Characterisation

[The Boston Crab]

# Make them mostly good but a little bit bad! Or vice versa!!

# Have a skeleton or two in the cupboard to turn reader perceptions up-side down, e.g. long-lost relative.

# Give them names you've never heard to make them larger-than-life.

# Don't show, tell. It makes it much easier for the reader, e.g. 'Treebeef did bad actions.'

# Provide simple contrasting motivations for instant tension/conflict.

Any other pointers? I'm writing a book.

[biggytitbo]

Some very important ingredients that improve any novel:
- Hot sweaty boffing.
- A giant killer puppy that kills teenagers.
- Ghosts.
- Monsters.
- Magic whistle.
- Group shower at girls 6th form college.

[The Boston Crab]

Thanks, biggles.

I especially like the phallic symbol of the magic whistle, all the teenage girls wanting to give it a toot, trying to repress their sexual demons before it all inevitably erupts into hot sweaty shower boffing. The giant kiler puppy represents AIDS, I take it.

[biggytitbo]

I was thinking more that he represents the futility of hope in a godless universe.

[wherearethespoons]

Describe the hero as short in a sexy sort of way, with great teeth and hair.  This is in case Tom Cruise is reading and considering buying the rights.

[The Boston Crab]

I was thinking more that he represents the futility of hope in a godless universe.

Yeah, that's pretty sexy, too.

[Cerys]

Make the protagonist something no-one would expect.  A lonely rainbow, perhaps, or Jeffrey Dahmer's favourite pencil.