Task

You are going to begin by creating a character. You can use information about other people as a stimulus to find your character. If you use details about different people, you can put these together to create a new character, and then choose a conflict or an obstacle for them to overcome.

Think about the different people in your life; friends, family members, neighbours, teachers. Now write down the answers to the questions below to create a character and find a conflict to drive them. Give yourself five minutes to answer the following:

  • What is the name of your character?
  • Thinking of someone you know, what is their favourite item of clothing?
  • Thinking of someone you know, what is their favourite time of year?
  • When was the last time you lied to someone – what was the lie?
  • Choose a coffee shop, restaurant or public place that you don’t like.

Task

Your character now has a name and an item of clothing they are wearing. Imagine they are sat in your chosen location and have just discovered that someone has lied to them.

You are now going to try some free-writing. Think about what your character would need to say to communicate their feelings in this moment. You have five minutes to write down everything your character wants to say. Be strict on your timings and don’t rewrite or cross anything out.

If you get stuck and are not sure what to say next, just keep writing your last line over and over until a new idea comes into your head.

Task

Once the five minutes are up, look back at what you have written. Ask yourself who your character is speaking to. Once you know who that is, look back over your writing and decide if your character would say anything differently now that you know who they are talking to.

Finally, ask yourself if your character’s conflict is resolved at the end of your scene. It’s okay if the answer is no.