I’ve been working on fleshing out my characters lately and came across Chuck Wendig’s Guide to Kick-Ass Characters (the full title is not PG). Step Number One: create a character logline. A logline is a single sentence summary, usually of a book, TV program, film or other work. I’ve tried my hand at a few well-known characters:
- Emma Woodhouse (Emma, by Jane Austen): fanciful matchmaker only loosely connected to the real world; devoted daughter.
- Anne Elliot (Persuasion, by Jane Austen): reserved, steadfast woman; reliable in a crisis.
- Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and prejudice, by Jane Austen): wilful and proud, opposed to marrying for any reason other than genuine affection.
- Scarlett O’Hara (Gone with the wind, by Margaret Mitchell): selfish and delusional Southern Belle with a deep love for her land.
- Elspeth Gordie (The Obernewtyn Chronicles, by Isobelle Carmody): emotionally stunted mutant woman who can beastspeak and farseek on a mission to save the world from a second nuclear disaster.
- Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins): impulsive archer with deep loyalty to her family; symbol of revolution.
Be sure to check out Wendig’s full article here. What are some of your favourite character loglines?
