CREATING CHARACTERS TO

START WRITING FICTION IN

THE EFL CLASSROOM
GIOVANNI MOSQUERA

What is Fiction?

What is fiction?
It is not about using the most florid language
available to you or looking up in the dictionary for
the most grandiose terms.
Writing fiction is using every day language in the
most unexpected situations and ways.
Writing fiction is about making characters, making
the best of everything you already have and know:
your experiences (including your reading
experiences), your memories and personal history,
your feelings and desires, your language,
imagination, observations and ideas. (The Open
University)

Warm-up: You Poem

Think about somebody you either love or hate.
It can be a member of your family,
girlfriend/boyfriend, a work colleague, a fellow
student, etc. Write about that person you have
thought as if they were
(Activity taken from Top Class Activities 50 Fun
Games and Activities by Top ELT Authors
Jeremy Harmer)

YOU
(a kind of food)

You __________________________

(a kind of weather)

You _________________________

(a type of furniture)

You _________________________

(a means of transport)

You _________________________

(an article of clothing)

You _________________________

(a part of the house)

You _________________________

(a colour)
(a month of the year)

You _________________________
You _________________________

YOU
(a kind of food)
melting in

You are like a sweet cherry pie

my mouth

(a kind of weather)

You _________________________

(a type of furniture)

You _________________________

(a means of transport)

You _________________________

(an article of clothing)

You _________________________

(a part of the house)

You _________________________

(a colour)
(a month of the year)

You _________________________
You _________________________

YOU

(a kind of food)
melting in

You are like a sweet cherry pie

my mouth

(a kind of weather)
neverending

You are sunny shiny day of a

summer

(a type of furniture)

You _________________________

(a means of transport)

You _________________________

(an article of clothing)

You _________________________

(a part of the house)

You _________________________

(a colour)
(a month of the year)

You _________________________
You _________________________

YOU

(a kind of food)
You are like a sweet cherry pie
melting in
my mouth
(a kind of weather)
never- ending summer

You are a sunny shiny day of a

(a type of furniture)
on stormy
nights

You are the bed where I sleep in

(a means of transport)

You ___________________________

(an article of clothing)

You _________________________

(a part of the house)

You _________________________

(a colour)

You _________________________

(a month of the year)

You _________________________

YOU

(a kind of food)
You are like a sweet cherry pie
melting in
my mouth
(a kind of weather)
ending summer

You are a sunny shiny day of a never-

(a type of furniture)
stormy nights

You are the bed where I sleep in on

(a means of transport)
breath away

You are a Trasnmilenio bus taking my

(an article of clothing)

You _________________________

(a part of the house)

You _________________________

(a colour)

You _________________________

(a month of the year)

You _________________________

YOU

(a kind of food)
in my mouth

You are like a sweet cherry pie melting

(a kind of weather)
ending
summer

You are a sunny shiny day of a never-

(a type of furniture)
stormy nights

You are the bed where I sleep in on

(a means of transport)
breath away

You are a Trasnmilenio bus taking my

(an article of clothing)

from the heavy rain

You are the raincoat that protects me

(a part of the house)

You _________________________

(a colour)

You _________________________

(a month of the year)

You _________________________

YOU

(a kind of food)
my mouth
(a kind of weather)
ending summer
(a type of furniture)
stormy nights
(a means of transport)
breath away
(an article of clothing)
from the heavy rain
(a part of the house)
a fireplace
(a colour)
(a month of the year)

You are like a sweet cherry pie melting in

You are a sunny shiny day of a neverYou are the bed where I sleep in on
You are a Trasnmilenio bus taking my
You are the raincot that protects me
You are a cozy warm evening in front of
You _________________________
You _________________________

YOU

(a kind of food)
my

You are like a sweet cherry pie melting in

mouth

(a kind of weather)
ending

You are a sunny shiny day of a neversummer

(a type of furniture)
nights

You are the bed where I sleep in on stormy

(a means of transport)
breath away

You are a Trasnmilenio bus taking my

(an article of clothing)

You are the raincot that protects me from
the
heavy rain
(a part of the house)

You are a cozy warm evening in front of the

fireplace

(a colour)
action

You are red; full of energy, passion and

(a month of the year)

You ____________________________________________

YOU
(a kind of food)
(a kind of weather)
(a type of furniture)
nights

You are like a sweet cherry pie melting in my

mouth
You are a sunny shiny day of a never-ending
summer
You are the bed where I sleep in on stormy

(a means of transport)
away

You are a Trasnmilenio bus taking my breath

(an article of clothing)

You are the raincot that protects me from the

heavy rain

(a part of the house)

You are a cozy warm evening in front of the

fireplace

(a colour)

You are red; full of energy, passion and action

(a month of the year)

and

You are like December, a time to celebrate

be happy

Teacher, Im done! Now what do I

do?
Swap papers with the person next to you. Read the
poems, compare and talk about the experience.
Was it easy? Difficult? Do you think you were able
to flesh out that person you had in mind? Can
you picture your partners character in your
mind?
What about writing a similar poem for a person
you really loathe? Because as the grumpy cat says:

YOU

(a kind of food)
mutton

are like a stinky stew made of rotten

(a kind of weather)
middle of

You are a weird wild hailstorm in the

nowhere

(a type of furniture)
You are like a futon, a clever
combination couch/bed
which is both a
terrible bed and a terrible couch
(a means of transport)
with a thug

You are like an empty Transmilenio bus

sitting by my side

(an article of clothing)

football socks falling

You are a pair of stinky sweated

apart

(a part of the house)

shanty town bar

You are like the puked toilet of a

(a colour)
bland, lifeless and

You are gray; so depressing and

plain

Reading characters
Reading other novels and stories to see how characters appear
is one of the most essential preparations you can undertake.
Take a look at the following characters descriptions and note
down how you think the writers are managing to portray them:

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R.

Tolkien (page 274):
"The face of Elrond was ageless, neither old nor young,
though in it was written the memory of many things both
glad and sorrowful. His hair as dark as the shadows of
twilight, and upon it was set a circlet of silver; his eyes
were grey as a clear evening, and in them was a light like
the light of stars."
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
(page 39):
"Black-haired and slender, wearing the huge new dustfiltering glasses, she approached his car, her hands deep in
the pockets of her brightly striped long coat. She had, on
her sharply defined small face, an expression of sullen
distaste."

 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

(page 8):
"If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man
sitting astride it. He was twice as tall as a normal man
and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big
to be allowed, and so wild long tangles of bushy black
hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the
size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots
were like baby dolphins.
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (page 40):
"Fifteen years past, when they had ridden forth to win a
throne, the Lord of Storm's End had been clean-shaven,
clear-eyed, and muscled like a maiden's fantasy. Six and
a half feet tall, he towered over lesser men, and when he
donned the armor and the great antlered helmet of his
house, he became a veritable giant. He'd had a giant's
strength too, his weapon of choice a spiked iron war

Introducing characters
Think about a person that you feel you know quite well
(though preferably not a partner, as this can throw up all
sorts of problems). First list their good points what it is
that you like about them. Then list their bad points
irritating habits, opinions and attitudes that you dont care
for. Now think back to when you first met her or him. Over
time, how did you discover the things that you know/feel
about them? Try to answer the following questions:
What was the first thing that struck you about them?
What did you see as their outstanding physical
characteristics (list no more than 3)?
How were they dressed, and what did this tell you?
Did they have any little gestures or ways of speaking that

 Did they maintain eye contact or avoid it?

Did they seek out physical contact or shrink from it?
What did they talk about?
Now that youve got to know them, what do you think makes them
tick (their motivators*)? How does this knowledge differ from your
first impressions?
Finally, what sort of person do you think they really are? Are they
straightforward or devious, honest or dishonest, tolerant or
intolerant, placid or easily roused, warm-hearted or aloof?
Now for the more difficult part of the task. Just how, exactly, did you get
the answers to the last two questions? (A third person might well have
given you some information about them, but that information may not have
been accurate.) Reflect on this short coming, the main objective of a writer
is to know their characters deeply. Know what they want, their background
and the way they would behave in a normal everyday situation.
Write a short paragraph where you try to address all this info without
sounding too technical.

I gave a try, below:

After breakfast, he came into the shower room. Under the weak water
stream falling, he tried to get rid of the sweaty smell of his body. He
took the clothes that he had left ready the day before, and dressed up.
For a boy, he was an extremely meticulous person. He didnt want to
see a single wrinkle in his school uniform. Something like that would
have ruined his day. He headed towards the mirror hung on the wall,
and a square-like masculine face with a large finely-drawn mouth,
though a bit cruel and childish looked back at him. He took some hair
gel and combed his brown dark curls to the left. One rebel lock fell onto
his forehead. He tried to straighten it with his fingers, but it did not
obey. The hazel eyes hid behind long curly lashes. His look seemed to
be serene, though with a touch of irony. There were huge black bags
under his eyes, caused by prolonged insomnia episodes and a skin
toasted by the sun, which completed the image reflected by the
mirror.

The Pond in the Forest

People will talk ( or make them talk!)

Now you are going to make your characters talk, but
before that, let us have a look at the following
examples of well-written dialogues and think about
what they achieve.

 You are your mother's trueborn son of Lannister."

"Am I?" the dwarf replied, sardonic. "Do tell my lord father. My
mother died birthing me, and he's never been sure."
"I don't even know who my mother was," Jon said.
"Some woman, no doubt. Most of them are." He favored Jon with
a rueful grin. "Remember this, boy. All dwarfs may be bastards,
yet not all bastards need be dwarfs."
And with that he turned and sauntered back into the feast,
whistling a tune.
When he opened the door, the light from within threw his
shadow clear across the yard, and for just a moment Tyrion
Lannister stood tall as a king.
George R.R. Martin,A Game of Thrones

 Hermione, however, clapped a hand to her forehead.

Harry I think Ive just understood something! Ive
got to go to the library! And she sprinted away up
the stairs.
What does she understand? said Harry distractedly,
still looking around, trying to tell where the voice had
come from.
Loads more than I do. Said Ron shaking his head.
But whys she got to go to the library?
Because thats what Hermione does, said Ron
shrugging. When in doubt, go to the library.
J. K. Rowling Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

 Gandalf: Confound it all, Samwise Gamgee. Have you

been eavesdropping?
Sam: I ain't been droppin' no eaves sir, honest. I was just
cutting the grass under the window there, if you'll follow
me.
Gandalf: A little late for trimming the verge, don't you
think?
Sam: I heard raised voices.
Gandalf: What did you hear? Speak.
Sam: N-nothing important. That is, I heard a good deal
about a ring, and a Dark Lord, and something about the
end of the world, but... Please, Mr. Gandalf, sir, don't hurt
me. Don't turn me into anything... unnatural.
J.R.R. Tolkien,The Fellowship of the Ring

Dialogue should do one, if not all, of

the following
1. Reveals characters relationships to one another.
2. Move the story forward.
3. Increase the tension.
Dramatic Dialogue Exercise
Pair up with sb you havent worked with before. Tell each other about
the characters you created for the Introducing characters exercise
and discuss their similarities and differences. Imagine them in a
situation in which both of them might meet and write a short dialogue
about what happens. Dont forget to include some conflict. Roleplay it (if
you feel like)!

Here are some suggestions to get you going: (One of the

characters could play the role of antagonist or
supporting character, the other one should play the role
of protagonist)
1.Write a scene of dialogue that creates tension between your
protagonist and a supporting character.
2.Write a scene of dialogue where your antagonist reveals
something to your protagonist.
3.Write a scene of dialogue where a supporting character tells
your protagonist something that will change the course of
the protagonist's actions.
4.Write a scene of dialogue that shows how a supporting
character and your antagonist interact.
5.Write a scene of dialogue that shows the relationship
between your protagonist and your antagonist.
6.Write a scene of dialogue that reveals a plot twist!

Other activities to exploit creative

writing on an EFL/ESL context
Fact and Fiction paragraph: Tell Ss to write a paragraph (50 to 100
words) containing one fact and three fictitious elements. They can
write about themselves, about their interests, about history
about anything they like. Then they try the reverse write a
paragraph containing three facts and one fictitious element. (Open
University-Start Writing Fiction course)
A writer journal: Ss keep a writers notebook to collect facts and
fictions, observations from everyday life and things they imagine.
Describe a character in third person and then re-write the
description from a first persons perspective
Re-write an excerpt of a novel or a short story from a characters
point of view (A hero scene from the P.O.V of a villain)

 Haikus can be great

For Elementary kids
Im sure about it.

 Ten imposible things (prompts)

Dreams descriptions.
Writing memories. E.g. a special hiding place you had when
you were kids a place that was safe.
Free writing and free music writing
Future writing (what will your city be like in a hundred years?)
Final project: A short story. Students write a paragraph every
time you collect writing, at the end of the term they compile
everything into a coherent story, that will be their final
written paper of the term.

Final considerations
It improves your Reading and Writing skills dramatically
It fosters higher thinking skills and provides us with some
time to think about others and ourselves (Empathy) (Kidd
and Castano: 2013)
It promotes Reading to enjoy ourselves and Reading is
the key to better comprehension, grammar, spelling,
writing style, and vocab and what is badly-considered
light reading is intellectually, academically, and socially
viable Krashen (2004)
There is a tangible product, all the community can see, as
proof of students learning process and progress!

To know more
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/start-writing-fiction
On Writing, A Memoir of the Craft, Stephen King
Ian McMillan's Writing Lab: Get writing: Tips and advice. You can
download all the tips from
http://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/culture/literature-a
nd-creative-writing/creative-writing/get-writing-tips-and-advice
Controlled Writing vs: Free Composition, Maryruth Bracy. TESOL
Quarterly Vol. 5 No. 3 (Sep., 1971), pp. 239-246
Gotham Writers Workshop Writing Fiction The Practical Guide
from New Yorks Acclaimed Creative Writing School- Edited by
Alexander Steele (Bloombury: 2003)
Implementing Writing Workshop with ESOL Students: Visions and
Realities. Joy Kreeft Peyton, Chuck Jones, Andrea Vincent and Les
Greenblatt. TESOL Quarterly Vol 28, N. 3 (1994)

 Poetry Ideas in Teaching Literature and Writing

to Foreign Students. William Preston. TESOL
Quarterly, Vol 16. N. 4 (Dec. 1982)
Ten Ideas for Creative Writing in the EFL
Classroom. Rigoberto Castillo and Grady
Hillman. In Forum Vol. 33 N. 4. OctoberDecember 1995
Creative Writing for EFL: A Theoretical
Framework. Nydia Roco Prieto Velandia. (UIS
2007)
Writing Sharing and Gromwing: Creative Writing
in English at a Mainland Chinese University. Fan
Dai in TEXT Special issue, Creative writing in
the Asia-Pacific Region, April 2011(Camens &