Master Method to Unlock Story Effortlessly: Writing Characters with MMUSE

1. Writing Characters with MMUSE Intro: I'm Jodi Baker, author of the Between Lion series and your new writing teacher. I've taken everything that I've learned from my artistic training at Walnut Hill School for the Arts and Carnegie Mellon University. And I've combined it with the experience that I've gathered from being a professional author, and from coaching storytellers on retreats in workshops, and teaching my writing classes. And I've put it all together to create a method that I call me, the master method to unlock story effortlessly. We gives you the tools, tricks, prompts, and techniques which I call keys because they unlock inspiration and open up your unique writing voice. In this class, I'm going to teach you how to create fascinating, ngible, believable characters. You're going to learn the five key questions that unlock great characters. We're also going to delve into key archetypes of story characters. I'm going to give you an archetype map. It's going to act like a cheat sheet, and it's going to help you to answer the five key questions. And I'll also give you an extra master lesson so that you know how to use these repeatable techniques on future stories. And then we'll complete our class project answering the five key questions, creating unforgettable characters for your story. Let's create fascinating, unique, believable characters. Your readers and your audiences will love. 2. MMUSE Story Character Worksheet Project: The five key questions will unlock everything that you need to create three-dimensional characters and inspire you to start telling their story. This is not your stereotypical character profile worksheet. It's designed to help you think differently, efficiently, creatively work smarter, not harder, by asking the most important questions, the essential things that we need to know about your character. The five questions will effortlessly transform your writing process from creative chaos to inspired technical mastery. Amused method away to create character profiles is more creative. It's designed to inspire storytellers and give them info they can actually use and stop you from falling down any writing rabbit holes. So before you start the project wants to lessons that break down the thought process. In the key questions, lessons, I'm going to share, oh, my other secrets. I'll explain why each question is essential and how to answer them. Like a professional writer. I've provided the key questions worksheet, an archetype map to help you complete your project. All of the questions are designed to build upon one another. Your answers will fit together like a puzzle to make sure that that happens for you. Here's my extra tip. Watch the archetypes lesson and download the archetypes map. Before you start the worksheet. You're going to want to use it like a cheat sheet to check your creative work and make sure that you're on the right track. Then we will download the worksheet and answer the five key questions. Completing your class project. The key questions will help you to transform your ideas into a fully fleshed, believable, three-dimensional characters. So if you are ready to unlock character, start with the first lesson where I'm going to reveal the key questions 3. First Key Writing Questions: Every great story starts with great characters. You can have all of the action and emotion and world-building and imaginative and plot events in or out of this world. But if readers and audiences don't care about who the story happens to, they don't care what happens to them. And that is why our class project focuses on the WHO creating believable characters. Someone that your readers and audiences well emotionally invest in. Let's begin by introducing the first three key questions. What do I desire? Why do I want it? And what's stopping me from getting it? Let's break these first three questions down so you can see why they're essential and how they unlock character. Human beings want something all the time. It's how we move in the world. Everything that we do is based on what we want. When I first figured this out, I thought that is really selfish. Narcissistic is humidity only doing things because we want? In every culture, all of our stories are about desire. But in truth, as a storyteller, as an artist want to create believable people. Understanding that rural people are motivated to move apps, choose fight, try because they want something all the time. Our job, a lot of safety control, room nor wake up in the morning. What's the first thing that you did? Kiss her mate? Or is it Nick coffee, breakfast gives your kids a hardware but dug out golfer. Check your phone. Are you late so you need to get ready really fast. All of those things from Jump boil down to what do I want them this moment? What do I want in my life? And the choices that we make revealed your mike, our priorities in life, what we want, how to satisfy our needs in a moment or over a significant amount of time. Desire is the key to everything. It gives your character dimensions, makes them relatable and believable. And knowing what your character wants will actually motivate you to write. Let me show you what I mean. I'm gonna give you two sample writing prompts. Which one is more inspiring? I am angry at her. I want to destroy her obvious right, one and exit curious ideas that drive story began to flow. But also, here's why I want to destroy her is better on a technical level. So when someone says, I'm angry at her, readers and audiences seen that, felt that before these dismiss it, The distance from it. But here's why our brains are trained to scan for new. It's a survival tactic. When we walked down the street, we see the grasses, sidewalk house the tree, but we'll stop to examine every blade of grass we pass. We'd go crazy. Though our minds say, I've seen that I know what that is, that's not important. I don't have to pay attention until we experience something new that pierces through our defense system. So if they say, I wanted to destroy her, our brains wake up because it's a desire, a new clear desire that will affect people, places, things, it's going to change stuff. We need to pay attention to this because something is about to happen. Desire motivates action. And that is why readers and audiences are fascinated by people who wanted things. Stateofbeing, don't drive characters to act, make choices, or engage in compelling relationships. Emotions inform us what we want. They clarify our desires. Disappointment, elation. It's all information that we use to figure out what to do next. So if you're an empathetic person, putting yourself in the emotional state of a character. Absolutely works. If you use the emotion as the first part of the sentence and use it as fuel for the character's desire. I'm so angry that I want to destroy her. Desire, insights, action and conflict and choices It creates multi-dimensional people and relationships which inspire you the storyteller. So think about your street timeline and ask, what does my character want? What's their desire? Here's some examples of story. Desires. Money, freedom, revenge, love, family, survival. Find the killer, save the world. Let's look at the next key question. Why do I want it? If the yummy asked a question, he has the answer. I'm going to give you all the 3D 5D, 12 teeth, really, because we're looking at what caused them to want their desire. It's an exciting, interesting filter. If you have a big character profile list of traits, know what to keep and what to dump. If something is or is not aligned to a character's, why? What beliefs do they have? Is there something in their physical description that has incited this desire? Something they have or they lack. Did something happen good or bad when they were three or 12, that caused them to desire something. Right now, that has made them want something desperately. Making three-dimensional characters is giving them a history, lines or explains why very clearly, why they must have this desire. That why dictates how we, the readers and audiences understand and empathize and connect and relate to your characters. And it will dictate how you move around in your story world. All of the y's create another thing that all real people have inner conflicts. And let go fancy reading school term for what makes people unhappy. Being without our desire causes us to feel unhappy. So y is gonna be a wound of fear and this belief, it's something that stopped them from being happy. Thing that's going on inside of them that makes them, to change their circumstances, makes them absolutely need to fight for their desire. Why your characters y could be the inciting incident that begins your story and event like a wedding, funeral or natural disaster. An abrupt change like a job loss or spouse wanting and divorce or a problem begins for your character, that makes them desire a solution. The Y could be from the character's past, something that happened before the story began. A trauma or a wound that scarred them deeply or something they witnessed someone embracing their power or their grandparents happy marriage, which is why they desire or soulmate. The y could also be a lesson learned from our past mistake or triumph. Or the Y could be that their desire is a long cherished, wished for dream. There. Why could also be tied to who they are? Because of a special gift or talent or ability. You can figure out all sorts of delicious details about your character from the why, why they believe will bring them happiness. How is there a wound, fear or Ms belief stop them from getting what they want. They respond to joy or pain. Any value, family, money, love, power. You can even find out what kind of secrets for characters keeping In a moment or throughout their life. Let's look at the next key question. Stopping me from getting what I want. What are the obstacles? If they're stopping your character from getting their desire? See, we want to put obstacles in our heroine, protagonist and villains way that our story worthy. Because obstacles, snake stories dynamic, interesting. Because they push characters to grow past perceived limitations. They evolve, which make them feel real. Your characters obstacle could be upbringing, limited skill set, or limited beliefs. Could be prison walls or health. Their obstacle could be a magical object or even a zombie apocalypse. Anything that stands between them and their desire to get you started. Here's some examples of possible obstacles. If the obstacle happened in the past, it goes in your y is affecting your character psychologically. But if the obstacles and the present, the now that your character is dealing with trying to get around, It's an obstacle and it can also become a flood event. So focus on discovering what is stopping your character for moving forwards now, in this story moment. Now you have the first three keys to unlock character. Take a minute and jot down any ideas muse inspired you with. And then meet me in the next lesson to get the last two keys, you're going to need 4. Last Key Writing Questions: Welcome back to muse. And the last lesson, you got the first three questions. Next last two keys are, what happens if I do or don't get my desire? And how will I try to get my desire? Let's dive right in. What happens if I don't get my desire? See, this is the answer to 50% of all the reading problems that I see. When people have a really great character, solid world-building, really interesting premise. But they come to me unsure, why is this not working? The answer is consequences, urgency, stakes. The stakes are way too low. If someone wants something, it has to feel important, essential. Once upon a time I wanted this and I got it. That's not the story worthy. If your character walks out of the house on Tuesday, I don't want to know why Tuesday was the most important day to share with us, the readers and the audiences. What's great or exciting or terrible about that particular tuesday? See me know this logically. But when you're juggling dialogue and story pace and descriptions, all the things in storytellers get to play with. We sort of accidentally forget rather easily to make sure that the stakes are as high as they can be. It cannot be easy to get the desired. Characters won't attempt to achieve the impossible unless there's something at stake. Truthfully, if your story has no stakes, you'll have no interesting characters. Characters, action characters don't have a reason to grow, and you'll have no writing momentum. Emotional investment from your readers and audiences. Plot pays attention. Union stakes. Here's the news method to unlocking stakes. He take their survival, their safety, their security, and yet threaten it. Writers can fall hard for our creations and that can cause us to solve their problems far too quickly. Because nobody wants to feel like a statistic puppeteer. But truthfully. If you can resist the urge to be kind, disguise curses as blessings, drive your characters onto perilous roads. Push them from the highest towers. Let victims explore dark shadows and allow villains to become the heroes of their own stories. You're going to be a masterful writer. Be the bad fairy godmother. It doesn't have to be a Marvel movie or squid game, both of which are awesome examples of high-stakes. It can be that your characters are feeling up really personal secret. I'm in love with my best friend and I'm coming out to my family. I need to tell my children and I'm getting a divorce. However, it is if the consequences of that action, if things go well or badly, if you do or don't get your desire, that justifies behavior. And it'll inspire you because if your character really wants it, you know why? And the obstacles are so tough, but the stakes are really high. The EU, as the rider become an idea generator, you're going to inspire yourself. But if there's a way that yet could fix it or you could do something. You need to justify why the character can't just do that by making the consequences huge. That's what makes them believable. That makes them feel real because readers and audiences understand why they can't solve it easily, and why their problem. Story worthy. How do they fight for their desire? Tactics? What did characters tactically do to get what they want? Here's a key that will help you to make an active. Use verbs. Here's the list of tactics to inspire. You. Just remember that desires are different from tactics. Characters want every tactic to work, but your tactic shifts as you get closer, further fail, succeed. A character story desire doesn't shift The story ends when they achieve or lose their desire. The oldest writing advice in the world that is show, don't tell. But how do you actually do that? Answer? Tactics will show and not tell. Imagine two characters are fighting for the same desire. One uses equations, well, the other fights were sorts. Tactics they use. Show us who they are. Let's say your story desire is revenge. How would a queen go about getting her revenge? What tactics would an influencer use? There are a lot of stories about the ways that mobsters take revenge. But what about a librarian? If the story desire is to save the world? Would superheroes use the same tactics as scientists? A spiritual leader would try to save a world in a completely different way than a politician. If you desire, is money. There's a lot of different ways to get it. If you're an investor, a blacksmith, or a child in suburbia, Job and desire are enough to start creating a three-dimensional person without a psychological profile, we already have great story ideas and interesting characters. The next level of technique comes in. The ultimate key to 3D people is specificity, how they look, dress the words, the language they use, objects they own space, they inhabit, how they move in that space, how are they moving on familiar spaces? The relationships they engage in, how they engage, interact, the opinions they share, or keep secret, what they value and what they don't. All that specificity reveals character. Here's the big secrets. A character's tactics show you who they are. What a character depth to fight for, what they desire. Always, always reveals exactly who they are. If your character has a passionate urging, desperate desire, and the stakes are so high that they have no choice but to fight to get it. Your characters will begin to write themselves. You set it up. They will fly to take you and your readers and audiences for a ride. You can do it with these five questions. Key recap. Now, you know the five questions. Up next, we're going to talk about how to use archetypes as a cheat sheet to help you with your project 5. Key Character Archetypes (Cheat Sheet!): What are archetypes? The ultimate example of a type of person types that reoccur in literature and mythology, and a categorization of personality types. All but you can help us to create three-dimensional characters. As Carl Young was working to understand people better, to help them mentally and emotionally understand themselves better. He figured out these personality archetypes. So it makes perfect sense for us as storytellers to use the psychological information that's stored in our collective unconscious to help us create characters that feel real. Let's take a look at the Jungian archetypes. There's the lover, the caregiver, the gesture explorer, outlaw, the magician, a sage, an innocent, the artist, the ruler, and the hero. Now that you know the archetype, Let's talk about how to use the map as a cheat sheet. Here, we have all of the archetypes listed in the center rainbow. You can find, uh, types of desires for each character. And in the center, or the type of tactics that they use to get their desire. The psychological map of archetype personalities contains desires and tactics. Because all tactics connect back to the characters. Why? The inner conflicts, the experiences, these beliefs, the wounds, make people who they are. And knowing that helps us to transform characters from feeling, feeling real. Let's say your character is a hero or heroine. Using the map, you discover, heroes typically want to achieve mastery. Their tactics all fall under the category of ways to try to leave a mark. If your character is a lover, you know that they desire intimacy. And all of their tactics will be trying to connect to others. Here's how you can use the map as a cheat sheet for your project. First, find your characters archetype on the map, along with the category of desires and tactics. I want you to think of the archetypes map as a GPS, showing you the neighborhood your answer should be and compare your answers with the map or your desires in the right neighborhood. Are your tactics in the right category for this character? If not, no worries. This is an opportunity to make adjustments to your worksheet and unlock more info about your character. And if they are, congratulations. You've created a 3D character that readers and audiences will connect with and believe in. Up next, I'm going to give you my final tips, tricks and authors secrets to help you unlock a character with a master keys 6. Master Keys to Create Story Characters: Master the character keys. You just need to use the two things. You already have, the five key questions and the architects. In this lesson, I'm going to show you some additional ways to use these key muse tools, like a master storyteller, a mountain. You have a pretty great three-dimensional heroine, protagonist, and a pretty awesome 3D villain. But there's a scene where they enter a store and none of the salespeople feel real. Now, imagine that people in that store that cross paths with the heroin also have desires and specific tactics and obstacles and stakes going on that would inevitably and effortlessly make your story better. So, master the method by asking the key questions for everyone in your story. It's a repeatable technique gifted by your news. And here are two extra master keys to unlock the archetype map. Each archetype lies across from its opposite. Opposites create conflicts. Those two characters become obstacles for one another. Also, consider the archetypes next to each other on the map. Characters that want different things, but are going about getting it in the same way is interesting. Up next, now that you've mastered the character keys, it's time to start your project 7. Character Worksheet Project Time!: Now that you've got the five key questions, it's time for you to unlock characters and complete your project. Once you filled out the news character profound worksheet posted in the project gallery so that I can offer helpful insights, feedback, and cheer for you. I cannot wait to meet the characters you're going to create using. You can use the character profile worksheet I've provided or you can type your answers in home Word, doc, or a journal. Many writers have successfully used the news questions as writing prompts to create story pages. I'm lacking is the point. Please follow your creative heart, characters, boys and your news. Wherever they take you. Just remember, writing is a marathon, not a sprint. Celebrating each step, like the miracle of creating a character gets us to the finish line faster and more joyfully. Too often, writing feels like a solitary journey. Communities are a huge gift to creatives. Skillshare is a great place to support each other and bond with other artists who understand the creative process. If you feel nervous about posting your project, remember, you're a storyteller, the world needs your voice. I'm excited to get to connect with and support you. And reading and liking other people's work might lead to finding your tribe of creatives. So share your project in the gallery and let us cheer for you. If you liked the news method, then we want to find out how the five key questions can transform other elements of your story. Follow me so you can take my upcoming classes on Skillshare. More importantly, what classes would you like to see from me and news? Let me know in the class discussion what you'd like next, or what elements of storytelling or being a writer, you'd like to unlock and cultivate. The only thing I love as much as writing is helping other writers tell their stories. So I'm excited to support you. Muse and I are here for you. Tell me what 21 lock in my next news class on Skillshare. You enjoy this class, please leave reviews that other writers can find news and learn how to unlock characters with the five key writing questions. Never forget, the world needs your voice and your story. Happy writing