Elements of
Characterization
Freewrite
In your notebook, describe a favorite character.
Introduce us to them – their name, location,
time, family, friends, daily life, interests, dislikes,
goals… What you don’t know, give an educated
guess at.
Narrative Mode
1st Person – I
2nd Person – You
3rd Person – She
Tense
Past - Ate
Present - Eat
Future – Will eat
Character Types
Protagonist – A main or leading character of a story.
Antagonist – A main character who opposes the
antagonist.
Minor character – A character who serves a role to
support the plot. Minor characters are useful for
giving indirect characterization to main characters.
(e.g. Though dialogue)
Point-of-View
Reliable – Trustworthy in telling the whole truth of a story
vs.
Unreliable – Not Trustworthy
Omniscient – All-knowing
vs.
Limited Knowledge - Not all-knowing
Present – Happening
vs.
Past – Happened
Characterization
Direct: To reveal a character’s trait through descriptive
adjectives.
(e.g. He was a very fast runner in track.)
Indirect: To reveal a character’s traits though speech, actions,
appearance, etc.
(e.g. Leaning hard as he rounded the turn, other competitors watched his wind-swept
hair disappear down the backstretch.)
Dynamics
Static: Does not change through story.
Dynamic: Changes through story. These characters may move
throughout various other qualities or character types. (e.g.
antagonist to protagonist)
Dimensions
One-dimensional: Simple, surface-level, often serves a
specific purpose for a story (e.g. a waiter within a dinner
scene).
Two-dimensional: Predictable, simple or no backstory, fits
neatly into one role within story (e.g. a Disney character).
Three-dimensional: Realistic, imperfect, complex,
emotional, contradictory, suggests complicated backstory.
Serves an
obvious
purpose in
the story
Predictable
Fits neatly
into one role
One-Dimensional
X
X
X
Two-Dimensional
X
X
X
ThreeDimensional
Changes
through
story
Shows
complex,
nuanced
emotions
Suggests
complicated
past
Contains
deepseated
desires
Conflicted,
flawed,
imperfect
X
X
X
X
X
X
ONE DIMENSION NEEDED:
A victim of a virus, like a zombie.
An extra in a crowd.
A minor character in a children’s story.
TWO DIMENSIONS NEEDED:
A superhero in an average superhero movie.
Victims in a slasher movie.
Minor characters in most movies.
THREE DIMENSIONS NEEDED
All but the smallest roles in a character study.
Most good major protagonists and antagonists.
Depth
Height: How important the character is to the story, society,
or main character. Most one-dimensional characters are
defined by this and one or two character traits.
Breadth: Variation within a character. The amount of
different traits that define them and how these traits
interact.
Depth: How the character changes the better the reader
knows him. If your ogres really are like onions, then they
have depth.
Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory
“If a writer of prose knows enough about what
he is writing about he may omit things that he
knows and the reader, if the writer is writing
truly enough, will have a feeling of those things
as strongly as though the writer had stated
them. The dignity of movement of an iceberg is
due to only one-eighth of it being above water.”
A dynamic, three-dimensional, realistic
character has:
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Interests
Motivations
Aspirations
Strengths
Weaknesses
Fears
Relationships
Deep-seated psychology
And everything else a person has, even if it’s
never stated.
Occupation, Hobbies,
Residence, Family, Friends
Beliefs, Attitudes, Demeanor,
Goals, Aspirations,
Relationships
Strengths, Weaknesses
Motivations, Inspirations
Fears, Desires, Spirituality,
Purpose
Character Survey
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Name of character:
Character’s nickname:
Date & location of birth:
Date & location of current life (at story’s setting):
Date & location of death:
Ethnicity, body shape, eye color, hair color, skin color:
Favorite food:
Style clothing:
Notable previous locations lived:
Description of home and neighborhood:
Occupation/job and character’s opinion of such:
Interests & activities (i.e. pastimes, hobbies, sports, arts):
Name and brief description of relationship to notable family members, significant others, roommates or pets:
Name and brief description of relationship to notable friends or acquaintances:
Name and brief description of relationship to notable enemies (including “frenemys”):
Brief description of major formative event of character’s past:
Brief description of character’s demeanor/personality:
How would this character’s closest friend describe him/her?
Character’s greatest strengths:
Character’s greatest weaknesses and fears:
Character’s main motivating beliefs (i.e. religion, spirituality, philosophy, ethics, inspirations):
Character’s main objective in life (i.e. dreams, goals, purpose):
Potential means of achieving this objective:
Character as Narrator
Examples?
Holden Caulfield (The Catcher in the Rye)
Reliable or unreliable?
Esperanza (The House on Mango Street)
Reliable or unreliable?
Of Mice and Men
Limited or omniscient?
Julius Caesar
Narrative Mode?
Limiter or omniscient?
Scout Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird)
Past or present?