Protagonist

I concepted initial character drawings of what I thought Finn would look like. Although I knew roughly what I wanted him to look like, I knew from my last brief to keep his conception loose and not get too defined at this early stage. I understood that I would be changing the design and style when I would create silhouettes and thumbnails.

I wanted Finn to be relatable and for readers/viewers to be able to empathise with him. Withrow and Danner (2007) explain that many of the best characters are the ones who are most relatable, they need to have a vulnerability (p31). With that I mind I decided that Finn's character would be quite quiet and reclusive. I now had a clearer idea of the character but he still did not feel real enough to carry the story, especially as we would be seeing the story through this characters eyes. Swain, (2008) explains that the characters through whose eyes we experience the story cannot just be a device to see the world they are in, they need to have a viewpoint on it. An angle on the world they inhabit that makes it realistic (p44).

I now knew that I further needed to flesh out the character. I therefore wrote a full character sheet with what makes Finn a character, what his likes and dislikes were. As King, (2001) describes the process
"Spend time with the character before the story begins" (p97)

Below is the character sheet....

Name: Finn Riley

Age: 10

Character traits: Finn would be the boy at school who would spend most of his lunch-times sequestered away in the library reading comic books or old classics. His favourite being Dumas’ ‘Count of Monte Cristo’.  While the other boys would be outside playing football Finn would be behind the shelves in the library. The only time Finn does love going outside it at weekends when he goes to the forest near his house and climb to the top of the biggest tree he can find. Often taking books up there in a back-pack to read.

He’s smart but not an over-achiever.

His best friend; Lacey, who he grew up next door to, died in a hit-and-run a year before the story starts.

Many people, including his father, step-mother and his teachers think that the reason Finn is so reclusive is the loss of his best friend but the truth is Finn was always that way. Losing his best friend just made it obvious.

Dislikes: Sports, Maths, Winter.

Favourite movies:  Transformers, Goonies, Back to the Future

Favourite music: Blues, Elvis, Swing

Family: Valerie Riley – Mother

              James Harris – Step-father

              Anna Riley – Old sister (17)

Hobbies: Comic books, reading, geology, tree-climbing.

Doing this exercise proved to be extremely beneficial, as now I not only knew what Finn was like but it also revealed how he would look and how he would react in certain situations. Thus driving the story.