Basics to Create Dynamic Characters - Lesson 4

Choosing Details and Make Your Details Manageable

The character I'm writing about here is Rachel. She is Annie's ancestor and is burnt as a witch in the Prologue. I wrote things down as I thought of them.

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Illustrate which details you would use to give the reader strong visuals of your character.
* torn, muddy, bloodstained nightdress
* long dark plait with pondweed tangled in it
* face bruised, dirty with mud, smoke and dried blood
* eyes tired from lack of sleep and watering from smoke, but very angry
* bare, dirty feet cut by stones, wrists rubbed raw from coarse rope

Illustrate details that you feel would give an accurate and coherent impression of your character.
* anger at Cramer
* love for her daughter (Rosie) and fears for her safety as she secretly leaves the village
* pity and understanding for the other villagers who betrayed her to Cramer
* sorrow that other innocent woman in the village have also been burnt
* despair of betraying her beliefs
* fear her goddess won't honour the curse as it goes against her beliefs

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This is the final lesson in my first course. The next one I'm starting is a six week course called Horror Writing. I'm really enjoying them, and I'm finding them a good inspiration for plot points :-)

Basics to Create Dynamic Characters - Lesson 3

Showing Your Characters With Natural and Believable Dialogue
This is a part of what I wrote for the assignment.

Pressing the spoon against the side of the mug, Annie scooped the teabag out again and, pushing the flip lid down with her free hand, dropped it into the bin. The teabag caught the lid and slid down, leaving a trail of leaves.

"At least it didn't fall on the floor," she shrugged.

Annie carried her drink into the front room and curled up on the sofa. She gazed into the mug and swirled the tea round, watching black specks floating on the top. They started to sink.

"It'll taste fine, and I get to tell my own fortune at the end of it." She chuckled to herself, "it'll probably say I talk to myself too much!"

Cupping the mug in her hands she sipped her tea until it was nearly gone. The moment she felt a leaf in her mouth she stopped. "Right, I'm sure I've read this in Harry Potter, you're supposed to turn the teacup over on a saucer, then read what's left behind."

Not having a saucer she glanced around to find somewhere she could pour the rest of the tea. She looked at the bedraggled spider plant sitting on the table and slowly smiled. "I'm sure tea is good for plants, it's practically compost." She swirled the tea left in her mug and poured it on to the plant. She peered into the mug, "Isn't this part where I see a tall, dark, handsome stranger taking me on a long sea voyage and selling my body for lots of camels? Hmm...maybe not." She turned the mug round to see if that made more sense. It didn't.

"Well, I guess that could be a letter...maybe that's his initial...then again, maybe I'm just day-dreaming too much again. Get a grip." She shook her head, chuckling, "and stop talking to yourself!"