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Lesson 3
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I’m not quite sure about combining the two lessons, so I just cut and pasted Lesson 2 to the bottom of Lesson 3.
Dawn Greenfield’s 30-Day Writing Class ~ Lesson 3 ~ Character Profile Part 2
What I learned doing this assignment is to go deep into my character to find out who he is and how the world sees him.
2. Fill in Part 2 of the character Profile for your two lead characters.
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- What draws us to this character? This is a man who got the job done in the mob world without any conscious whatsoever. He hates people who can’t take care of themselves. He finds himself as one of those soft people now and he hates it.
- Traits:
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- Working for the mob he is ruthless, single minded, no conscious
- As a guardian he is vulnerable, worrisome, fragile, careful
- Subtext:
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- Working for the mob he could care less who he has to eliminate. He doesn’t tolerate anyone talking back to him or challenging him.
- As a guardian he tries to use being tough to hide his vulnerability, but he can’t pull it off.
- Flaw: He’s out of his comfort zone being a guardian.
- Values: Honest, loyal, confident, reliable
- Irony: He never had a family other than Big Nose Sam and the mob. Now, it’s all up to him.
- What makes this the right character for this role? He has the toughness from his mob background to stiffen his spine to take on the role of a guardian. He’s no quitter.
Lesson 2:
2. Pick the type of role your Protagonist will play and give us a few sentences on how they will fulfill that role.
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- Hero
- Explorer
- Runner
- Fighter Jack is out of his element going from mobster to guardian of a baby. He has absolutely no clue what to do with Elsie, 7-9 months old.
- Victim
- Dreamer
3. Pick the type of role your Antagonist will play and give us a few sentences on how they will fulfill that role.
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- Villain
- Change Agent
- Authority Mrs. Fernhold, a stern social worker, gives Jack a 10-day ultimatum to get his pigsty apartment in order, secure his gun and any other dangerous weapons under lock and key, and to obtain standard baby furnishings.
- Predator
4. What other characters might be necessary?
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- Supporting characters: Elsie, 7-9-month-old baby; Jain Smyth, attractive 2<sup>nd</sup>-hand store owner; Big Nose Sam
- Minor roles: Not identified yet
- Background characters: Not identified yet
5. Pick your genre.
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- Rom-Com or Buddy Movie
- Thriller
- Horror
- Action
- Drama
- Sci-Fi
- Comedy – Title unknown at this time.
6. Fill in whatever answers come to you about your lead character profiles.
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- Role in the story: The story is about ‘Crack shot’ Jack Gunther
- Age range and Description: mid 30s, tats, muscle-bound, good looking in a rugged way. Brown hair, stubble. He likes his whisky, cigars and cussing.
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- Internal Journey: Jack is confident in his role as a crack shot for mobster Big Nose Sam. When Elsie is dropped into his life his world is turned upside down. He’s clueless, scared he’ll accidentally hurt or kill her.
- External Journey: Jack finds himself vulnerable – something he has never experienced in his adult life.
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- Motivation: Elsie is his responsibility. He’s all she has for family.
- Wound: His father abandoned the family when Jack was 7; his mother was a drunk. He never had a homelife.
- Mission/Agenda: To provide a home for Elsie.
- Secret: He’s always wanted to have a family.
- What makes them special? Under that tough mobster guy is a man who wants to turn his life around.
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In this lesson, I gained insights into the importance of considering a character’s flaws and irony. These two elements significantly enhance the depth and relatability of characters.
Malika
What Draws Us to This Character?
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Malika’s passion for history and her idealistic belief in the power of knowledge to overcome prejudice make her relatable and inspiring. Her resilience and evolving perspective in the face of adversity add depth to her character.
Traits:
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Idealistic, passionate, intelligent, empathetic, resilient.
Subtext:
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Her actions and choices often reveal an underlying struggle to reconcile her optimistic beliefs with the harsh realities of racism.
Flaw:
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Naivety in her initial approach to racism and history, underestimating their complexity and contemporary impact.
Values:
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Truth, education, justice, equality.
Irony:
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She comes to educate others about history but ends up learning the harsher, more complicated truths herself.
What Makes This the Right Character for This Role?
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Malika’s journey from naivety to activism mirrors the audience’s potential path of learning and understanding about historical and present-day racism. Her character acts as a bridge between past and present, making her crucial for this narrative.
Lydia
What Draws Us to This Character?
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Lydia’s complexity and multifaceted nature make her intriguing. While she appears as an antagonist, her conviction and dedication to her version of history create a nuanced character who isn’t just a straightforward villain.
Traits:
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Articulate, knowledgeable, protective, resistant to change, authoritative.
Subtext:
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Her interactions often suggest a fear of losing control over the town’s narrative and her own relevance.
Flaw:
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Inflexibility and a refusal to accept or confront the more painful aspects of history.
Values:
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Tradition, legacy, control, preservation of history (as she sees it).
Irony:
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Lydia seeks to preserve history, but her actions lead to a more profound revelation of its darkest parts.
What Makes This the Right Character for This Role?
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Lydia embodies the resistance to confronting uncomfortable historical truths. Her character is essential to challenge Malika and bring to light the town’s reluctance to face its past, making her the perfect foil to Malika’s dreamer persona.
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