Here is a little idea for creating memorable characters that came to me while watching a Marks & Spencers’ advert. Describe what makes your character stand out from the ordinary in the style of a Marks & Spencers advert.
“Gourmet salad with caramalised pear and creamy Stilton drizzled with hazelnut oil dressing. This isn’t just a salad it’s an M&S salard.”
For anyone whose not seen one here is the advert the line above is taken from (although I should warn you that you may have a craving for food afterwards).
The formula for making a character description along these lines goes something like this:
- Start with [Character Name]
- Now describe the character’s interesting qualities
- End with “it’s not just an [Character Archetype] it’s an M&S [Character Archetype].”
So for example…
Lala Leig: A deep, dusky, brooding heroine struggling to understand her place in a world she doesn’t want to understand. This isn’t just a heroine it’s an M&S heroine.
Raphael Johnson: light and fruity man that goes straight to your head. This isn’t just a hero it’s an M&S hero.
Nicole Wang: A cunning, adored villain who never sacrifices his minions who are fanatical in their devotion. This isn’t just an evil villain it’s an M&S evil villain.
Its fun just to write up a character in sexy, ad copy terms that you might never use for them in your regular writing.
For a twist try describing famous fictional characters and see if your friends can guess who it is. For example who do you think these two characters from a famous novel might be?
X: An ardent, vengeful hero slowly, marinated in mysterious origins. This isn’t just a hero it’s an M&S hero.
Y: A beautiful, passionate, strong-willed heroine with a mischievous streak driven by a deep romantic bond into into misery, violence and despair. This isn’t just a heroine it’s an M&S heroine.