Get to know your characters and don't forget about conflict

I ganked this from a description of a writing workshop in Madison. I'd go but it costs $55... and I think I am getting everything I need from you all! Rock on us!

Here is a slightly summarized version.

William Faulkner said the novel “begins with a character… Once he stands up on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does.”

All stories are about people, so start by visualizing the people who inhabit it. Once you get to know your characters, your characters will help you write your novel—every step of the way. Once you have your character – add in conflict.

Struggles reveal the true nature of characters, and without really letting your readers get to know the characters of your story, your readers will be hard-pressed to stay engaged. Idealized characters whose lives go on without a hitch might be fun to fabricate, but they bore the reader.

Character conflict informs the whole structure of the novel and the plotline. As tension escalates, readers are either won or lost. How do you create an intriguing, unique plot that wins over your readers and keeps them interested? Begin by becoming intimately familiar with your main characters, inside and out. Make your characters:

• Credible: Details! Use particulars that evoke your character’s world, and you’ll create dynamic characters who respond to conflict in a believable way.
• Surprising: Combine familiar characteristics with unexpected traits. This provides room for internal conflict, and great potential for external tensions. Imperfections and quirks make your characters believable.
• Devilish and Angelic: Characters are never all good or all bad. The combination of contrary traits heats things up. Flaws and vices mean vulnerability, which equals potential for tension.
• Tried and True—with a Twist: In trying times, a character’s true nature is revealed. Situations force your characters to make choices—and leave them to deal with the consequences. The more difficult the choices, the greater the conflict, and the better the payoff for the character—and your story.
• Interconnected: Characters, like ourselves, don't find it easy to take difficult paths. Antagonists, the external environment, family, and friends all compel your characters to make choices. With every relationship comes the potential for conflicts, and a stronger more riveting story.

Read the full description of the course by clicking HERE, and if you are in Madison, WI on Saturday Jan. 30th 2011 from 12:30 to 4pm... then by all means feel free to sign up for the class. It looks like it will be good.