workshop 2: december 2026
The Role of Character in Your Story
A Workshop on Creating Believable Characters
A story is a completed process of change which has the ability to move readers’ feelings powerfully and pleasurably (or painfully) in a definite way. But though the story may arise and progress out of causality (plot), it is our interest in… affinity with… horror at… the protagonist/s and/or antagonist/s that keeps us hooked. Often, we remember the characters in a story long after we have forgotten the plot.
This means the depth, dimensionality and authenticity of the story’s characters are vital. Many new writers are too soft on their characters, and as the story may be a quest… a hard, dangerous journey (either physically or emotionally) in which the protagonist has an extremely strenuous time… you, as the writer, need to create characters who can take all the physical, emotional and mental punishment the story is about to hand out. Fictional characters must possess sufficient strength of character to handle difficult dilemmas. In other words — characters must be up to the plot.
Workshop Structure
- What comes first plot or character? Does it matter?
- Character and characterisation – understanding the difference
- The raw material of character… the five psychological factors.
- Knowing the roles of physiology, sociology, psychology in your characters
- Character is forged in conflict. Is your character up to it?
- Is your conflict testing enough for the character?
- A protagonist must have difficult choices. The character’s motivation is all important. What does this person want?
- What is your character’s wilful desire; unconscious desire; what desire will he or she pursue right to the end of the line
- Character growth through the story
- Creating the world of the protagonist.
- Creating the antagonist. Do you need a polar relationship? Maximising the opportunity for conflict.
- Secondary characters… how to make them memorable without being ciphers
- E. M. Forster’s view of ‘round’ and ‘flat’ characters.
- Multi-protagonists. These must have either a relationship, be tightly bound together by external factor or have a common cause
- Writing out of gender – making characters of the opposite sex credible