Character Creation for Novels
A course by Cristina López Barrio, Author
Take inspiration from a memory, someone you know, or even a stranger to develop the protagonist for a great story
A remarkable character is so often what ignites a story and sets it aside from the rest. If you're not sure where to begin, writer Cristina López believes a memory, a friend, or even a stranger can be all the inspiration you need. Having guided you through Writing a Novel Step by Step, Cristina teaches you to unlock your creativity by bringing one of your story's characters to life.
In this course, learn to develop one of the characters for an unforgettable story, piece by piece. Define everything from their physical features to their passions and fears and then translate it all into scenes that help keep the plot moving. Also explore different ways of introducing the character into the text and what part they'll play in the overall story.
What will you learn in this online course?
14 lessons & 21 downloads
What's included in this course?
To start off, hear Cristina talk about how her passion for writing as a child came to be her long-term profession. She also shares the literary and artistic influences that have inspired her own novels and stories.
Next, see where ideas for a character can come from and the steps to follow to develop them into a unique and original character. Learn to give them an identity, from their appearance to their personality, and map out their goals and influence on certain events.
In order to position them within the story, take a look at different ways of presenting them before exploring their dramatic function and the various archetypes they can take on. Finish up by analyzing how your character interacts with the protagonist or antagonist as well as other characters.
Your teacher moves on to discuss how places and objects can help you to further define your character's nature and give them more depth. Cristina wraps things up with some tips for turning your character into the protagonist of a sequel or series.
- 99% positive reviews (173)
- 9,035 students
- 14 lessons (2h 40m)
- 21 additional resources (8 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish, German, English, French, Indonesian, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Bring to life the characters that you've spent time imagining by answering a series of questions to ignite that creative spark.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Creative minds who love to read, especially those who've thought about writing their own novel.
Requirements and materials
You don't need any previous knowledge to take this course, just come ready to get all those characters out of your imagination and onto the page.
The materials for this course include a notebook, a pen of your choice, and a computer if you'd prefer to write in digital format.
Reviews
Cristina López Barrio
A course by Cristina López Barrio
Cristina López Barrio studied law at the Complutense University of Madrid and worked as a lawyer and intellectual property expert for 13 years. In 2009, after winning the Villa Pozuelo de Alarcón Young Adult Novel Award for her book El hombre que se mareaba con la rotación de la Tierra (Everest 2009) and publishing her novel La casa de los amores imposibles (Plaza&Janés, 2010), she decided to fully devote herself to writing.
Since then, La casa de los amores imposibles has been translated into 15 languages and published in 22 countries including the United States, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Sweden, Israel, and Mexico. Cristina has also published a collection of stories titled El reloj del mundo (Flash from Penguin Random House, 2012) and several other novels including El cielo en un infierno cabe (Plaza&Janés 2013), Tierra de brumas (Plaza&Janés 2015), and Rómpete, corazón (Planeta 2019). In October 2017, she was chosen as a finalist for the Premio Planeta award for her novel Niebla en Tánger.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Character creation
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What is a character?
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Where can a character come from?
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Character Creation 1
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Character Creation 2
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Objective and conflict
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U3
The character in the text
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Character introduction
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Dramatic Roles and Archetypes
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Characters in action
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U4
The character and structural elements of the novel
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The place and the object 1
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The place and the object 2
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The point of view
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Seriality: second lives of the characters or sequels
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FP
Final project
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Character Creation for Novels
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
You’ll learn how to craft original characters, analyze archetypes, develop internal conflicts, set your stories’ atmosphere, and understand the relationship between character, plot, and narrative space.
Yes, this course is designed for those with some writing background who want to deepen their skills in creating and developing literary characters.
It’s recommended to have basic narrative knowledge or some writing experience to get the most out of the course.
The course covers techniques like prosopography, etopeia, indirect characterization, use of archetypes, psychological development, symbolism in names, and creating complex backstories.
You’ll be guided on building strong characters and coherent narrative structures—key elements for submitting compelling manuscripts to publishers and contests.
Yes, the course explores iconic female characters, their evolution, symbolic importance, and impact on universal storytelling.
Examples include historical figures, fantasy characters, and those based on real events to showcase different creative and characterization approaches.
Nice course with a focus on some of the more interesting and unusual aspects of character development. Definitely worth it for ideas beyond the obvious.
Muito bem apresentado pela professora. Um conteúdo acessível.
Muy bueno el contenido, de la mano de una gran escritora.
Es bueno para el que este empezando en este mundo de la escritura, solo es hacer paso a paso lo que ella hace y practicar demasiado
Una ayuda importante al momento de estructurar los componentes que definen a un personaje redondo y tridimensional. Los consejos son directos, prácticos y útiles, así que siempre te llevas algo provechoso al momento de practicar.