Chapter 5

Developing Characters

How to Begin

Put in as much time as it takes to develop characters that are really original and interesting! You’ll want each of them to be as different from the others as possible. Those differences allow your characters to conflict and to relate to each other in funny ways. You’ll probably want to start by writing a biography or fact sheet for each of your main characters. If you’re an artist, you may prefer to start by drawing the characters. Often writers choose to script scenes between characters to see how they’ll react. And actors sometimes prefer to improvise scenes out loud to develop their characters. Whatever works best for you is fine. Think of your characters as real actors. Get to know them so you ...

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