This course delves into the art and craft of creating multidimensional characters that resonate across diverse storytelling platforms, such as novels, short stories, film, social media, video games, and more. Students will explore how to apply characterization techniques across different mediums by addressing key fundamentals of character such as dialogue, thought, action, memory and body/interactivity.
Through a combination of analysis, comparative studies, collaborative exercises, and project-based work, students will develop the skills needed to craft characters with depth, consistency, and versatility. The course emphasizes tailoring characters to suit the unique demands of each medium—whether writing for the screen, the page, or other immersive and interactive environments. By the end of the course, students will have the tools and knowledge to create compelling, fully realized characters that successfully connect with audiences across platforms.
- To introduce the principles of character development and how they apply across multiple storytelling mediums.
- To adapt characterization techniques to suit the narrative demands of different mediums.
- To study characters from various media and analyse what makes them multidimensional, consistent, and relatable.
- To develop the skills for tailoring characters to cater to specific audiences while maintaining creative authenticity.
- To foster an understanding of how strategic audience engagement influences character creation and storytelling choices.
Moodle: The course Moodle site is the main portal for your individual learning throughout the semester. You will also upload your written assignments on Moodle (via Turnitin).
Readings: Teaching and learning materials will include readings from primary and secondary texts as well as carefully sourced online articles and videos. All of them will be available on Moodle.
Participation in class discussions and group work 20%
Midterm assignment 35%
Final assignment 45%
Foundational Texts:
Writing for Emotional Impact, Karl Iglesias (2011)
The Art of Character: Creating Memorable Characters for Fiction, Film & TV, David Corbett (2013)
The Science of Writing Characters, Kira-Anne Pelican (2020)
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, Jessica Brody (2018)
The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell (1971)
Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov (1955)
The Forty Rules of Love, Elif Shafak (2009)
Three Women, Lisa Taddeo (2019)
Examples of Games include:
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (video game)
Fiasco (tabletop game)
Examples of Social Media Profiles include:
Barbie’s Social Media Campaign (@Barbie, Instagram)
IKEA’s “The Everyday Hero Campaign” (Instagram, Twitter, YouTube)
Khaby Lame’s Silent Humor (Khaby. Lame, YouTube)
Anna Akana (YouTube, Instagram, Twitter)
Examples of Emerging Platforms include:
Hailey Bieber (BeReal)
Zendaya (@zendaya, Threads)
Bella Hadid (@bellahadid, Threads)