How to Avoid Writing Cliché Characters?

Подписаться 23 тыс.

Просмотров 2,6 тыс.

50% 1

helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com
www.kmweiland.com
Historical and speculative novelist K.M. Weiland offers tips and essays about the writing life to help other writers understand the ins and outs of the craft and the psychology behind the inspiration.
***
Today's question from @phillipmeyer4059 asks:
"One of the characters in my story is a traitor to the mission, I want to make sure he is not a cookie cutter stereotype, but I am having a hard time with avoiding the two extremes; of a really bad guy who everyone knows will be a traitor, or the super loyalist that would be the last person anyone would expect to turn sides. What can I do to stay away from the pitfalls?"
***
Want me to answer your question in a future video? Ask it in the comments below!
#WriterWednesday #WW #AmWriting #WritersLife #Writetip #writer #writersofinstagram #writersofig #writerscommunity #writers #igwriters #writerslife #instawriters #writersnetwork #igwritersclub #writersblock #instawriter #screenwriter #writerlife #writerscorner #writersofinsta #writercommunity #writersoninstagram #writerssociety #writerofinstagram #igwriter #writers_den_ #poetsandwriters #writersociety #womenwriters

Опубликовано:

4 апр 2023

Ссылка:

Скачать:

Готовим ссылку...

Добавить в:

Мой плейлист

Посмотреть позже

Комментарии : 24

@KentSandersprofile Год назад

So happy to see you returning to doing videos! These are so great, and it's a privilege to learn from your storytelling wisdom.

@jbrown59 Год назад

So happy to see you back on RU-vid! You're one of the best writing teacher out there! I used to listen to your podcast on outlining on repeat 😂

@gracedvorachek6103 Год назад

Yessss, I love this! I think writing cliche characters happens when we think of that character only as "The Guy Who Betrays the MC" or "The Antagonist" or "The Character Who Dies at the End." Yes, that _is_ a role the character plays, but as KM said, their character goes so much deeper than that. Don't think of them in terms of their actions... think of them in terms of their beliefs. While their actions _do_ stem from those beliefs, it's the beliefs themselves that really define the character.

@phillipmeyer4059 Год назад

Thank you for answering my question. I love that your videos are short, in-depth, and concise with tons of practical information.

@user-ut3eb6ds1i 11 месяцев назад

Excellent series - always a joy and helpful. Tropey stereotypical characters can be like peanuts in a shipping box, and as you advice, it doesn't always take a lot to set them apart. An example that sticks to my mind is one of Andrzej Sapkowski's secondary characters, the sorceress Keira Metz. Although quite fond of displaying her access to luxury, she avoids wearing shoes. It's a little thing, but it breathes life into a character amidst many of a similar ilk.

@Poptartsthatareplain101 Год назад

YAAAY I love that you’re back!! I used to watch your writing advice videos years ago☺️✨

@sweetiepienumber1 Год назад

Thank you.

@ingridholte1556 Год назад

Love these informative Q&N videos!! ❤ I have been following you since 2013 when you talked about Scenes and Sequels on your podcast, and I was wondering if you could talk about how to do Scenes and Sequels when you are doing two or more POV’s ❤

@TinyTinyMan Год назад

I love your content!!!

@theartofstory9487 6 месяцев назад

These are SUCH GREAT VIDEOS! I love your work.

@mageprometheus Год назад

Thank you. This is getting drummed into my head now. It also appears in most of The Kate & Abbie Podcast episodes. It's turning me into a character-driven aficionado, and I find myself criticising plot-driven movies. Love and light.

@mikenailer2875 Год назад

Thank you! Very informative and helpful - as always.

@user-hc5nh8kv7g Год назад

Love your content! Thanks for writing your how to books! You taught me how to write!

@markalleneaton Год назад

Research helps - the tropes have to come from somewhere, so discovering stories of real-life double agents (whether political, corporate...or the grass-roots chapter of [fill in the blank]) helps us to glean those salient details that scream authenticity. Also, discovering their true motivations may be an ongoing revelation for some characters - their values remain unexamined until choices reveal them at the "push-comes-to-shove" moments, when they discover that they do in fact value $$$ over family, or family over country, or vengeance over justice. "Sometimes our actions are questions, not answers." (John LeCarre, "A Perfect Spy")

@andyclark3530 Год назад

I definitely agree with this. Thoughtful biographies of real life traitors can provide lots of fodder. And I think it helps to keep an open mind. For example, most of us would not consider German officers who decided to kill Hitler traitors , but they can give us insight into motivation while suspending our negative judgments.

@ramukuraku8802 Год назад

Contrast in character...movie example please

@sivabalamanigandansivbaals6634 Год назад

Always in love with KM❤

@MrYodaone902 11 месяцев назад

Was the question from Philip Meyer - the writer of the son?

@shadethedon8351 Год назад

When will you give the world a BREAKDOWN/REVIEW of the show " ARCANE " 😍🔥?

@user-wk9tn4jr9d 11 месяцев назад

I have a character that is sort of introduced about a third of the way, but she is not filled out until later when she has an affair with and manipulates one of the three main characters. Eventually in a pretty nasty way gets the unsuspecting character who is now in love with her, to unknowlingly betray her best friend by talking about her friend. She is one of two antagonists the other being her brother, the other antagonist, who is introduced just before the half-way point. They are essential to the climax. Does this kind of sound okay? Your comments would be much appreciated.

@hamiltonbean Год назад

Hi, K.M. (and fellow fans of K.M.), I have question: What character arc and/or archetype would you assign to Jack Burton in Big Trouble in Little China? I have a historical figure (and a 90K-word manuscript nearly done) who reminds me in some ways of Jack Burton, and I would like to know what arc and/or archetype you would say Jack is so I can see if my guy follows the same arc or elements (coincidental, of course). Thank you!

@KMWeilandAuthor Год назад

Structurally, Jack is really more of the sidekick to Wang Chi's Hero. I don't see Jack really filling any of the main archetypes, but I'd have to watch it again.

@hamiltonbean Год назад

@@KMWeilandAuthor Thanks anyway. Poor Jack. No archetypes. Well, you know what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like this...

@KMWeilandAuthor Год назад

@@hamiltonbean Oh, he definitely fulfills archetypes (the Fool comes to mind). I just don't seen him in a life arc.