Overview
Answer the following questions for YOUR story. You can base responses on the Character Development form and take time to flesh these out.
This should help generate some insight and ideas for your first draft due soon.
Character Functions
Review all the character functions in Truby’s Anatomy of Story.
- Protagonist
- Opponent
- Ally
- Fake-AllyOpponent
- Fake-Opponent Ally
- Subplot Character
Then list and describe any characters you have that fit these roles. Or, create new characters for any of thee roles that will be essential in your story. Within limits, the more character types your story has, and the more they interact with other characters, the more developed each character arc will be–characters reveal themselves through interactions.
Note that the weather can be an opponent, and an apple tree can be an ally.
Character Archetypes
Archetypes can help you see the role your characters play in your story.
Which of these archetypes defines your protagonist? How & why?
Which other archetypes match the other characters in your story? For each key character archetype used in your story, describe 1-2 actions these characters will take that will challenge the protagonist and push them to change/grow. Use characters to challenge each other and spur action.
- King/Father
- Queen/Mother
- Mentor/Teacher/Wizard
- Warrior
- Trickster/Clown
- Artist
- Lover
- Rebel
- Other?
Archetype Description
Describe at least 3 ways your protagonist fits the archetype. Then describe at least 3 ways s/he/they deviates from the archetypes and so has some individuality.
Describe at least 3 ways your antagonist fits the archetype. Then describe at least 3 ways s/he/they deviates from the archetypes and so has some individuality.
How & Why is this important to your story? ie both the fit and the deviations? In other words, how does your story both use and bend these archetypes, and thus evolve our understanding of what archetypes can be. Consider the young girl heroines in Miyazaki movies, for example.
