Course detailUcla ExtensionWriting & Literaturearchived

SCRIPT X 464.9E

Creating Memorable Characters Through Their Core

Memorable stories are grounded by great characters.

The core of who those characters are drive the story, but characters need to take action, and those actions need to ring true to their core as they move from one plot point to the next.

Why is your character making that specific choice at a particular moment? What's their motivation? Whether you are finished with a draft or just have a nugget of an idea, the core of your characters must be excavated.

Through examples, discussions, and writing exercises, you discover your characters' needs, wants, and drives.

You flush out how your characters think and feel to discover who they are fundamentally.

You also address how the core elements of your characters influence plot and structure and discover ways to reveal that through action and dialogue.

The goal of this course is to chart the emotional journey of your protagonist character and leave with tools that can be applied to make every character, regardless of how big or small, play meaningful roles in your story.

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