Characterisation is crucial to the success of any story. Creating characters is just like making a curry – you have to add some spice to liven it up!
Edgar Allan Poe uses an eccentric (strange) central character, a device that captures the interest of readers. This character is both the protagonist (main character) and the narrator (the person who tells the story).
When creating characters, try to become the character yourself – step into their shoes, think like them, imagine how they might speak. Ask yourself the following questions about your characters:
1. Are they going to be a hero or a villain? P. 66 2. What do they look like? 3. What kind of personality do they have? 4. Do they have any family or friends? Are they in a relationship?
Go to your Writing Skills Book to fi nd a grid of helpful
K
vocabulary for creating characters.
5. Is the main character also telling the story or is someone else telling their story? Alice in Wonderland REMEMBER:
Characterisation is the creation or construction of a fi ctional character. Characters may be presented through descriptions, their actions, speech, thoughts and how they interact with other characters.
Respond Imaginatively [W7]
Imagine that one of the following two images is of a character from a story that you are writing. In your story, this character has a secret. Write a descriptive paragraph that reveals your character’s secret to readers. Choose one picture only. You can write in the fi rst person (I) or the third person (he/she).
