I personally listen to music when I create characters. When I find a song that fits their personality, I go into the lyrics and thus get deeper into what other character traits they could have. It's not a method for everyone, but it has helped me many times, because you get many layers of traits you can combine
i often like taking a stereotype and/or trope, sticking it to a character i’ve created, and trying to turn it on its head through their story! it makes it compelling for me as a writer to see what i can do with this stereotype and how i can prove or disprove it with my characters. how i can make my character believable and real and relatable past the stereotype that one might tack onto them! i truly loved your process and things you thought of as you develop your characters and i’m definitely taking something’s away after watching this!
That's so great that you took something away from the video, and that is a great point! I've definitely tried to play with stereotypes, because it's using the audience's expectations and then pulling the rug out from under them in a way!
You come across as really intelligent and well-spoken; it’s fascinating to listen to you speak. I don’t know why - there’s just something about the way you talk that makes you seem very wise and like you have given your words a lot of thought and attention.
Good Video with lots of great information. All I can say is don't sell yourself short. Just because you're not published it does not diminish your skills or knowlege of writing. If you're a writer and you're writing then you're qualified to share your knowlege! Keep at it and I look forward to more videos!
Is having a past trauma really necessary for making a character? I'm not sure I agree there. Sure you can milk this for drama, conflict or something along those lines but really, you could just as well take a well adjusted person, relatively happy with their lot in life, wrap a figurative hand around their figurative neck and squeeze. Tear down the MC from their happy place and instead build the trauma as the story goes along. Seems these days that just about every character has some past issue that they need to overcome, which is getting a bit too overdone. Maybe this could be a good way to kind of work around that cliche. ...Well, just an idea
For sure! I just don't think I've met anyone that hasn't faced anything traumatic in their life. I did say it can be small, but I think adding that creates a certain level of realism and relatability. Even if they haven't dealt with something themselves, but someone close to them has, it'll affect them. If their sibling is anorexic, they'll have a certain sensitivity to the way we talk about bodies and appearance as well as their relationship with food and their own insecurities. It doesn't have to be direct, but I think there should be something present that suggests a past with a bit of depth.
It might not be necessary, but it sadly does help. The breadth and depth of what happens to the human mind and heart and soul following some trauma can be conveyed far more deeply and with great nuance by someone that has endured such an event, or something akin to it.
Not all trauma is easily pinpointed in a person’s life. Some things like disillusionment and internal/mental struggles can be very life altering and affect a character’s mentality and perception of the world. Things such as stress, depression, etc. can be substitutes for “trauma”.
I think the precise thing is to establish one or more significant, defining moments in each character's life that very widely shape them, so that you can use them as pillars from which to draw on how they would think/behave. Often, trauma can become one or more of these pillars, but there are tons of other things, many being more benign or even positive, that can shape a character as well.
I believe the author/artist of Berserk said similar things but also summed up the dynamic between a protagonist and side characters as side characters (and villains) being placed with the intent of drawing out a certain or new side to the protagonist's personality in how they interact and confront them, this allows the protagonist to become more multi faceted because all other characters teach them lessons and can present a challenging obstacle or circumstance that creates change, personally I also enjoy doing this by making my side characters facets of my protagonist but reinterpreted and expressed even slightly differently which also still leaves room for conflicting opinions even if they're allies and keeps things from being repetitive, great video!
I love that way of looking at it! I kind of talk a bit about that in my video about creating villains, but that's a great point. Thanks for the comment :)
Seeing good old Captain Jack in the thumbnail made me remember just how perfect he is in the first movie. Sure, Will and Elizabeth are the two main characters and Jack is more of a side character - even just some kind of "tool" for Will in the beginning - but he always has his own goals and motivations. Jack even flips it around and uses Will for his plans! Also, if you were to know only what our two protagonists know throughout the movie, it would be impossible to even have a glimpse at the layers of these plans. Will and Elizabeth even question it aloud during the battle between Jack and Barbossa: "What side is Jack on?" "At the moment?" Plus, he is witty, charming and hilarious. It's sad to see that the last to movies (especially the fifth!) have let his character go downhill... Maybe Jack doesn't work as the one true protagonist? Maybe the triangle constellation was the best way to present him? I don't know, but I'll probably always see the first three movies as the real core of the series. Just my opinion on Captain Jack Sparrow and "Pirates of the Caribbean".
Just yesterday I was doing a second draft, I looked at a character and decided to give them a new trait due to their past trauma. He's a very witty character and likes to talk back. But I decided to make it where if it's an adult and the adult starts raising their voice a bit, the character shuts up due to constant yelling and belittling from his parents inflicted upon him.
Such a good video! Definitely agree with their interests needing to be varied and not relevant to the plot. Oftentimes when authors bring up some random interest it makes me suspicious because I'm just counting down waiting for that to come back again in the 11th hour. Oh, you randomly like playing with a sling-shot? I'm sure that won't be how you end up defeating the big bad in the end (/sarcasm).
also with flaws- make sure they are recognised as flaws. i've read way too many books where the writer has put the character as flawed but wrote it as if they were perfect
The comment about past trauma is so important! Characters who are hurt earn our sympathy and if we can identify with the source of their pain, we can even empathize with them. This all falls apart though as you mentioned if the trauma feels disingenuous.
Thank you for that video. It made me realize I should write a vignette about my heroine's past trauma, which doesn't openly influence the plot but is definitely the reason why she is who she is and why she does what she does. And I should sit down and explore the backstories of my supporting characters!
Get to know them. Before or while writing them. Think about different situations. Non-story-related situations. How would your spunky-medieval-princess react if a car splashed her on the road? If a child started crying in the room? Doing psychological personality quizzes with the character's POV in mind might be useful. ;)
Hmm. When it comes to my characters/their personalities: I think of their role/s in the series. My main protagonists are three Elf sisters. Adria, the Captain of the Elf army and princess, is fierce, loyal to a fault, and chooses direct confrontation. Celestina, the sorceress, prefers magic. In fact, she believes that being a soldier is a "male elf's" position, and that the women of their race should stick to practicing the magical arts. Anastasia, the youngest sister, is a scholar. As such, she loves books of wisdom, poetry, and blue prints of the castle/grounds/their ancient temple. Anastasia is more passive-aggressive. She chooses book smarts over anything else. Celestina has a keen magical intellect. She is very curt/formal/in control of her emotions. Adria feels things more intensely and is prone to emotional outbursts. Each of these traits helps them: Anastasia translates the tome that they need, Celestina provides healing spells/magical solutions to problems, and Adria has the direct confrontations with the creatures of Darkness (vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, etc.).
@@shel8968 Already uploaded to Amazon's Kindle. Both Ebook and paperback Here is a link to the first book. Later, I'll provide a link to the second, also uploaded. I'm currently working on the third book. First book is titled "A Daughter's Revenge". Second book is titled "A Sorceress's Power". :). www.amazon.com/Daughters-Revenge-Elf-Sisters-Book-ebook/dp/B07L4RK3C9
Cool video! I'm not sure I agree with the basic premise that the protagonist has to be likeable, though. If I think of my favourite books, I pretty much don't like any of the protagonists. Compelling to me is different than likeable, in my opinion. Real people are often not very likeable either ;)
This video is such a good summary of the most important aspects. It's always important to keep these things in mind while writing. :) I guess the hardest tip I have is, just go with your gut. Sometimes, you just need the character to surprise you and let them expand and see where they go, regardless on what you have planned. It allows your story to develop and makes you question the fucral and essencial topics of your novel.
Jordan! I've just found your channel (I've been outta the booktube circle for a hot minute now) and I love how real and honest you are! That's prob a redundant compliment but its true lol. Thank you for putting out great content!!
I agree generally except for the idea that characters have to change at least the main character. This is one of the great myths of writing. Other things need to be in place but it is not only possible but sometimes preferable and even needed that the main character not change significantly. An example of this is Katniss Everdeen, particularly in the first novel. One of the best characters in recent Y.A. she is also one of the most consistent. Yes, she uses her hunting and survival skills to kill people but this is in an extreme case of self-defense and is balanced at least somewhat by how she got to be there (saving her little sister) and the actions she takes with regards to Rue and Peeta, who are meant to be her mortal enemies, while she is there. She is essentially a strong character, both physically morally, driven by love and duty and this does not change.
As a writer, I love videos like this. Creating compelling characters is nearly second nature with me, and I love when new story ideas present themselves. And, wow. You're just stunningly lovely here, btw.
Just so you know, the fact that you read alot and love it that makes you an expert and knowledgeable to the subject at hand. In my opinion, actual experience is more important and hold more weight then someone who gets theory from classes. Being cute helps too lol.
I think both are important! There's a lot that you can pick up naturally through reading and writing, but learning story theory really helps as well, and I'll definitely continue reading books on that, and perhaps take classes on it as well. Thanks so much for the kind words and support :)
Here's the inspiration for the series. I love playing video games because they're fun, interactive, cool, and have amazing settings. My favorite genres are action, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and mythology. The game that I played the most was Super Smash Bros. Out of all of the games that were in this franchise, I chose Ultimate as my favorite because every fighter is back and I can play to eight players. Not only that but the game includes an adventure mode called World of Light, where a players must travel to different worlds to capture Spirits in a RPG-inspired setting. Even though I never played the adventure mode, I do respect Sakurai for creating an exciting world where you can battle enemies, collect items, and befriend strangers.
Girl, your videos are the next best thing to writing when I'm sick on a Saturday. How do you not have a million more subscribers? If you ever want to do a collab on character names I am TOTALLY down.
Please make the video about how people treat authors when the disagree with them or disagree with how they portrayed certain things in their books... That needs to be talked about!
I agree about the bella thing, and that was kind of good, the light thing at the beginning, at first I thought you did something to the camera to make a point hehe. I like the past trauma idea, but in a way I feel this is something very over used, in my book, I am going to try give my character the trauma during a series of events, that leads to one decision on the moment, because that is one thing I agree with you about, no one makes right choices all of the time, but when bad things happen, that is when people make on the spur decisions for better or for worse.
I agree with that, what I mean is, while most will use abandoned parent to bully and have self righteous views for the protagonist, sure it can give them deeper meaningful views, if such things can occur, like helping or winning over an orphan who can help (a point I believe you made in another video)...don't use that thing from years ago to suddenly make them that amazing and good, I know that does happen in reality but for the most part, it is a more recent issue that will push someone to slide to extreme decisions. Another example you used in another video has also helped me with editing my character, trying to research human consciousness and use more morale to give my main character better existence.
For sure, I don't mean that necessarily, I think I mention in the video that I would use it to affect their perception of the world. It would affect their sensitivities to certain things and their personalities to an extent. If someone has had an eating disorder, they will interact with food differently. If someone has had an addiction, or even a parent or sibling with addiction, it will show in how they view substances, and also how they view those with addictions. That's all I meant.
This was a great video! Lots of good information! You should definitely do some more writing videos, even though you're not published yet, if anything from a reader's perspective as well as a writer's perspective. It's incredibly helpful! Looking forward to more videos like this!
Great advice! A lot of it is basic stuff I’ve heard before but you explain it clearly, concisely and without subjective bias. I think I even learned some things so well done. Subscribed. Edit: I dont mean that in a bad way. I think a lot of “basic” things are things people need to hear- or perhaps need help understanding. So you done good.
I'm glad I have most of these for my characters... Well... Appart from the antagonists I don't really like! There are antagonists that I love but there are some less important antagonists that don't interest me that much and that are kind of needed for the plot but I don't want it to show! :P
For me, it usually boils down to the character having strong, distinct character traits- be it good ones or significant flaws. So many characters are dull, unremarkable snooze-fests that only exist for the readers to self-insert into
Here's my outline for my fantasy story. It's called Ace Master Loki. Ace Master Loki Genres: Action, Dark Fantasy, Mythology, Isekai, Comedy-drama, Thriller Age Rating: 13+ (fantasy violence) Plot: Set in 2020, four middle-school students Pieter, Claude, Vincent, and Albrecht are having fun at the Lost Ark video game store in Greensboro. While they were checking out several games in the store, they stumble upon a fictional RPG game titled Ace Master Loki. As they opened up the game, they are magically transported into the mythical world of Midgrad, which is located in the center of the Yggdrasil. They're greeted by Odin, a Norse god that resides in the kingdom of Aesir, who informs the boys that his wife Frea had her organs (save her heart) scattered in sealed cards known as "Spades." With the power to transform into Ace Masters by wielding the "Destiny of the Gods" cards and guided by a mythical creature known as Duneyrr, he instructs them that they're prophesied to travel to nine realms to collect each card so that he can transport them back to the World Tree. However, they're task isn't going to be easy, as the vicious giantess Angrboda (along with her demonic wolf Fenrir) are destined to devour Frea's heart so that they can bring about a fatalistic event: Ragnarok.
I'm sad that I'm starting to lose my plot. I'm not much of an outliner. That's just not how I work. I learn more about my characters and story as I go along. When I'm writing (I'll use my characters as an example) I definitely do not know what characteristics they have, what secrets they have, their family life, their relationship with the protagonist, etc, until I start. Ideas flow to me as I write. It's not that I don't want to plan. In fact, I really wish I could because that'd make everything a lot easier and go so much faster, but I can't. I just can't. When I try to plan every little detail it's like my brain turns to mush and I forget my original idea/story. And as I go along forcing myself to outline because "books written without outlines are messy" my book changes in ways I don't want it to and my book becomes this strange thing that I don't even recognize.
Have you heard of this youtuber, M. KIRIN? The best advice I've heard from this channel was to let your characters write for you. You don't need to outlie everything, but enough to know how the story ends.
Dusky Blue That's great advice. I now have a skeleton for how I want my story to go. I've separated it into 6 parts and I know what happens in each part, just not how it happens, if that makes any sense.
I love your videos; they're very informative and I learn a lot from them. On that note, please make the video about your own character. It would mean a lot to have more specific examples. :)
Hmm, I’m gonna throw my MC out there.My protagonist is a reckless young woman who is selfless to a fault and constantly puts herself in danger, even when it isn’t necessary. She’s very optimistic and sweet, but has many insecurities about her worth and constantly compares herself to her grandmother for reasons I can’t say, it would spoil the story ;). She has a bit of a god complex because of what she is and how she was raised and this is the cause of her reckless nature and choices throughout the story. She’s rather naive and soft-hearted due to her isolated upbringing and really believes in people and is too trusting due to this. Later on in the story she has PTSD and struggles with grief, but matures in a way, learning the harsh truths of the world around her, while still holding onto her optimism and loving, uplifting nature. How does she sound?? I would really appreciate feedback!
Hi, Jordan! I have a couple of questions. First, what kinds of flaws would keep the protagonists likeable while still getting them away from Mary-Sue territory? I know you've mentioned past traumas based on discrimination, but that's not really a flaw; that's just a natural response. Second question: how can I have my characters make poor decisions without having them come across as incompetent or stupid? I've been writing since 2002 and these questions are still a mystery to me. Anytime I've created a character that somebody liked, it was an accident. What do you think about all of this?
Personally, I think Red Rising has really interesting and compelling side characters, Ender's Game and Blood Red Road have compelling protagonists, A Game of Thrones has super compelling characters all around, and The Martian has a great use of voice for the protagonist, which I feel makes him compelling, just to name a few!
My MC is a closeted bisexual who had a good life until he was 8 years old and her mother died. Since then, he’s been raised by his homophobic father and sister, who would constantly harass him. At 16 years old, he struggles with (of course) his sexuality and anger control, both caused by his childhood and the beginning of his teenage years. He also has to deal with anorexia and constant nightmares. What do you think? I would love to hear some feedback
It's a good start, but it seems like you threw a bunch of random flaws into him. Try sticking to one or two tragic events and think of what consequences could come out of them. Tragic events such as a bad upbringing or a parent's death can seriously change a person.
My characters start of pretty young so I don't think that past trauma is going to be particularly prevalent. I have a bit of a problem with this since I usually start my stories in a really dark place, like with a suicide attemp, or a drug overdose. But now I can't use that because it would be believable for 13 year olds to have a problem with stuff like that. Does anyone have any tips?
It could be the loss of a grandparent, their sibling/parent could be going through something, or maybe something happens to one of their friends. 13 isn't that young!
For example, Percy Jackson has an absent father, and an abusive step father. He's bullied in school. Harry Potter's parents are both dead, and he grew up in an abusive household. He also has to deal with the pressures of fame at a young age and a lack of support from the muggles in his life.
@@JordanHarveybooks first of all, thanks so much for replying!!! I am to the fullest aware of how much a person could have gone through at 13, afterall I used to be depressed teenager, and that started at 11 And also, I don't have this problem with my other characters, only my protagonist. She's supposed to be kind of shielded from all the harshness of the world, only to have that brutally shattered throughout the series. But I feel she's kind of flat and unrelatable because of it... I really don't want the four years of worldbuilding to go to waste because of a weak protagonist. (Sorry for the thesis, im a massive overwriter lol)
I disagree with the point of MCs having to change over the course of a story. I do however think they should be given the opportunity to change, and their nature and self is defined by whether or not they take it. Backstory remains a crucial point even in that kind of story.
Thanks for answering my comment. Allow me to answer back: Learning and growing is still compatible with static characters. You can learn new pieces of information which either affect you or dont, or you can grow metaphorically by gaining a new skill, but the extent to which that changes you can be negligible. Think a villain protagonist who, through a messed up comedy of errors plot, learns how they came to be and what else they could do with their lives; would you feel cheated if that character handled it with indifference and slight boredom and decided to stay evil?
696190 I suppose that would be dependant on execution. It’s not a hard rule or anything, there are exceptions, but I think for the most part, development is crucial, especially for protagonist(s). Learning new skills doesn’t cut it for me.
No worries, you don't have to have a college degree in literature or work in the publishing industry, to have an opinion about writing. Or to have writing experience. Or to share your opinions.
not to defend twilight caouse it's trash but Bella (at least in the first book) likes to read and is a great chef - while later books loose these things they're there in the begining
she cooks every day (because her dad doesn't know how to) and several times this is brought up. For example when she introduces him to enchiladas. I haven't read the books in what, 7-8 years, but I do remember at least two instances in the first book where she reads. Mind you, I have about a gazillion interests and it would be impossible to practice them all constantly, so to always be doing something is kind of a bad way to measure interests. I love art and making art but i've gone months and even years without creating. It was still an interest but but at the time i wasn't actively practicing it (once again, I agree bella is a bland character but credit where its due)
Fair enough with the cooking, even though I think it's born from necessity rather than genuine interest, but I'm still not convinced about the reading. Even if she's not doing it, one would think that if it's an interest, she would be relating things in her life to books she's read, talking about books with her friends, etc. Especially because it's fiction, these things need to be present, otherwise how would the audience know that it is in fact an interest?
Okay so we disagree and that cool, so now i'm just spinning it further cause I like doing that and just know I'm not a troll messing with you or a twilight-defender but to thins you could say does she even have friends, and that's where the trouble lies. Cause Jessica is this girl who just talks and talks and talks so how would a genuine conversation with her go. And honestly I don't even remember Angela exept for her name. Mike and Eric were just like romantic obstacles anyways, so there the main flaw would lie in no good charactes to actually let her talk to except literally the werewolves and vampires. Again i'm just spinning on and it's clear we disagree on this one point. Otherwise your video was A+ I agree 100%
Love the video! But if you wouldn't mind, I just have a quick question about the whole doing what's "Right or Wrong"-thing, because my main character is going to do something that might come of as wrong and evil, to someone that hurt her in the past (The person killed her whole family in a.....painful way). Not yet aware of the fact that the antagonist have hurt many others, but she is still willing to do this, just simply to get back at the person. She also know that this might be the wrong thing to do, but really just want to be able to let go of what happened to her, and think that getting revenge on this person is what will help her with finally moving on. Will this make people dislike the character? The fact that she will do something bad, even though she is aware that it's the wrong thing to do? Or does it help that she just is trying to do it for her family (The only people that ever cared for her)? And that she will save a lot of people doing it? Also, if you took you time to read this, I'm really sorry if I made any grammar mistakes, english is not my first language, so I hope you could make any sense of what I was trying to say :)
I think it'll depend very much on how you treat it! It'll depend on what's going through her head, and if her motives are dark, will there be bad consequences for her actions? Or will it be celebrated/a good thing? Because that'll send a different message to the audience.
Thank you so much for answering my question! I'll try to take that into consideration, but as far as the outline goes right now, what motivates her isn't anything dark, she just want to do what's the best. And in the end it'll help so many more people and it is a good thing that she does it, even though she isn't aware of it yet.
If she isn't aware that it's going to be helpful in the end and she wants revenge, that is fairly dark motivations, no? Unless you want to argue that seeking revenge over justice is a positive thing? (Which is totally fine, you can definitely do that if you want!) Just make sure you're aware of what you're subconsciously telling the audience!!
She is aware that this person isn't as good at she is pictured out to be, this because she have gotten to know about this persons plan eye to eye. The thing is just that what motivates her to do something about it is what happened to her family, but she is still aware that this person will end up hurting some people, she just don't know the whole story yet, and don't know excalty how much she actually will affect the life of people around her (In a good way). She is just so full of her grief that she really don't know what to think about anything at first, but she will end up doing what is right in the end because of the right reasons, which kind of is an important part of the story itself. She is also meant to be someone that first is painted out to be partly bad, but end up being good all in all. And there is of corse some things that are really important to this main plot and character that I have left out here because that would be too much to write down. But she isn't just doing it as revenge, it's just that the death of her family is the thing that keeps her going trough it all. I just explained it the whole thing the wrong way I guess, which happens a lot to me, sorry.
I personally listen to music when I create characters. When I find a song that fits their personality, I go into the lyrics and thus get deeper into what other character traits they could have. It's not a method for everyone, but it has helped me many times, because you get many layers of traits you can combine
Hells Mirror Omg, I do the same thing!
Oooo, I should probably try the same thing!
Same here. I do it more to get into the mood before writing (since I can't write with music in the background).
My story's climax came from a song!
Maybe I should try that
I mean I listen to music while writing stories but I don’t really use the actual song to help the story
Girl you are looking GOOD.
Thanks love
i often like taking a stereotype and/or trope, sticking it to a character i’ve created, and trying to turn it on its head through their story! it makes it compelling for me as a writer to see what i can do with this stereotype and how i can prove or disprove it with my characters. how i can make my character believable and real and relatable past the stereotype that one might tack onto them! i truly loved your process and things you thought of as you develop your characters and i’m definitely taking something’s away after watching this!
That's so great that you took something away from the video, and that is a great point! I've definitely tried to play with stereotypes, because it's using the audience's expectations and then pulling the rug out from under them in a way!
You come across as really intelligent and well-spoken; it’s fascinating to listen to you speak. I don’t know why - there’s just something about the way you talk that makes you seem very wise and like you have given your words a lot of thought and attention.
Thank you! That's very kind of you to say.
Good Video with lots of great information. All I can say is don't sell yourself short. Just because you're not published it does not diminish your skills or knowlege of writing. If you're a writer and you're writing then you're qualified to share your knowlege! Keep at it and I look forward to more videos!
Thank you so much!!
Is having a past trauma really necessary for making a character? I'm not sure I agree there. Sure you can milk this for drama, conflict or something along those lines but really, you could just as well take a well adjusted person, relatively happy with their lot in life, wrap a figurative hand around their figurative neck and squeeze. Tear down the MC from their happy place and instead build the trauma as the story goes along. Seems these days that just about every character has some past issue that they need to overcome, which is getting a bit too overdone. Maybe this could be a good way to kind of work around that cliche.
...Well, just an idea
For sure! I just don't think I've met anyone that hasn't faced anything traumatic in their life. I did say it can be small, but I think adding that creates a certain level of realism and relatability. Even if they haven't dealt with something themselves, but someone close to them has, it'll affect them. If their sibling is anorexic, they'll have a certain sensitivity to the way we talk about bodies and appearance as well as their relationship with food and their own insecurities. It doesn't have to be direct, but I think there should be something present that suggests a past with a bit of depth.
Because everyone's childhood sucked.
It might not be necessary, but it sadly does help. The breadth and depth of what happens to the human mind and heart and soul following some trauma can be conveyed far more deeply and with great nuance by someone that has endured such an event, or something akin to it.
Not all trauma is easily pinpointed in a person’s life. Some things like disillusionment and internal/mental struggles can be very life altering and affect a character’s mentality and perception of the world. Things such as stress, depression, etc. can be substitutes for “trauma”.
I think the precise thing is to establish one or more significant, defining moments in each character's life that very widely shape them, so that you can use them as pillars from which to draw on how they would think/behave. Often, trauma can become one or more of these pillars, but there are tons of other things, many being more benign or even positive, that can shape a character as well.
I believe the author/artist of Berserk said similar things but also summed up the dynamic between a protagonist and side characters as side characters (and villains) being placed with the intent of drawing out a certain or new side to the protagonist's personality in how they interact and confront them, this allows the protagonist to become more multi faceted because all other characters teach them lessons and can present a challenging obstacle or circumstance that creates change, personally I also enjoy doing this by making my side characters facets of my protagonist but reinterpreted and expressed even slightly differently which also still leaves room for conflicting opinions even if they're allies and keeps things from being repetitive, great video!
I love that way of looking at it! I kind of talk a bit about that in my video about creating villains, but that's a great point. Thanks for the comment :)
Now I’m definitely interested to know what some of your favorite character are and why they work
Jack Sparrow is a legendary character
未来のトランクスTrunks indeed.
Seeing good old Captain Jack in the thumbnail made me remember just how perfect he is in the first movie.
Sure, Will and Elizabeth are the two main characters and Jack is more of a side character - even just some kind of "tool" for Will in the beginning - but he always has his own goals and motivations. Jack even flips it around and uses Will for his plans!
Also, if you were to know only what our two protagonists know throughout the movie, it would be impossible to even have a glimpse at the layers of these plans.
Will and Elizabeth even question it aloud during the battle between Jack and Barbossa: "What side is Jack on?" "At the moment?"
Plus, he is witty, charming and hilarious.
It's sad to see that the last to movies (especially the fifth!) have let his character go downhill... Maybe Jack doesn't work as the one true protagonist? Maybe the triangle constellation was the best way to present him?
I don't know, but I'll probably always see the first three movies as the real core of the series.
Just my opinion on Captain Jack Sparrow and "Pirates of the Caribbean".
He worked better as a side character but because he got so popular the creators wanted to milk it
Will and Elizabeth are the main characters but everyone loves Jack
Just yesterday I was doing a second draft, I looked at a character and decided to give them a new trait due to their past trauma. He's a very witty character and likes to talk back. But I decided to make it where if it's an adult and the adult starts raising their voice a bit, the character shuts up due to constant yelling and belittling from his parents inflicted upon him.
Such a good video! Definitely agree with their interests needing to be varied and not relevant to the plot. Oftentimes when authors bring up some random interest it makes me suspicious because I'm just counting down waiting for that to come back again in the 11th hour. Oh, you randomly like playing with a sling-shot? I'm sure that won't be how you end up defeating the big bad in the end (/sarcasm).
Bibliofilth Yup! Me too!!
also with flaws- make sure they are recognised as flaws. i've read way too many books where the writer has put the character as flawed but wrote it as if they were perfect
Please make a video on your character
The comment about past trauma is so important! Characters who are hurt earn our sympathy and if we can identify with the source of their pain, we can even empathize with them. This all falls apart though as you mentioned if the trauma feels disingenuous.
The lighting in this video just cracks me right open
julie zeg ik niet I get that. I’m pretty sure the sun is just out to get me.
Thank you for that video.
It made me realize I should write a vignette about my heroine's past trauma, which doesn't openly influence the plot but is definitely the reason why she is who she is and why she does what she does.
And I should sit down and explore the backstories of my supporting characters!
Johanna Geisel I’m glad it was helpful!!
Get to know them. Before or while writing them.
Think about different situations. Non-story-related situations. How would your spunky-medieval-princess react if a car splashed her on the road? If a child started crying in the room?
Doing psychological personality quizzes with the character's POV in mind might be useful. ;)
Hmm. When it comes to my characters/their personalities: I think of their role/s in the series. My main protagonists are three Elf sisters. Adria, the Captain of the Elf army and princess, is fierce, loyal to a fault, and chooses direct confrontation. Celestina, the sorceress, prefers magic. In fact, she believes that being a soldier is a "male elf's" position, and that the women of their race should stick to practicing the magical arts. Anastasia, the youngest sister, is a scholar. As such, she loves books of wisdom, poetry, and blue prints of the castle/grounds/their ancient temple. Anastasia is more passive-aggressive. She chooses book smarts over anything else. Celestina has a keen magical intellect. She is very curt/formal/in control of her emotions. Adria feels things more intensely and is prone to emotional outbursts. Each of these traits helps them: Anastasia translates the tome that they need, Celestina provides healing spells/magical solutions to problems, and Adria has the direct confrontations with the creatures of Darkness (vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, etc.).
I would love to read your story!
@@shel8968 Already uploaded to Amazon's Kindle. Both Ebook and paperback Here is a link to the first book. Later, I'll provide a link to the second, also uploaded. I'm currently working on the third book. First book is titled "A Daughter's Revenge". Second book is titled "A Sorceress's Power". :). www.amazon.com/Daughters-Revenge-Elf-Sisters-Book-ebook/dp/B07L4RK3C9
Cool video! I'm not sure I agree with the basic premise that the protagonist has to be likeable, though. If I think of my favourite books, I pretty much don't like any of the protagonists. Compelling to me is different than likeable, in my opinion. Real people are often not very likeable either ;)
lemondrizzlecake I suppose that’s true, to each their own :)
This video is such a good summary of the most important aspects. It's always important to keep these things in mind while writing. :)
I guess the hardest tip I have is, just go with your gut. Sometimes, you just need the character to surprise you and let them expand and see where they go, regardless on what you have planned. It allows your story to develop and makes you question the fucral and essencial topics of your novel.
LeaTheHatless Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed the video and that’s a great point. Always follow your instincts!!
Thank you so much for your wisdom!
Jordan! I've just found your channel (I've been outta the booktube circle for a hot minute now) and I love how real and honest you are! That's prob a redundant compliment but its true lol. Thank you for putting out great content!!
Maddie Pope Thanks so much!! Glad you’re liking it :)
I agree generally except for the idea that characters have to change at least the main character. This is one of the great myths of writing. Other things need to be in place but it is not only possible but sometimes preferable and even needed that the main character not change significantly. An example of this is Katniss Everdeen, particularly in the first novel. One of the best characters in recent Y.A. she is also one of the most consistent. Yes, she uses her hunting and survival skills to kill people but this is in an extreme case of self-defense and is balanced at least somewhat by how she got to be there (saving her little sister) and the actions she takes with regards to Rue and Peeta, who are meant to be her mortal enemies, while she is there. She is essentially a strong character, both physically morally, driven by love and duty and this does not change.
T.K. McNeil you’re absolutely right, and this is a great video on just that: th-cam.com/video/ot02hMJ6Hkk/w-d-xo.html
I loved your list! I'm going to go through it with my characters the next time I sit to work, thanks :)
As a writer, I love videos like this. Creating compelling characters is nearly second nature with me, and I love when new story ideas present themselves.
And, wow. You're just stunningly lovely here, btw.
"Today I'm doing a video..."
Astute observation
Just so you know, the fact that you read alot and love it that makes you an expert and knowledgeable to the subject at hand. In my opinion, actual experience is more important and hold more weight then someone who gets theory from classes. Being cute helps too lol.
I think both are important! There's a lot that you can pick up naturally through reading and writing, but learning story theory really helps as well, and I'll definitely continue reading books on that, and perhaps take classes on it as well. Thanks so much for the kind words and support :)
From now on I feel like if something doesn't go odd while Jordan is filming we'll feel weird after watching the video 😄
Here's the inspiration for the series.
I love playing video games because they're fun, interactive, cool, and have amazing settings. My favorite genres are action, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and mythology. The game that I played the most was Super Smash Bros. Out of all of the games that were in this franchise, I chose Ultimate as my favorite because every fighter is back and I can play to eight players. Not only that but the game includes an adventure mode called World of Light, where a players must travel to different worlds to capture Spirits in a RPG-inspired setting. Even though I never played the adventure mode, I do respect Sakurai for creating an exciting world where you can battle enemies, collect items, and befriend strangers.
This is for Ace Master Loki, which I posted my outline. Can you take a look at Jordan to see if I need to change details or does it sound alright?
Girl, your videos are the next best thing to writing when I'm sick on a Saturday. How do you not have a million more subscribers? If you ever want to do a collab on character names I am TOTALLY down.
Please make the video about how people treat authors when the disagree with them or disagree with how they portrayed certain things in their books... That needs to be talked about!
Really good advice. Thank you.
I agree about the bella thing, and that was kind of good, the light thing at the beginning, at first I thought you did something to the camera to make a point hehe. I like the past trauma idea, but in a way I feel this is something very over used, in my book, I am going to try give my character the trauma during a series of events, that leads to one decision on the moment, because that is one thing I agree with you about, no one makes right choices all of the time, but when bad things happen, that is when people make on the spur decisions for better or for worse.
Jason Randall True! And as far as the past trauma, I just think that even sheltered and good people have dealt with hard things.
I agree with that, what I mean is, while most will use abandoned parent to bully and have self righteous views for the protagonist, sure it can give them deeper meaningful views, if such things can occur, like helping or winning over an orphan who can help (a point I believe you made in another video)...don't use that thing from years ago to suddenly make them that amazing and good, I know that does happen in reality but for the most part, it is a more recent issue that will push someone to slide to extreme decisions. Another example you used in another video has also helped me with editing my character, trying to research human consciousness and use more morale to give my main character better existence.
For sure, I don't mean that necessarily, I think I mention in the video that I would use it to affect their perception of the world. It would affect their sensitivities to certain things and their personalities to an extent. If someone has had an eating disorder, they will interact with food differently. If someone has had an addiction, or even a parent or sibling with addiction, it will show in how they view substances, and also how they view those with addictions. That's all I meant.
This was a great video! Lots of good information! You should definitely do some more writing videos, even though you're not published yet, if anything from a reader's perspective as well as a writer's perspective. It's incredibly helpful! Looking forward to more videos like this!
Thanks so much! I'm glad you found it helpful!!
Great advice! A lot of it is basic stuff I’ve heard before but you explain it clearly, concisely and without subjective bias. I think I even learned some things so well done. Subscribed.
Edit: I dont mean that in a bad way. I think a lot of “basic” things are things people need to hear- or perhaps need help understanding. So you done good.
Thanks so much! I got what you meant, no worries there :)
Hey! I'm early, lemme make a joke.
Twilight.
Really intelligent and well made video. Subscribed👍🏻
Cass Kavanagh Thank you!!
"I'm friends with the protagonist so I'm joining the adventure."
.....looking at you Bilbo Baggins
3:18 oh my god Jordan, what is up with that light?!
I'm glad I have most of these for my characters... Well... Appart from the antagonists I don't really like! There are antagonists that I love but there are some less important antagonists that don't interest me that much and that are kind of needed for the plot but I don't want it to show! :P
And this video perfectly also sums up why Rey is so boring.
I love each and every content on your channel sooooo much Definitely helps me in writing but mostly I just like you talking
Oh my gosh, thank you so much! That's so sweet!!
Yaaaaasssss! Educate us, Queen!
You're so helpful
. Thank you!
The light changes so much through the video 😵
Sorry pal. I had to shoot with natural light.
Great video! I agree with everything you said, even to the point I don't know what else to add. xP
Super helpful 😃
I'm glad :)
For me, it usually boils down to the character having strong, distinct character traits- be it good ones or significant flaws. So many characters are dull, unremarkable snooze-fests that only exist for the readers to self-insert into
Here's my outline for my fantasy story. It's called Ace Master Loki.
Ace Master Loki
Genres: Action, Dark Fantasy, Mythology, Isekai, Comedy-drama, Thriller
Age Rating: 13+ (fantasy violence)
Plot: Set in 2020, four middle-school students Pieter, Claude, Vincent, and Albrecht are having fun at the Lost Ark video game store in Greensboro. While they were checking out several games in the store, they stumble upon a fictional RPG game titled Ace Master Loki. As they opened up the game, they are magically transported into the mythical world of Midgrad, which is located in the center of the Yggdrasil. They're greeted by Odin, a Norse god that resides in the kingdom of Aesir, who informs the boys that his wife Frea had her organs (save her heart) scattered in sealed cards known as "Spades."
With the power to transform into Ace Masters by wielding the "Destiny of the Gods" cards and guided by a mythical creature known as Duneyrr, he instructs them that they're prophesied to travel to nine realms to collect each card so that he can transport them back to the World Tree. However, they're task isn't going to be easy, as the vicious giantess Angrboda (along with her demonic wolf Fenrir) are destined to devour Frea's heart so that they can bring about a fatalistic event: Ragnarok.
I'm sad that I'm starting to lose my plot. I'm not much of an outliner. That's just not how I work. I learn more about my characters and story as I go along. When I'm writing (I'll use my characters as an example) I definitely do not know what characteristics they have, what secrets they have, their family life, their relationship with the protagonist, etc, until I start. Ideas flow to me as I write. It's not that I don't want to plan. In fact, I really wish I could because that'd make everything a lot easier and go so much faster, but I can't. I just can't. When I try to plan every little detail it's like my brain turns to mush and I forget my original idea/story. And as I go along forcing myself to outline because "books written without outlines are messy" my book changes in ways I don't want it to and my book becomes this strange thing that I don't even recognize.
Have you heard of this youtuber, M. KIRIN? The best advice I've heard from this channel was to let your characters write for you. You don't need to outlie everything, but enough to know how the story ends.
Dusky Blue That's great advice. I now have a skeleton for how I want my story to go. I've separated it into 6 parts and I know what happens in each part, just not how it happens, if that makes any sense.
@@rachele.3229 What is the story about, if you don't mind me asking?
ok but like how the fuck did i only just find your channel, never binged so many videos in the one sitting :333
That's so nice to hear
I love your videos; they're very informative and I learn a lot from them. On that note, please make the video about your own character. It would mean a lot to have more specific examples. :)
Hmm, I’m gonna throw my MC out there.My protagonist is a reckless young woman who is selfless to a fault and constantly puts herself in danger, even when it isn’t necessary. She’s very optimistic and sweet, but has many insecurities about her worth and constantly compares herself to her grandmother for reasons I can’t say, it would spoil the story ;). She has a bit of a god complex because of what she is and how she was raised and this is the cause of her reckless nature and choices throughout the story. She’s rather naive and soft-hearted due to her isolated upbringing and really believes in people and is too trusting due to this. Later on in the story she has PTSD and struggles with grief, but matures in a way, learning the harsh truths of the world around her, while still holding onto her optimism and loving, uplifting nature.
How does she sound?? I would really appreciate feedback!
HEY! add a lil background music lightly! it will enhance the mood. :)
Hi, Jordan! I have a couple of questions. First, what kinds of flaws would keep the protagonists likeable while still getting them away from Mary-Sue territory? I know you've mentioned past traumas based on discrimination, but that's not really a flaw; that's just a natural response. Second question: how can I have my characters make poor decisions without having them come across as incompetent or stupid? I've been writing since 2002 and these questions are still a mystery to me. Anytime I've created a character that somebody liked, it was an accident. What do you think about all of this?
What would be some examples of books with compelling characters?
Personally, I think Red Rising has really interesting and compelling side characters, Ender's Game and Blood Red Road have compelling protagonists, A Game of Thrones has super compelling characters all around, and The Martian has a great use of voice for the protagonist, which I feel makes him compelling, just to name a few!
My MC is a closeted bisexual who had a good life until he was 8 years old and her mother died. Since then, he’s been raised by his homophobic father and sister, who would constantly harass him. At 16 years old, he struggles with (of course) his sexuality and anger control, both caused by his childhood and the beginning of his teenage years. He also has to deal with anorexia and constant nightmares.
What do you think? I would love to hear some feedback
:’(
It's a good start, but it seems like you threw a bunch of random flaws into him. Try sticking to one or two tragic events and think of what consequences could come out of them. Tragic events such as a bad upbringing or a parent's death can seriously change a person.
My characters start of pretty young so I don't think that past trauma is going to be particularly prevalent. I have a bit of a problem with this since I usually start my stories in a really dark place, like with a suicide attemp, or a drug overdose. But now I can't use that because it would be believable for 13 year olds to have a problem with stuff like that. Does anyone have any tips?
It could be the loss of a grandparent, their sibling/parent could be going through something, or maybe something happens to one of their friends. 13 isn't that young!
For example, Percy Jackson has an absent father, and an abusive step father. He's bullied in school.
Harry Potter's parents are both dead, and he grew up in an abusive household. He also has to deal with the pressures of fame at a young age and a lack of support from the muggles in his life.
@@JordanHarveybooks first of all, thanks so much for replying!!!
I am to the fullest aware of how much a person could have gone through at 13, afterall I used to be depressed teenager, and that started at 11
And also, I don't have this problem with my other characters, only my protagonist. She's supposed to be kind of shielded from all the harshness of the world, only to have that brutally shattered throughout the series. But I feel she's kind of flat and unrelatable because of it...
I really don't want the four years of worldbuilding to go to waste because of a weak protagonist.
(Sorry for the thesis, im a massive overwriter lol)
I disagree with the point of MCs having to change over the course of a story. I do however think they should be given the opportunity to change, and their nature and self is defined by whether or not they take it. Backstory remains a crucial point even in that kind of story.
Really? I think it's essential. If they don't grow or learn anything, then I feel cheated.
Thanks for answering my comment. Allow me to answer back: Learning and growing is still compatible with static characters. You can learn new pieces of information which either affect you or dont, or you can grow metaphorically by gaining a new skill, but the extent to which that changes you can be negligible. Think a villain protagonist who, through a messed up comedy of errors plot, learns how they came to be and what else they could do with their lives; would you feel cheated if that character handled it with indifference and slight boredom and decided to stay evil?
696190 I suppose that would be dependant on execution. It’s not a hard rule or anything, there are exceptions, but I think for the most part, development is crucial, especially for protagonist(s). Learning new skills doesn’t cut it for me.
No worries, you don't have to have a college degree in literature or work in the publishing industry, to have an opinion about writing. Or to have writing experience. Or to share your opinions.
Second
Forgot D.V.
not to defend twilight caouse it's trash but Bella (at least in the first book) likes to read and is a great chef - while later books loose these things they're there in the begining
When does she cook anything? Is she constantly reading books? If it's just mentioned in passing once or twice, that hardly counts as an interest.
she cooks every day (because her dad doesn't know how to) and several times this is brought up. For example when she introduces him to enchiladas. I haven't read the books in what, 7-8 years, but I do remember at least two instances in the first book where she reads. Mind you, I have about a gazillion interests and it would be impossible to practice them all constantly, so to always be doing something is kind of a bad way to measure interests. I love art and making art but i've gone months and even years without creating. It was still an interest but but at the time i wasn't actively practicing it (once again, I agree bella is a bland character but credit where its due)
Fair enough with the cooking, even though I think it's born from necessity rather than genuine interest, but I'm still not convinced about the reading. Even if she's not doing it, one would think that if it's an interest, she would be relating things in her life to books she's read, talking about books with her friends, etc. Especially because it's fiction, these things need to be present, otherwise how would the audience know that it is in fact an interest?
Okay so we disagree and that cool, so now i'm just spinning it further cause I like doing that and just know I'm not a troll messing with you or a twilight-defender but to thins you could say does she even have friends, and that's where the trouble lies. Cause Jessica is this girl who just talks and talks and talks so how would a genuine conversation with her go. And honestly I don't even remember Angela exept for her name. Mike and Eric were just like romantic obstacles anyways, so there the main flaw would lie in no good charactes to actually let her talk to except literally the werewolves and vampires. Again i'm just spinning on and it's clear we disagree on this one point. Otherwise your video was A+ I agree 100%
Love the video!
But if you wouldn't mind, I just have a quick question about the whole doing what's "Right or Wrong"-thing, because my main character is going to do something that might come of as wrong and evil, to someone that hurt her in the past (The person killed her whole family in a.....painful way). Not yet aware of the fact that the antagonist have hurt many others, but she is still willing to do this, just simply to get back at the person.
She also know that this might be the wrong thing to do, but really just want to be able to let go of what happened to her, and think that getting revenge on this person is what will help her with finally moving on.
Will this make people dislike the character? The fact that she will do something bad, even though she is aware that it's the wrong thing to do? Or does it help that she just is trying to do it for her family (The only people that ever cared for her)? And that she will save a lot of people doing it?
Also, if you took you time to read this, I'm really sorry if I made any grammar mistakes, english is not my first language, so I hope you could make any sense of what I was trying to say :)
I think it'll depend very much on how you treat it! It'll depend on what's going through her head, and if her motives are dark, will there be bad consequences for her actions? Or will it be celebrated/a good thing? Because that'll send a different message to the audience.
Thank you so much for answering my question! I'll try to take that into consideration, but as far as the outline goes right now, what motivates her isn't anything dark, she just want to do what's the best. And in the end it'll help so many more people and it is a good thing that she does it, even though she isn't aware of it yet.
If she isn't aware that it's going to be helpful in the end and she wants revenge, that is fairly dark motivations, no? Unless you want to argue that seeking revenge over justice is a positive thing? (Which is totally fine, you can definitely do that if you want!) Just make sure you're aware of what you're subconsciously telling the audience!!
She is aware that this person isn't as good at she is pictured out to be, this because she have gotten to know about this persons plan eye to eye.
The thing is just that what motivates her to do something about it is what happened to her family, but she is still aware that this person will end up hurting some people, she just don't know the whole story yet, and don't know excalty how much she actually will affect the life of people around her (In a good way).
She is just so full of her grief that she really don't know what to think about anything at first, but she will end up doing what is right in the end because of the right reasons, which kind of is an important part of the story itself. She is also meant to be someone that first is painted out to be partly bad, but end up being good all in all.
And there is of corse some things that are really important to this main plot and character that I have left out here because that would be too much to write down. But she isn't just doing it as revenge, it's just that the death of her family is the thing that keeps her going trough it all. I just explained it the whole thing the wrong way I guess, which happens a lot to me, sorry.
Sibuna 15 No problem! It’s really hard to give my thoughts on something without knowing much about it. Good luck with your story!!
Hey i am first
Yup! Thanks for checking it out!!
Jordan Harvey end must say this is some cool advice for immproving story tealing wise
Oh my gosh that's great! I'm glad you got something from it :)
Nobody likes a marei sue. Jk