The 2-Column Method For Character Creation
The Writer's Attic Classroom
Every great fictional character exhibits two different types of qualities.
That sounds like an oversimplification! But it’s an idea that holds up through every book I read, every movie I watch.
And it’s a guiding principle that helps me understand why a given character isn’t compelling enough to make me turn the page.
When I study a character, I consider his traits and separate them into two columns. I notice that characters fall flat when they exhibit qualities from only one column.
And when I critique manuscripts, I find it easier to help a writer improve her characters when I consider which “column” the characters’ traits aren’t pulling from.
Let’s talk about these two columns, and then let’s look at some helpful examples from The Call of the Wild, The Lord of the Rings, and The Butcher of the Forest. I’ll also give you a pdf you can download so that you can apply this approach to your own characters.
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