Lesson 3

[JOSEPH SWANSON]

Joe Swanson Profiles People

This was actually a pretty helpful exercise. Thinking about Characters through the prism of defining extreme traits is a good way to breath life into otherwise forgettable characters and make them more way more interesting.

PERSON 1

Need to be liked

Compulsive liar

Generous

Animal-lover

PERSON 2

Delusional

Self-important

Health-conscious

Well-meaning

PERSON 3

Elitist

Lacking social skills

Highly Intelligent

Resolute

In less than 2 minutes the main 2 traits are apparent if you’re looking for them…

[Patricia Brown]

Pat Brown’s profiles of people

LESSON THREE

Person 1

– giving

– great teacher

– know-it-all

– bigot

Person 2

– personable

– intelligent

– social butterfly

– low self-esteem

Person 3

– educated

– paranoid

– subject always comes back to him

– know-it-all

[James Clark]

What I learned from this Assignment: People are complex. This assginment showed me how to consider the human nature complexity of the characters I’m writing.

Person 1: Negative Traits: Narcissitic, Dishonesty Positive Traits: Loyalty, Focus Every conversation is dominated by this person. This has been a 57 year relationship

Person 2: Negative Traits: Pettiness, Toughtlessness Positive Traits: Authenticity, Self-Discipline We clashed from day 1 thirty years ago. He stepped out of my life 15 years ago. I recently reached out to apologize for my part in our contentious relationship. He acknowledged my apology and then went on a tangent.

Person 3: Negative Traits: Impoliteness, Impatience Positive Traits; Authentic, Kindhearted. Another decades long realtionship. He’s been a brother more than just a friend.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by  James Clark.