Join Wattpad Star and author Lindsey Summers for a helpful, bite-sized class on writing a character study, an essential piece of your creative writing toolkit! Starting with a blank slate is daunting, and in this class, Lindsey shares her favorite tool for overcoming writer's block and starting your writing process: the character study.
- This is a creative exercise that will help you develop characters that feel fresh and true to your writing style.
- At the same time, this is also a practical exercise, giving you an informed starting place for the rest of your story, poem, or novel.
Once you have a character study, you can use it to write whatever fiction you want!
This class will inspire you to look at your everyday encounters and simple interactions as helpful starting points for developing a unique character. It's perfect for everyone new to writing as well as writers looking to broaden their creative writing toolkit.
Write a character study.
Your assignment is to write a character study! While you're welcome to invent each piece fresh, I'd encourage you to use the same process I use in the lessons, drawing on an everyday experience (the objects, the place, the people) to inform your imagination.
Be sure to include the following 6 elements:
- Description
- Personality traits
- Habits/mannerisms
- Background
- Flaws
- Internal conflict
The more detail you provide here, the better! Share your study in our class Project Gallery for feedback from fellow students.
Don't be afraid to get creative — bring in details and characteristics from any sources that inspire you!
