Main characters must have an emotional problem they are dealing with. That’s what makes them interesting.
I as the Main Character
As the main character, you can be anyone you want to be. However, you need to create a main character who is especially bothered by the troublemaker.
LH
VP
RH
because
Why
Main Character
Verb Phrase
Troublemaker
because
Problem
I
had a problem with
a talking dog
Don’t Be a Superhero
Don’t pretend you’re a superhero. It is hard to create a story about them because the troublemaker must be more powerful than the hero for the hero to have a problem. Leave superheroes to the movies.
What to Say About Yourself
Let’s pretend the troublemaker is a talking dog. What do we know about the troublemaker?
It talks. It’s a dog.
It Talks
What kind of problem might you as the main character have with talking before you meet the talking dog? Remember, this is pretend. It doesn’t have to be something that really bothers you.
Maybe you can pretend you’re shy.
Maybe you can pretend you stutter.
Maybe you can pretend you never know what to talk about.
Maybe you can pretend you’re afraid of speaking in front of a group.
Or maybe you and your friends can think of some other fear having to do with talking. You can pretend it bothers you.
It’s a Dog
If you choose to write about a dog, then it has to be something that will make the audience feel sad. Maybe you could pretend to have a dog—
That ran away
Or that your family had to sell for some reason
Or that died.
Task 2.5.1 – Individual or Small Group
Name two parts about the troublemaker in the following What Statements:
I had a problem with a gun-toting spider.
I had a problem with an elf in my refrigerator.
I had a problem with a moose that thought it was a dog.
Task 2.5.2 – Individual or Small Group
Choose a story idea you wish to work with. If you are new to writing, then use the talking dog story.
Decide what EMOTIONAL problem is bothering the main character.
It must be something that is bothering him or her BEFORE they meet the troublemaker.
You can only choose ONE thing.
The emotional problem must somehow be connected to
Start the LH Section
Say a SIMPLE sentence about the main character.
It must include emotion.
It must be about the emotional problem you brainstormed, not about the troublemaker.
It must be only ONE problem.
For example:
I loved Jackson, my golden retriever. I’m not a dog lover, I’m a dog fanatic. I delighted in how my cat, Leonora, was always getting into mischief. I had always wanted to learn Athabascan, my Native language.
Task 2.5.3 – Individual or Small Group
Enter the simple first sentence into the LH side of your hyperthesis chart.
