March 10th, 2010
Creating a fictional character can be a very simplistic task. However, creating a realistic fictional character requires a little more effort on your, the writer’s, part. It is more than just a matter of giving a character a name and description of his or her looks. It is a matter of giving a character personality, and working to make that personality come through the paper, so your readers can easily visualize the fictional person you have created. A well-developed character can either be liked or hated by your readers, depending on the characteristics and attributes given. If you can evoke strong emotions from your readers about your character, you have done a good job.
#1 Create a History
Every person has a past, so it is important to create a past for your character – even if you do not share the entire contents of that past. People evolve over the years because of their experiences and surroundings throughout their lives, and your fictional character is no different, so you need to develop a fictional past for him or her. When you are initially developing a new character, you are getting to know that character, just as your readers will get to know that character when they read your story. It is important to understand why your character will react or make decisions the way that he or she does, so it is important to have a back story that goes along with the personality that has been created for that character over the years.
#2 Show (don’t tell) His or Her Emotions
If you have not heard the phrase now, you will a lot throughout most of your English related courses: show, don’t tell. Simply saying that your character is feeling sad is not a proper description of a realistic character. People don’t feel the same emotions in the same way. Some people cry when they are sad, while others scream or go completely silent. You need to show how your characters are feeling, rather than just say how they are feeling.
Bad Example: Nora became angry after reading the letter. She just couldn’t stand it anymore.
Good Example: Nora’s face became hot after reading the letter. She viciously began to tear apart the envelope when she couldn’t look at its content any more.
Showing a character’s emotions through actions lets your readers get a better idea of what kind of personality someone like Nora has.
#3 Give Your Character Habits or Quirks
People are remembered for the little things they do that are different from anyone else, and everyone has something peculiar them that seems unique. Giving an interesting habit or strange quirk lends personality to your character. It can be as small as eating M&Ms all the time, but refusing to eat any other kind of chocolate. Or as big as having your character insist on eating at the exact same restaurant every day, and is thrown off if something disturbs this regimen. Whatever habit or quirk you give your character will allow your readers to get to know him or her better. Sometimes you can give an explanation for the behavior, but you don’t always have to. Either way, your readers will have another reason to think, “Hey, this character is interesting.”
#4 Show Relationships
We can learn a lot about individuals by the way they interact with others. If your character is very sociable, then you should show the character interacting with a lot of random people at work, talking on the phone, and even chatting with strangers on the street. But, if the character is more of a recluse and only has one or two friends, show the bond between those few characters, and maybe even show the uncomfortable feeling that character gets when dealing with new individuals.
#5 Reveal Character’s Hopes, Dreams, Aspirations
People live their lives with a particular purpose. They don’t just go through the motions of school or work without having some reason to do so. If you are going to show that your character is unhappy with his or her job, then be sure to explain why that character continues to keep that job – what is his or her motivation? Is she saving up for a car? Is he trying to pay off a loan? These are the kinds of questions that readers ask about characters who are interesting. And, if you are answering those questions, then your readers are going to enjoy your character and your style of writing that much more.
March 5th, 2010
by Julia H. Jackson
Well, it’s that time of year again: Oscar season. This Sunday, March 7, the Academy Awards will showcase the best films of 2009. The program, which will be hosted by 30 Rock’s Alec Baldwin and noted comedian and actor Steve Martin, will set a new record with the most films nominated for best picture. We thought it telling that some of the best films of the year were book adaptations that we reviewed last year. This is setting the bar high, even for an awards show, and so this year we at Eduify thought we’d help narrow the nominations down to this year’s very best.
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This year’s best picture nominations feature ten diverse and exciting films: James Cameron’s blockbuster Avatar, Quentin Tarantino’s World War II romp Inglourious Basterds , An Education , Peter Jackson’s District 9, A Serious Man by the Coen brothers, Precious (and adaptation of Sapphire’s novel Push), Pixar’s Up, Up in the Air starring George Clooney, The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock, and Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker. Could there be a more diverse range, from 3D half-men half-alien avatar adventure flicks to corporate lackeys searching for human connection?
Although all of these films demonstrate Oscar-worthy talent, Eduify’s pick for Best Picture this year is The Hurt Locker. The film stars Jeremy Renner as Staff Sergeant James Williams, who heads a team of American soldiers whose job it is to find and disarm Improvised Explosive Devices (I.E.D.s), homemade bombs that are responsible for the deaths of countless soldiers serving in Iraq. Set in 2004, The Hurt Locker is one of the first seemingly objective films about the controversial Iraq war, and it delivers not only in intense action scenes, but also in the emotional complexity of its characters. Says New York Times film critic A.O. Scott, Kathryn Bigelow uses “hyperbolic realism, distills the psychological essence and moral complications of modern warfare into a series of brilliant, agonizing set pieces.”
Although Jeff Bridges may be best known as “The Dude” or “Duderino” in the Coen Brothers 1998 classic The Big Lebowski, he shows subtly and versatility in his role as aging country singer Bad Blake in Crazy Heart. The independent film follows Blake as he trucks across the American West, performing in out of the way venues and crossing paths with his protégé Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell) and Jean, a journalist from New Mexico (Maggie Gyllenhall). Bridges’ acting performance is made even more powerful by the film’s score, which includes the song “The Weary Kind,” written by singer Ryan Bingham and sung by Bridges himself. The song is also nominated for Best Original Song.
Bridges is up against tough odds, though: this year’s Best Actor picks include George Clooney (Up in the Air), Colin Firth (A Single Man), Morgan Freeman (Invictus), and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker).
Director Lee Daniels saw something unique when he cast Gabourey Sidibe as Precious in his film adaptation of Sapphire’s novel Push. It takes a complex and compassionate reading of character to fully embody the role of the film’s protagonist, a young woman who as a teenager has been impregnated twice by her father and is emotionally abused by her mother. Sidibe’s greatest strength are her small, measured movements –shrugs, mumblings and stares—that communicate far more about the reality of this character’s life without melodrama.
The other actresses nominated for Best Actress this year are Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side), Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia), Carey Mulligan (An Education), and Helen Mirren (The Last Station).
2. Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
Kathryn Bigelow is the fourth woman to be nominated for Best Director at the Academy Awards, and if she won, she would be the first. That aside, this honor is well-deserved: not only does The Hurt Locker capture a tense yet important part of the Iraq war, but it does so by relying on a strong narrative and powerful cinematography, creating a psychological and complicated view of war. It’s worth mentioning that this is a big step for Bigelow, whose previous films (Point Break, Blue Steel, Strange Days) were interesting but not challenging in the sense that The Hurt Locker truly faces its spectators.
Bigelow is up against her ex-husband James Cameron (Avatar), as well as Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Basterds), Lee Daniels (Precious), and Jason Reitman (Up in the Air).
1. Best Animated Feature Film: Coraline (Directed by Henry Selick)
In the year of exciting 3D films, Coraline takes the cake, not only because of its imaginative and slightly macabre animation, but because its plot and character journey are truly unique. Based on the graphic novel by Neil Gaiman, the story follows a young girl who discovers a portal to an alternate universe in her house. The film is ingenious in part because it borders that line between childhood playfulness and adult thriller, all in vivid color and eye-popping 3D. Its cast includes Dakota Fanning as the title character, Teri Hatcher, and comedian John Hodgman.
Other films in this category are Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson), The Princess and the Frog (John Musker and Ron Clement), The Secret of Kells (Tomm Moore), and Up (Pete Docter).
Sunday’s Academy Awards are sure to be quite the cinematic showdown. Who do you think should win? Download a ballot for this year’s awards and compete with your friends to see how accurate your predictions are!
March 3rd, 2010
It’s cold and wet outside, so there aren’t many options for entertaining activities. Oh sure, you could turn on your television and sit on your butt for the next several hours, but there is only so much time you can spend watching daytime soap operas or court TV. Instead of just staring at a screen, letting your mind go sedentary, there are some exciting books to read that are just perfect for those stuck-in-the-house rainy days. One or two suggestions may be educational, but they are too fun to read to even notice that you’re brain is keeping active.
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
Do not let the name fool, there isn’t anything about marine life in the book. The main character, T.J. Jones, is an adopted teenager who is smart, funny, and an all-around cool guy, who is incredibly humorous to read about. The story deals with a team of underdog swimmers, and T.J. just happens to be the only popular guy on the team. Acting as the wise-butt hero at times, this book had me stifling my own laughter because I was afraid someone would hear me guffaw too loudly.
Darwin Awards Books
For those who are not familiar with the Darwin Awards, they are a comical competition that relay the odd, stupid, and funny things people do in life, as well as the interesting outcomes of these actions. There are at least seven of these books by now, so the options are wide and the hilarity of man’s stupidity just continues to entertain readers. If for some reason you cannot finish one of the books, there is no harm in putting it aside to come back to it on another rainy day. The chapters do not have a sequence of events, so there is no plot to keep up with. You can read one funny story after another. Or, if you somehow finish one book in a day, there are more to read out of the series.
A Bad Beginning, A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickett
Yes, it is part of a series, but what better day is there to try out a new series of books than on a rainy day? And, there is never a dull moment in A Bad Beginning, not to mention it is a relatively shorter book, which also makes it a quick read. Funny, exciting, and sometimes creepy, the Series of Unfortunate Events relays the story of the cruel Count Olaf, who is trying to take the inheritance of three incredibly talented orphaned children. Don’t knock it just because it’s in the young adult section; this book even has adults enthralled to read the whole series.
Short Stories by Nikolay Gogol
For those who want a fun, yet slightly more sophisticated read, the short stories by Nikolay Gogol never seem to disappoint. Although most short stories are a good pick for rainy days, Gogol’s are both deep and amusing at the same time. Stories like “The Nose” is so incredulous to have a nose as the supporting role, while “The Diary of a Madman” is so funny, I almost felt guilty as I laughed at the poor narrator. Gogol’s short stories are a bit longer than others, but you can still several with a day’s time. And, with a collection of shorts, it is easy to just put the rest of the book aside once you have finished a particular story. There is no commitment to reading all of the short stories if you do not have time.
Psych – A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Read by William Rabkin
If you are a fan of the show, you are going to love the books, particularly this one. Although many popular shows are providing a series of books alongside their show, Psych is one of those shows that is both smart and funny at the same time, which is exactly what the books are like, too. A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Read happens to be only 273 pages, which makes for a quick read with all of the dialogue and humorous activities.
March 2nd, 2010
Feed your brain! That’s right, brain food really does exist. Just like Popeye ate spinach to make himself strong, the rest of us can eat other foods to make our brains strong… sort of. The truth is that the foods we eat affect our bodies in certain ways, including helping us think clearer and focus better. When we don’t eat right, we become sluggish and unable to concentrate. The wrong kinds of sugars and fats can severely weigh us down, while the right kinds of sugar and acids can give our brains a boost of energy. Here are the five of most popular and easily accessible forms of brain food, though there are many more, they couldn’t all fit on this list.
Salmon
People used to think that tuna fish was the ultimate brain food, but some experts have found that the high content of Omega-3 fatty acids in salmon are what really juice up your brain by helping your brain matter, helping your arteries, and even improving your mood. Other fish contain great nutritional value for your brain, too, but salmon (particularly wild salmon) was the top pick for experts because there are less contaminants than farm bread fish (http://www.brainready.com/blog/thetop5brainhealthfoods.html).
Eggs
These are just another reason to eat a good breakfast in the morning. Eggs not only contain protein, but they are an amazingly common food that is great at providing your memory. Choline, which is found in egg yolks, is what help your brain cells continue building upon themselves (http://www.webmd.com/balance/brain-food-quiz-results?redirectUrl=brain-food-quiz-results&x=35&y=3).
Walnuts
You don’t have to be a squirrel to enjoy this healthy snack; it turns out that walnuts also contain a high amount of those Omega-3 fatty acids that improve your brain‘s strength. And, if you ever have a hard time remembering what they are good for, take a close look at the weird lines and shape of the walnut, and see if it doesn’t remind a little bit of the pictures you’ve seen of your brain in biology class.
Berries
The growing popularity of the acai berry is not without its merit, but we should not forget the blueberry, blackberry, or cranberry. It is interesting how much nutrition these little guys can hold. Full of antioxidants that help preserve brain cells over the years. But, these berries also contain the Omega-3 fatty acids, as well as the protein we have already mentioned the benefits of. These berries not only make a sweet treat, they may actually help your brain cells through your whole life.
Curry
It’s not just for spicy food, it may be the spice of life that keeps your brain in good health. Helping to clean away the plaque that tends to slow down our brains and cause the Alzheimer’s, curcumin is the chemical that acts as that cleaning agent for our brain. Just like drains need be clear of build up to run smoothly, our brains need to be clean to continue thinking clearly.
March 1st, 2010
by Julia H. Jackson
As the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver come to a close, spectators worldwide are reminded how sports and international competition function as yet another way to tell stories. Think back to the best moments of this year in Canada: American Lindsey Vonn’s gold medal in downhill skiing, Yu Na Kim of Korea’s winning free skate performance, or Team Canada’s men’s hockey win in overtime. When these athletes go home, not only will they take their medals, but they’ll take something perhaps more significant: the record that they beat and the odds that they faced; in effect, their very own Olympic story.
Speaking of stories—there is a long legacy of Olympic athletes teaming up with journalists and biographers to share their stories as memoirs. Here’s a list of 5 Books about Inspirational Olympians to get you started.
Jesse Owens’ life was not just one, but several important stories. Owens was the first American to win four track and field medals in one Olympic Game—the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, to be exact. His athletic achievements notwithstanding, Owens’ decision to participate at all was an act of courage, given the intense backdrop of what would later become Nazi Germany. Schapp’s book takes a cinematic approach to Owens’ life, starting with his childhood in 1920s Cleveland, through his early track career to Berlin, where the concept of the Aryan race was just gaining popularity.
In 1980, the U.S. men’s hockey team was up against the Soviets, the reigning international hockey champions whose legacy made them seem unbeatable. The New York Daily News sportswriter Coffey approaches the pivotal 1980 games from U.S. Coach Herb Brooks’ perspective, describing the physical and psychological exercises he used to build up the American team. Unlike many sports stories, Coffey seeks to make both teams human, showing not just their strengths and weaknesses, but their attitude in light of the Iranian hostage crisis and the Cold War.
Australian swimmer Nadine Neumann writes of her struggle with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as a young woman, a condition that, although challenging, never kept her from international competition. She finished sixth in the 200m breast stroke at the 1996 Atlanta summer games, breaking her personal best. Her memoir describes the intricacy of competing for the best race while overcoming the daily challenges of a chronic condition. In addition to her accomplishments as a swimmer, Neumann went on to become a teacher, coach and writer.
Dorothy Hamill skated onto the ice in Innnsbruk, Austria, in 1976, and into a new life. At age 19, she was about to accomplish her primary goal: to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating. Her 2007 memoir traces her childhood on the ice, showing not only her athletic achievements, but also the complexity of her family relationships. Hamill went on to become a pioneering star in the Ice Capades, the touring skate shows that incorporated stories into skate performances. Hamill’s work on and off the ice has proven her not only to be a professional, high-achieving athlete, but a leader in youth fitness and performance.
Tomm
ie Smith won the gold medal in the 200m running race at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. As the “Star Spangled Banner” echoed across the stands, Smith raised on black-gloved fist to the air, creating perhaps one of the most highly politicized images of the Olympics. This single moment sparked a flurry of responses: did Smith, who had an incredible track record at San Jose State University and later became a successful as teacher and coach, intend for spectators to glean some greater political meaning from his black glove? Smith’s autobiography explores both his views on athletics and his young life, describing how one “silent gesture” redefined him not only as a runner, but also as a leader in the civil rights movement and beyond.
Still not inspired? There is an entire cannon of Olympic stories out there, and (most likely) there will be more to come in the months following the 2010 games in Vancouver. Are you an athlete? Let us know what sports you play and what stories you hope to one day tell!
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