We use cookies to make sure our websites work effectively and to improve your user experience.

If you
continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with this. However, you can change your
cookie settings at any time.
More Info/hange !ettings
Continue
"he home of free learning
from "he #pen $niversity
%ou are here& Home History ' "he (rts ulture )iterature and reative Writing reative Writing !tart writing fiction
Contents
Introduction
)earning outcomes
* * haracter
*.* *.* reating characters
*.+ *.+ ,ound and flat
characters
*.- *.- !ources of
characters
*.. *.. /ortraying a
character
1.5 1.5 Tips on
character creation
+ + !etting
- - 0enre
. . 0lossary
1 2ext steps
,eferences
(cknowledgements
3iew as single page
1.5 1.5 Tips on character creation
$se a 4ournal to build ideas for character.
onsider all the influences that go into the making of your character& age, gender, race,
nationality, marital status, religion, profession.
5now about your character6s inner life& what s/he wants, thinks, remembers, resents,
fears, dreams, denies.
5now about your character6s behaviour, what s/he wears, buys, eats, says, works at and
plays at.
5now how your character speaks and how this changes according to context, mood and
intention.
!ee and describe your character vividly, how s/he looks, how s/he moves, his or her
possessions and surroundings.
7ocus on your character6s contradictions and conflicts in order to create a complex person
and also to generate plot.
,emember the four main methods of character presentation& summary, appearance, habit
and scene.
"his is an extract from an #pen $niversity course which is no longer available to new students. If you found this interesting you
could explore more free reative Writing course units or view the range of currently available #$ reative Writing courses.
Ratings
%our rating 2one. (verage rating ..- out of 1,
based on 8 ratings
Have you always wanted to write, but never 9uite had the courage to start: "his unit...
Start writing fction

/revious& 1.4 1.4 Portraying a
character
2ext& 2 2 Setting
Page Tags
!ign in or create a free account to add tags to your personal tag cloud using&
7iction reative Writing (uthors
Start writing fiction: 1.5 1.5 Tips on character creation - OpenLearn - Op... http://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/culture/literature-and-crea...
1 of 2 11/27/2013 1:52 AM
Start writing fiction: 1.5 1.5 Tips on character creation - OpenLearn - Op... http://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/culture/literature-and-crea...
2 of 2 11/27/2013 1:52 AM