Can we agree that character, hence characterization (the skill of developing and rendering character) stands a prior in significance to the other elements of fiction? I hope so. (Doubters: watch for a near-future post, guaranteed to win you over.)
What I call the "Star Meter" can help you create a main character worthy of driving your story. I developed it some years ago while helping a film director understand why his script was not attracting stars–hence, "Star" Meter.
But aren't movie stars renown for being poor judges of story quality? Maybe, but they know a powerful main character because that's their business: they didn't get where playing characters nobody was interested in. And today, cinema-bred readers (including agents and editors!) used to larger-than-life screen characters, look for similar qualities in fictional heros.
Okay then, what's the Star Meter and how does it work? Tomorrow, I'll have more detail, but essentially it's a point scale for rating your main character in 4 areas, scene-by-scene. The result is a single number. The higher that number, the stronger and more effective your character. A low number and…well, it's back to the woodshed.
I had to be do a lot of boiling down to keep it simple. Here are the 4 areas I ended up with:
1) Motivating force
2) Quotable line
3) Plum moment
4) Upstaged (a negative)
Tomorrow, I'll go hands-on and give you the specifics, and you'll see it's quick, easy, and uncanny in its power to keep your character development on track. Be sure to come on back for Part 2.
(To Be Continued)
|
|
|
|
|
 |
