The 5 "Bones" Of Characterization

The 5 "Bones" of Characterization

So in my English class we’ve been talking about the different elements of different parts of a story. My professor referred to the elements of characterization as bones. I don’t know why, but that’s just what he did. 

He’s talked about these 5 “bones” a few times already and actually uses them to talk about characters in readings we’re doing along with our usual workshops.  He says if you can get these bones out of a character then it’s a well built character. So don’t take these lightly as figuring these 5 bones out for your character will make writing your story much easier.

Desire: There are two types: Long and short. Essentially it’s what do they want in 5 years and what do they want tomorrow? Think of desire as their goals, both long term and short term.

Strength: This is their ability. How do they handle stress and other emotions? What makes them strong? 

Weakness: What makes them hide in fear? What will they run away from?

Deals: Also referred to as “Alway’s and Never’s”. What will they always do? What will they never do? (I’m sure there is more to this, but my notes are hard to follow.XD)

Action: What are they doing? This is also relevant to your plot.

The last thing in my notes that I have written is this: Characters come to us already formed.

Now that’s a weird thought because there’s tons of character development stuff out there as we always see making a new character as a hard task that takes forever. Except that isn’t how it works and having the above said to me actually made everything easier.

Your characters are already full fledged people. Do you ever have that time where you’re writing and you say “My characters just kinda took over and this happened”. Well your characters are already completely formed and know how they’ll react to certain situations. You’re the one who doesn’t know that. So take some time to get to know your character. Stop working on your book and write other random stories. Find a prompt and just write. Or do as my professor says and “sit on the couch with them for a couple hours”. Think of them as another friend that you’re trying to get to know. Don’t force out their secrets.

You know what I love?  Names.  You know what I love more than just names?  Geographically accurate names.

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(Current popular names all over the world)

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The following information was found here

Names From The Ancient World

Eastern

Egypt

Greece

Rome

Africa

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Medieval European Names Medieval English Names

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Anglo-Saxon/Old English Names

Dithematic Names (Name with two elements)

Monothematic Names (Single element names & bynames)

Religion (Gods; Goddesses; Calendar)

Rulers

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CELTIC

Ireland  [Celtic-Male Origin | Celtic-Female Origin | More]

Scotland  [Naming Patterns | Celtic Origin | Biblical Origin | More]

Wales  [Naming Practices | Biblical Origin | Welsh Surnames | More]

Brittany  [Male | Female | Surnames | More]

Old Celtic  [Male | Female | Religion | Cornwall | Isle of Man | More]

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Modern English First Names

The Central Stock of English First Names

Linknames (feminine forms of Biblical, Celtic, germanic, Greek, Latin and Modern male names)

Saints (calendar of saints, patron saints)

Modern Coinages Placenames | Blended | Combined | Borrowed Words | Unisex

Surname Adaptations (English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh and Foreign surnames used as first names)

Themed Names (twins, mulit-births, colors, creatures dates, etc)

More

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Western European Names

France | Naming Practices | Medieval | More

Italy | Latin | Medieval | More

Germany | Naming Practices | Medieval | More

Austria | First Names | Surnames | Rulers

Switzerland | First Names | Surnames

Netherlands | Naming Practices | Friesland | More

Belgium | Naming Practices | Walloon | More

Spain | Catalonia | Aragon | Asturias | Galicia | More

Portugal | Biblical Origin | Latin Origin | More

Basque | Male | Female | Surnames

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Eastern European Names

Poland | Slavonic Origin | Various | More

Hungary | Pronunciation etc | Names | More

Czech-Slovak | Czech | Slovak | Czechoslovakia | More

Albania | Male | Female | Surnames

Bulgaria | First Names | Surnames | More

Romania | Male | Female | Surnames

Former Yugoslavia Former Yugoslavia | Bosnia-Hercegovina | Croatia | Macedonia | Montenegro | Serbia | Slovenia

Greece | Greek Origin | Latin Origin | Surnames | More

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Scandinavian Names

Old Norse | Male | Female | Name Elements | More

Norway | Norse Origin | Germanic Origin | Surnames | More

Sweden | Norse Origin | Germanic Origin | Surnames | More

Denmark | Norse Origin | Various Origin | Surnames | More

Iceland | Norse Origin | Various Origin | Surnames | More

Faroe Islands | Norse Origin | Foreign Origin | Surnames

Finland | Pronunciation | Religion | Finnish | Compounds | More

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Former Soviet Union Names

Russia | Naming Practices | Slavic Origin | Surnames | More

Europe and the Caucasus  Ukraine | Belarus | Moldavia | Georgia | Armenia | Azerbaijan | Caucasus

Baltic States Estonia | Latvia | Lithuania | Finland

Asian Republics Kazakhstan | Tajikistan | Turkmenistan | Uzbekistan | Kirghizistan 

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African Names

Northern Africa | Gen. Names Morocco | Algeria | Tunisia | Libya | Egypt | Western Sahara 

Eastern Africa | Gen. Names Sudan | Ethiopia | Eritrea | Somalia | Djibouti | Uganda | Burundi | Rwanda | Kenya | Tanzania | Swahili 

Central Africa | Gen. Names Chad | Central African Republic | Cameroon | Equatorial Guinea | Gabon | Congo | Democratic Republic of Congo 

Western Africa | Gen. Names Mauritania | Mali | Burkina Fasu | Senegal | Gambia | Guinea-Bissau | Guinea | Sierra Leone | Liberia | Ivory Coast | Ghana | Togo | Benin | Niger | Nigeria 

Southern Africa | Gen. Names Angola | Zambia | Zimbabwe | Malawi | Mozambique | Namibia | Botswana | South Africa | Lesotho | Swaziland

African Islands Madagascar | Comoro Islands | Mauritius | Cape Verde Islands | Seychelles | Sao Tome and Principe 

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Northern Native American Names

Native names used in modern America

Various Native American Nations

Algonquin [Cheyenne, Shawnee, Mohican/Mahican]

Apache [Mimbreno, Warm Springs, White Mountain, Bedonkohe, Chiricahua]

Iroquois [Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onundagas, Seneca, Tuscaroa]

Ojibwa [Ojibway, Potawatomi, Chippewa]

Cherokee | Choctaw | Creek | Crow | Hopi | Kiowa | Miwok | Navajo | Nez Perce | Omaha | Osage | Seminole | Sioux | Yakima

Inuit

Southern and Central Native American Names

Aztec [History, Male, Female, Religion, Calendars, Rulers]

Inca [Male, Female, Religion, Calendars]

Maya [History, Male, Female, Religion, Calendars]

Amazonian [Names from tribes living in the rain forests]

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India

Hindu Names Male Names [A | B | C - K | L- Z] | Female | More

Hindu Gods

Sikh

Others

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Middle and Near Eastern 

Arab/Muslim Male | Female | More

East Iran | Turkey | Kurds | Pakistan | Bangladesh | Afghanistan

Jewish Names Biblical | Yiddish | Modern | Various | Surnames

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China  Info | Male | Female  

Japan  Info | Male | Female

Korea  Info | Male | Female

Mongolia

Himalayan  Nepal | Bhutan | Tibet

Indochina  Burma | Thailand | Vietnam | Cambodia | Laos

South East Asia  Indonesia | Malaysia | Brunei | The Philippines

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Pacific 

Polynesia Maori | Samoa | Tonga | French Polynesia | Fiji | Cook Islands | Easter Island | Hawai’i | Australia

Micronesia Federated States of Micronesia | Kirbati | Marashall Islands | Marianas Islands and Guam | Nauru | Belau

Melanesia Soloman Islands | Papua New Guinea | Vanuatu | Tuvalu

Information from this post received from financedegreecenter.com, all image credits and information go them. 

I think this is a question we’ve all been wondering about.

Did you know that organ trade is illegal in every country except Iran?

BODY PARTS THE LIVING CAN SELL

$337 per pint of blood.

$70 for ten inches of hair.

Men’s hair is reduced to an amino acid used in baking goods.

Women’s hair is turned into wigs and weaves.

Bone Marrow

The most valuable part of your body sells for a high of $23,000 per gram. You can donate bone marrow, but it’s illegal to sell it.

Eggs: $12,400 per IVF cycle in U.S.

Egg donation is legal, but some choose to avoid hospital fees and buy eggs illegally or abroad.

Surrogate Wombs: $20,000-30,000 in India, $80,000-150,000 in the U.S.

Kidneys

Make up 75% of the global organ trade due to diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems.

Theoretically, your body is worth up to $45 million dollars (But that’s only if you could harvest every usable chemical and part from it.)

FROM THE DEAD

Corneas: $24,400 implanted

Hearts: Legal–$997,700, Illegal– $119,000

Livers: Legal–$557,100, Illegal–$157,100

Kidneys–From U.S. $262,900

China–$62,000

India–$15,000

Ligaments and Bones– A few thousand dollars, depending on which one.

Skin–$10 per square inch

Skeletons–$2,993-5,500

SOURCES OF BODY PARTS

Legal:

Donated by Family, Friends

Charities, non-profits

Illegal: 

Looted Graves

Crooked morticians

Paid donors (often very poor)

Executed prisoners

Live prisoners

Blood Farms

Cheat Sheets for Writing Body Language

We are always told to use body language in our writing. Sometimes, it’s easier said than written. I decided to create these cheat sheets to help you show a character’s state of mind. Obviously, a character may exhibit a number of these behaviours. For example, he may be shocked and angry, or shocked and happy. Use these combinations as needed.

by Amanda Patterson

250 ways to say ‘went’

Buy the Poster: WriteAtHome

A Somewhat Useful Masterpost for Writers

Websites for Critique:

Authonomy It’s been a while since I used this website in particular, but it’s useful for helpful critique and to get your original works out there. If your book get on the top five list at the end of the month Harper Collins will read it for possible publication.

Teen Ink

Figment

Fiction Press

ReviewFuse

and of course… Tumblr

Other Websites:

Write or Die is great if you want to give yourself a certain amount of time to write a set amount of words.

Tip of my Tongue for when you can’t remember the exact word

Character Traits Form 

Online Thesaurus where you just type in a word and you get a cluster of different words

Characters

Top 10 Questions for Creating Believable Characters

How to Create a Fictional Character

Describing Clothing and Appearance

The Difference between Ethnicity and Nationality

Describing a Voice

Characters (part 2)

How to write Funeral Directors  I’ve read quite a few fanfics where they just have funeral directors slapping clothes on a body and calling it a day. As a former funeral services major I can tell you that’s not the only thing they do.

How to write Drug Dealers

How to write Gamblers

Interview with a Hitman

Terms for royalty

Naming Characters

Behind the Name

Top Baby Names

Looking for a name that means a certain thing?

7 Rules of Picking Names

Most Common Surnames

Medical/Crime/Legal

Coma: Types, Causes, etc 

Tips for writing blood loss

Gunshot Wound Care

Examples of Hospital Forms

Common Legal Questions

The Writer’s Forensics Blog

Brain Injury Legal Guide

Types of Surgical Operations

Types of Mental Health Problems

A Day in the Life of a Mental Hospital Patient

Global Black Market Information Because where else would you find out how much money it takes to get a 16 year old girl to kill someone in Mexico?

Crime Scene Science

Examining Mob Mentality

How Street Gangs Work

Other Helpful Stuff

Poisonous Herbs and Plants

The Psychology of Color

The Meaning behind Rose color

Compare Character Heights - I personally love this site so much. 

Types of Swords

Color Symbolism

How a handgun works

Blueprints for Houses

The Six Types of Haunting Activities

The Difference Between lay and lie

10 Words You Need to Stop Misspelling

5 Easy Tips to Improve Your Writing

How to Write a Eulogy

Types of Crying

Career Masterpost

Avoiding LGBTQ Stereotypes

Tips for Writing Ghost Stories

A Spell to See Spirits

Make Graphics out of Quotes

Superstitions and More

The 12 Common Archetypes

Language of Flowers

Military Sign Language

A Visual Dictionary of Tops

Describing Tiaras

What author do you most write like? (I’ve gotten Stephenie Meyer)

12 Realistic Woman Body Shapes

Japanese honorifics

Dress Up Games  I personally like to find games that I can make my OCs with.

Azalea’s Dolls

Doll Divine x

Dress Up Games

Shidabeeda Games

Free Writing Software

Google Docs (automatically saves as you write. 100% recommend)

EverNote

OpenOffice (a free version of Microsoft Office)

Articles

25 Steps To Edit the Unmerciful Suck out of Your Story

10 Rules for Writing First Drafts

10 Things Teenage Writers Should Know About Writing

Create a Plot Outline in 8 Easy Steps

Publishing Agencies to Stay Away From

5 Ways to Make Your Novel Helplessly Addictive

Books:

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing

Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul

Writing Great Books for Young Adults

Inspirational Quotes: x x 

And I couldn’t find the original post for these so (pictures under the cut)

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