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SO YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER
Research Project: Student Handout
RESEARCH CHALLENGE
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Tom Clancy
Best-Selling Author
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People are the stuff of history, and people make history because of who they are, their educations, their backgrounds, their character or their beliefs, their faith. Writing is about people. If the characters aren't real and interesting to you as the writer, they sure aren't going to be very real or interesting to anybody else. Writing is about people. If you can't get that right, you have got to find something else to do.
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RESEARCH FOCUS
Interesting Characters
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
- Tom Clancy makes it sound like developing interesting characters is the most important part of writing a good story. Do you agree with him? Why?
- How does a writer develop interesting and effective characters?
- From your own reading, which authors create memorable characters? Why are they so interesting and unforgettable?
RESEARCH OUTCOMES
Choose one of the following research outcomes to express your findings.
- Identify two unforgettable characters from two different stories you enjoy. Write a short description of each character highlighting the qualities that make them so interesting. Imagine that these two characters appear in a new story together. How would they interact? What could happen when they meet? What might they do together? Write a rough draft of an original short story that involves both characters. Share it with others and get their feedback. Revise and create a final version of the story to post on a young writer's web site.
- Research the different strategies authors use to develop interesting characters. What is involved in creating a character? How can you bring them alive to the reader? What kind of information do you need to include about them? Can they be based on someone you know? Use your research to develop a list of tips for writers about character development.
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