Quick Writing Lesson: Character Sketch (Patreon)

Remember how I said I was going to offer you all the writeups I did on the basics for my MFA class? Well, here we go, and I hope you enjoy! I kind of went all out on some of these lessons, using books I like as examples and drawing on my own experiences and resources, so though there's some vague references to the syllabus I was given, it's pretty much all me. I've redacted parts of the assignment names to be safe, though. You'll get the week three lesson later this week!

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This week we will continue our discussion of character by doing a character sketch.

When talking about sketching out a character, I'm going to use one of literature's most enduring and beloved romance heroines as reference- Elizabeth Bennet from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

First, we have our[redacted] Discussion: [redacted]. Reviewing your chosen novel, you'll answer questions about the characteristics of a romance protagonist.

Let's consider Elizabeth Bennet as an example. Lizzie has some common characteristics you can see in many romance protagonists across the genre: she's fairly inexperienced in matters of love, she's impressively loyal to those she cares for, she isn't interested in marrying for status and wealth, she's dynamic and has strong repartee with her (eventual) love interest, and her attitude toward her (eventual) love interest changes dramatically throughout the book. She's an enduring character because she's witty and self-possessed, but she's also flawed- she can make incorrect assumptions about people and sometimes her stubborn nature, or what she calls her "vanity", prevents her from seeing the truth.

The next question in the discussion deals with what kind of actions reveals a character's underlying traits- important examples in Elizabeth's case would be when she mocks Mr. Darcy after overhearing his rudeness and when she tosses aside propriety to visit her sick sister. The former demonstrates her confidence and intelligence and how she's not intimidated by Mr. Darcy's status. The latter shows that family and loyalty is more important to her than social conventions or appearances. On the negative side of things, the moment where she believes Mr. Wickham when he tells her Darcy did terrible things to him shows both her naivety and how her stubborn nature can lead her to make wrong assumptions based on first impressions. Elizabeth's ideal lover is also very much implied to be someone who would be respectful, value her family, not cling to status, and who would treat her as an equal. She thinks Mr. Darcy is the opposite of that at first, but as the story goes on, he changes.

Now, let's move onto your[ redacted] Assignment: Character Sketch. You're going to use the character sketch template (can't link this, sorry, but I have my own template links below) to get down the basics of your main character and answer the important questions posed in the rubric.

Again, here's an example using Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth is definitely the protagonist and heroine.  For her physical description. here are a few basics:

Age: 20

Gender: Female

Race: White

Physical description: She has "fine eyes" and a "light and pleasing figure".

Time Period: The early nineteenth century.

Setting: Rural England.

Then we have internal matters:

Greatest flaw: Her greatest flaw is her "prejudice" and stubborn nature, which leads her to make wrong assumptions.

Greatest virtue:  Her greatest strengths are her self-possession, her "fine mind" and her loyalty to those she loves.

Her driving ambition: She wants to ensure that she lives a life of her own choosing while also maintaining the happiness of her family.

Also, make sure to consider the subgenre you're writing for your character and your character's cultural and class background. For Elizabeth, she's in a classic regency romance, though it would have been contemporary at the time it was published. It's also important to note for her background that her father is wealthy enough to have an estate, but because there needs to be a male heir to inherit it, either she or at least one of her sisters must marry well in order to not be destitute upon her father's death. She's well-off for the time, but not as much as some of her peers and that plays heavily into her story.

You're welcome to use a different character template if you'd like, as long as you address the general questions posed in the rubric thoroughly. For example, the website for NaNoWriMo has some great character outline resources here.  I find them very helpful. You're also definitely welcome to add things to the template you use, or alter the format if you feel like it.