, as the secondary character (the psychiatrist) unravels the story, we’ll become involved in the main character because it’s the main character’s story that is been told.

This may get a little confusing to the beginner writer. As they write they will have to keep in mind that the secondary character, although he’s telling the story, is NOT our main character.

The secondary character is there to do perform a task. He’s only the voice. It’s the main character we’ll become involved with.

A secondary character doesn’t play such an important role as a main character does. Therefore, information about secondary characters should be kept to a minimum. It’s not his story – it’s the main character’s story and the spotlight must, most times, be kept on the main character.

Take the above example for instance. It’s no relevance to the story how the psychiatrist started his career or where he received his diploma – what’s important, is what he has to say about the main character, his patient.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Introduce your main character straight away, as close to the beginning of the story that’s possible. Enable your readers to form a bond and that will keep them hooked.

Is your main character established at the start of your story?



©2006 - www.MarigoldProduction.com - All Rights Reserved