Tip #455: Character masks

People in real life wear masks to protect their real feelings and vulnerability.
Masks peeling away is a dramatic device

http://aerogrammestudio.com/2013/12/14/50-narrative-devices-for-non-fiction-storytellers/#more-5652 Slide 26

Tip #454: Passive characters

in language... subjects act, objects are acted upon

http://www.upworthy.com/being-a-sex-object-is-empowering-oh-wait-no-it-s-not-here-s-why-2

Do you want your protagonist to be the subject or the object of your story?

Are your female characters subjects or objects?

Tip #448: Not everyone is the same

Pick two people on the same side of a conflict, but give them completely different motivations for fighting on that side.

http://www.writingexcuses.com/2013/12/08/writing-excuses-8-49-hard-social-science-fiction-with-joel-shepherd/

One of the advantages of using this in a story is it can be a far more subtle way of showing how evil an antagonist is without having them kick a puppy.

Tip #442: Desire + Conflict

Desire + Conflict = Drama

 http://www.danacameron.com/for-writers.html


For story rather than scene, I'd replace Conflict with Opposition (the role played by the antagonist).

Tip #335: Creating internal conflicts

pick a word that describes your character. For example: He’s compassionate. Then find another word that can also describe your character, but make it a polar opposite—terrorist... Giving a character a dual nature creates an instability, a lack of balance, that probably can’t stay forever.

http://www.davidfarland.com/writing_tips/?a=281

Tip #331: Character tone

Each person that you meet has something of an emotional tone about them. Some people are stern most of the time, while others might be thoughtful, pleasant, or excited.

http://www.davidfarland.com/writing_tips/?a=271

Tip #329: Using characters' desires to create character arcs

How far will that character go to fulfil their desires? Will he sacrifice the life of a member of his family to stay alive? Will she sacrifice her own life to kill him?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/crime-writing-competition/10159834/Telegraph-Harvill-Secker-Crime-Writing-Competition-masterclass-Stuart-Neville-on-plot.html

Quote taken from video so may not be word perfect.

Character arcs often build up to this question.  It's something we often grapple with daily: how far will we go to satisfy our desire for calorie-rich food?  Will we sacrifice our spare change/diet/figure/health/self-respect/love?  Where is the point when one desire battles with another and we start to question if the original driving desire is worth it?  Where is the point when we decide YES, it's worth it, or NO, it's not?  And what are the consequences of this decision?

The main character arc in Star Wars IV is different.  It's about Luke learning to believe in the Force (and therefore himself) culminating in his choice to trust it (and his own judgement) for a vitally important gamble (and foreshadowing the same decision in Star Wars VI).  But Han Solo has a desire character arc, discovering offscreen he can't abandon his friends in their attempt to destroy the Death Star -- even for money/long life.

Tip #322: Character motivations

to sift through an array of possible motivations... The way to do that is not to ask, “What would make one man kill another?” Unless you’re a telepath... Better to ask, “What would make me kill someone?”

http://www.sfwa.org/2005/01/you-and-your-characters/

Tip #288: The antagonist (series)

There has to be a Big Boss Battle in your story or the story problem is not fully resolved. A lot of new writers are “writing a series.” And, oh, but Such-and-Such dies in book 12 of my series. No... the protagonist in every book MUST DEFEAT the BBT responsible for the story problem...

your Big Boss Troublemaker... will have emissaries... Depending on the type of story, usually the BBT will have a chain of command...

Book I) BBT–> (Book II) BIGGER BBT–> (Book III) HOLY MOLY! AN EVEN BIGGER BBT!!!!

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/structure-part-3-introducing-the-opposition-2/

In Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time and J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, the protagonist is given the opportunity to battle and defeat a watered-down (but still very powerful) version of the BBT before the final battle.  While they can't be irrevocably defeated until the last book, the plan which caused the protagonist so much trouble in the current book should be pretty much permanently foiled and the protagonist's victory should cost the BBT significantly.

Tip #287: The antagonist

The Big Boss Troublemaker is whoever or whatever causes the hero’s world to turn upside down {inciting incident}. The BBT creates the story problem that must be resolved by the end of your tale. The BBT is also who or what must be present at the Big Boss Battle. In Star Wars, the BBT was the Emperor. It is his agenda that causes the inciting incident and it is he who must be faced in the final battle or the movie ain’t over... In the beginning, your protagonist should be weak. If pitted against the BBT, your protag would be toast…or actually more like jelly that you smear across the toast...

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/structure-part-3-introducing-the-opposition-2/

Example:

In Fried Green Tomatoes, Evelyn is her own worst enemy. She is spineless and weak. But, the real enemy resides in those who desire to control and bully Evelyn. In each act of the movie, we see Evelyn learning confidence so that by the end, the BIG battle, she can tell her abusive mother-in-law to stuff it.
 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/structure-part-4-testing-your-idea-is-it-strong-enough-to-make-an-interesting-novel-2/

Tip #279: Protag, meet antag

Far too often, I read about characters who should get together and they never do. For example, are you writing about a serial killer, and your detective never meets him before the climax? Boring. It’s much more interesting to get them together early on.

The same often happens in epic fantasy, where a young hero face a godlike foe that he never sees. Figure out how to put them together

http://www.davidfarland.net/writing_tips/?a=135

Tip #239: The protagonist's stumbling block

it’s important to know what the ultimate obstacle to victory is. Is it cowardice, knowledge, power? Once we know this, it’s easier to write the resolution because this time... the hero removes that last obstacle and vanquishes the opposition.

{Or}... Does it feel right to test your hero in the ending? Is that the type of story you’re writing?

http://www.sfwa.org/2011/06/key-conditions-for-suspense-part-27-patterns-for-resolution-element-4-6-the-series-wrap-up/

Tip #236: The goal is not enough

The carefully-constructed goals you have concocted for your character are, sadly, meaningless… UNLESS they are paired with a compelling antagonist...

goal + obstacle => empathy

http://www.sfwa.org/2012/02/guest-post-whats-wrong-with-the-cheesecake-a-brief-introduction-to-antagonists/

Tip #231: Good character development

Good character development always comes down to treating any character, major or minor, male or female, as a real person, an individual who *wants* things, who has a particular view of the world, who *makes choices* based on personal history, instinct, and intellect.

http://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2012/04/women-in-sff-month-carol-berg/

Tip #230: Plotting Act 2

Plot from the {antagonist}'s point-of-view in Act Two; it is an invaluable tip.

http://www.writerswrite.com/screenwriting/lecture4.htm

Given example (from antagonist's POV):

"Wait a minute... Rockford went to my nightclub and asked my bartender where I lived. Who is this guy Rockford? Did anybody get his address? His license plate? I'm gonna find out where this jabrone lives! Let's go over to his trailer and search the place." Under his mattress maybe the heavy finds his gun (in Rockford's case, it was usually hidden in his Oreo cookie jar). His P.I. license is on the wall. Now the heavy knows he's being investigated by a P.I. Okay, let's use his gun to kill our next victim. Rockford gets arrested, charged with murder. End of Act Two.

Tip #228: Compelling characters

it's not just how much they want it... it's also what they're prepared to do to get it.

H.R. Filmore's Reminders to Self, April 2012.

Tip #227: A trick for introductions

mention a character in passing... And then later, the next time we see that character, you give more information or detail... The reader will barely remember that you mentioned the character the first time — but it's in the back of the reader's mind, and there's a little "ping" of identification...{which} creates a sense of familiarity

http://io9.com/5896488/10-secrets-to-creating-unforgettable-supporting-characters

Tip #222: Rebirth

The Dark Point is the crisis during which all main players are reborn - whether literally, whether their perspective has changed, whether others' perspective of them has changed (perhaps because they have a new role & responsibilities, or the truth is out). Readers and characters alike are now clear on where each character will stand at the battle lines of the Climax.

Unless of course you have a Trickster character... (I'm looking at you, Capt. Jack Sparrow)

H.R. Filmore's Reminders to Self, March 2012

Tip #210: Character subtext

there is a very clear, often palpable gap between one’s inner thoughts and... exterior behavior and attitude...

When creating a character, consider

The extent to which someone – including your hero and your villain – recognizes the gap between their true thoughts, beliefs, preferences and comfort zones, and the way they choose to behave or appear in spite of them...

http://storyfix.com/game-changer-create-an-inner-dialogue-within-your-hero-and-your-villain


The gap tends to be related to:

The tension between who you are and who the world wants you to be

http://cherylklein.com/electric-eels/

Tip #203: Start with the antagonist

Conventional wisdom: The hero drives the story.
This is correct, but it's the end point of the plotting: it's what the audience see.  The antagonist is the part of the story that will cause all of the surprises in the story.  The more of the opponant that's hidden, the more plot you have: the more danger, the more surprises and reveals you can spring upon character and audience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_mZ-XokOTg

Again, this tip has been paraphrased.