The Character Sketch EssayThe Character Sketch Essay
Gayla S. Keesee
Education Specialist
Paine College, Augusta, GA Mack Gipson, Jr. Tutorial & Enrichment Center rev. 10/2006
Writing about characterWriting about character
•Writing about a character,whether fictional or real,involves noting and analyzinga character’s
–personality
–actions
–values
–motives
Writing about characterWriting about character
•When we analyze characters, we recordtheir responses to the world aroundthem.
•By analyzing characters and theiractions, we sometimes gain insightabout ourselves.
Writing about characterWriting about character
•A character’s personality traits
•A character’s physical appearance and name
•A character’s actions
•A character’s choices
•A character’s speech
•A character’s thoughts and feelings
•A character’s past
•A character’s comments about others
A character’s personality traitsA character’s personality traits
•Traits refer to one’s attitudesor behaviors that reflectpersonality qualities.
–a character may be curious,brave, cold, loving, aggressive,open-minded, or naïve.
•Personality traits are alsoqualities that make us findpeople likeable, lovable, etc.
A character’s appearance & nameA character’s appearance & name
•Physical appearance is important if itbrings out a person’s unique personalityqualities, culture, traditions, orinfluences.
–His warm green eyes lead me
right to his soul.
•A name is often significant as it mayreveal information about one’s familybackground, tradition, influences, orpersonality traits.
A character’s actionsA character’s actions
•Remember the old cliché “Actionsspeak louder than words.”
•A character’s behavior (actions) isusually motivated by his or herattitudes and values.
•By examining potential reasonsbehind the actions, you can reveal agreat deal about the inner world of acharacter.
A character’s choicesA character’s choices
•The choices people make regarding how theydeal with obstacles, resolve conflicts, orovercome difficulties reveal characterstrengths or weaknesses.
•We make judgments about people based onthe choices they make every day.
A character’s speechA character’s speech
•Based on what he/she says and how he/shesays it, you can determine important qualities.
–He/she is unhappy, selfish, sarcastic, ordomineering, uneducated.
•The choice of words spoken can also revealimportant information about the character’sage, education, culture, and values.
A character’s thoughts & feelingsA character’s thoughts & feelings
•The saying “A penny for yourthoughts” shows how muchwe wish to know others’ innerworlds.
•By sharing their thoughts andemotions, people often reveala great deal aboutthemselves—motives andqualities.
– love, hate, fear, revenge, etc.
A character’s pastA character’s past
•Setting of one’s upbringing isimportant; we are the productsof our early environment.
•Significant past experiencesinfluence who we are and shapeour personalities.
•Family background may also beimportant as it reveals valuesand traditions that are passedon from generation togeneration.
A character’s comments about othersA character’s comments about others
•What people say about others often revealsimportant information about them as well.
–How judgmental are they? How supportive?
The Character Sketch EssayThe Character Sketch Essay
OrganizationOrganization
IntroductionIntroduction
•Introduce the character in a creative way.
–Take the reader to the time and setting where youmet your character.
–Begin with a colorful illustration.
•Introduce major personality characteristics tobe developed and supported in the body.
•Share why this individual is significant enoughto you to write about. (Central idea)
BodyBody
•First, you may want to touch on physicalcharacteristics, if important.
•Next, develop and support each personalitytrait you mentioned in the introduction.
•Provide incidents, actions, and behaviors tosupport your character’s qualities.
•Make sure you develop at least one fullparagraph per personality trait.
What to watch for. . .What to watch for. . .
•Do not just tell what a person is like; showqualities through the use of incidents.
•Do not describe a story or event that youexperienced with someone without drawingsome conclusion about your character.
•Avoid developing points about a characterthat you did not list in the introduction.
ConclusionConclusion
•Tell the reader why you are writing about thiswonderful or terrible human being.
•Consider discussing why this individual issignificant to you—if at all.
•You may want to share how this person hasinfluenced you--positively or negatively.
SummarySummary
•Introduction
–Be creative; discuss significance of individual
–Provide time and setting of original meeting
–Begin with a colorful illustration
•Body
–Touch on physical appearance, if important
–Develop each personality characteristic
•Conclusion
–Discuss why this individual is significant to you
Now it’s yourturn!
