5 Tips for Creating Memorable Characters
The most important aspect of a great fictional character is how much the reader cares about him. Some characters are lovable (Wilbur the pig, Bilbo Baggins, Pinocchio), some are heroic (Odysseus, Paul Bunyan, Superman), some are tragic (Hamlet, Willy Loman, John Henry), and some are just plain evil (Iago, Saruman, The Wicked Witch of the West). The point is, we feel strongly about them one way or another.
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The Heroic Journey, Part 20: Outer Journey
The idea for this stage is “higher stakes, greater complications.” After the Point of No Return at the midpoint of the novel the goal becomes both more difficult and more important to accomplish. The Hero has a harder time accomplishing his goal but is more committed than ever to achieving it.
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The Heroic Journey, Part 19: The Point of No Return
Just before the Midpoint, it appears the Hero’s going to pull it off, achieve the goal. But at the midpoint of the novel, and the midpoint of Act II, something happens that results in an apparently devastating reversal of the Hero’s fortune.
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The Heroic Journey, Part 17: The First Reversal
At about the 20 percent point of the story, corresponding to the end of Act I in the three-act drama structure, there’s the First Reversal. Something happens to transform the Hero’s new situation into a new desire and a change of plans. This will set the Hero’s external motivation for the rest of the novel, and the action is underway.
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