Main content
Storytelling
Unit 2: Lesson 2
Character- Introduction to character
- Warm up activity
- Internal vs. external features
- Activity 1: Internal & external features
- Wants vs. needs
- Activity 2: Wants vs. needs
- Obstacles
- Activity 3: Obstacles
- Character arc
- Activity 4: Character arc
- Stakes
- Activity 5: Stakes
- Advice on characters
- Glossary: Character
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Warm up activity
How would your character respond to a crisis?
Warm up: elevator test
This is an activity you can return to many times during the creation of a character.
Step 1: Pick a character from one of your favorite films. How would they respond to being trapped in an elevator? Draw or write a single page about what happens.
Step 2: Return to a character you are in the process of creating and do the same thing.
Disclaimer: One does not literally have to get locked in an elevator to do this exercise!
Want to join the conversation?
Ralph would probably WRECK the elevator(136 votes)
or Fix-It Felix, haha. "im gonna wrek it!" hits it with hammer and fixes it and traps him more(3 votes)
is anyone else having flash backs from the maze runner...
"the kids will have to be tested in enclosed environments to see how they react... "
am I the only one?(69 votes)- I was also thinking that! I love the series and that popped into my mind:)(7 votes)
Katniss Everdeen wold wistle in her own special way, like a mockingbird, and Peeta Mellark would come to rescue her. She would search every corner of the elevetor.s walls and would find an error in the system. Disconnect the interface and the real forrest would appear. There was no elevator. Katniss, be cautious!(36 votes)- Just stay called and don' t go crazy because soon or later someone is going to get you out so just stay calm.(16 votes)
If Tony Stark was stuck in an elevator, He would be very relaxed. He would be calm for the first hour with making some snotty remarks as he usually does. Now if he had his iron Man suit however will determine what happens next.
-With Iron Man Suit-
If the walls around him were too thick to be broken by the repulsors or missiles, he would most likely begin to tinker with his suit to make it better while he waits to distract himself. However eventually due to Tonys feelings, he would begin to grow tired of being there once he is finished and then after that would most likely begin to take apart his suit and the panels to the electronics on the elevator. He would use the parts from his suit to do his best to hack into the software of the elevator to make the elevator open the doors so he can leave
-Without the suit-
If Tony didn't have his suit he would probably sit there bored for a while. Maybe he would begin to start getting into his feelings more and begin to talk to himself about things like his father, Pepper, or anyone he cares about for that matter. Soon enough in doing this desperation or anxiety would kick in along with his PTSD. When this happens he would begin to try to open the panels of the elevator electronics to hack into it. Tony being the mad genius that he is would most likely get out by doing that unless the challenge ended before he could finish. However this process of hacking the elevator would take much longer due to him not having his suit or any tools.(23 votes)
he made the suit in a cave with bunch of scraps..........(7 votes)
what if they actually spend 3000 years in this elevator instead of a few hours then when the get out they are confused about what happen and trying to understand.(17 votes)- I would put Detective Pikachu in an elevator and he will probably try to use thunderbolt on the elevator to charge it and make it work again(12 votes)
Or like he usually does he'll just outright panic(4 votes)
Should we do this here? Umm... Here's a few of my own characters results
Midnight- Freak out pretty quickly, (he is claustrophobic after all,) and either melt through the walls of the elevator or just blow the thing up. (He doesn't do well under pressure, that pyromancer)
Dymond- Stay calm, probably wait for help, or melt the doors enough to get them open without actually destroying the elevator. Or perhaps push buttons and see what happens.
Gin'iro-Wait for help, or take apart the elevator from the inside to get out.
Tristan- Slice a hole through the top of the elevator to get out, and hope that the shaft is wide enough that he could fly instead of just climbing.
OK! That was easy. I don't watch many movies, so this small selection of my own characters will have to do. Next!
:3 I am weird.(11 votes)
heh heh. you should be fine. I'm the weird one. I stalk people who make me mad, I watch B. A. T. I. M., and play Granny. how are you weird?(2 votes)
- i put sans in the elevator and he was making elevator jokes(8 votes)
Telling puns on an elevator is wrong on so many levels.(6 votes)
- I'd pick General/ Princess Leia. Her reaction: Pulls out blaster and shoots the door, but the bolt just ricochets and she ducks so it doesn't hit her and shoots it out of the air, letting the sparks dissipate. She kicks the door, and when it doesn't give way, she'd fast-talk the robotic interface into letting her out of there. If that doesn't work, she'd think up five different strategies and hotwire the computer panel to force the doors open, then just in retaliation, as she's walking out, she'll blast the interface to shreds and continue walking with a straight face, like nothing happened.
What if a character just collapses in shock of seeing an elevator if they're from the past?(2 votes)
Or Chewbacca would just pull the doors apart to get out or he would growl, howl and bang the walls.(6 votes)
Angela the Herbalist from Eragon: (let's say the elevator is immune to magic, to make it more interesting)
Angela sat on the elevator floor, leaning on one of the walls. Might as well finish these lovely socks while I'm here, she thought. Just as she finished up the pair and finally decided on reorganizing her knapsack instead of her pockets, she heard some shuffling noises outside the elevator door.
Angela felt a wave of heat and looked up to see her trusted friend Solembum pad up to her in his cat form. She glanced at the door and said, "Eragon, Saphira," as she continued to dig through her knapsack.
Eragon seemed a bit breathless as he peered into the elevator, "Hello Angela," he said, sheathing Brisingr. After a moment he asked, "What are you doing?"
Without pausing or looking up again, Angela said, "Organizing my sack, it pays to be tidy you know."
Saphira the dragon stuck her head into the elevator to get a better view and then said, Of course it does, how can a dragon stay brilliant if they don't tidy up every now and then themselves?
"What brings you to this mystical place?" Angela asked, as she threw a rag from her sack over her shoulder.
Eragon chanced upon a band of Kull, Saphira said. She blew a puff of smoke at Eragon, who coughed a bit and waved the fumes away.
"I'm sorry!" Eragon said.
Oh, you and your curiosity, Saphira reprimanded, Why must I always watch you like a lioness watches her clumsy little cub?
"How was I supposed to know it was Kull and not that band of deer?" Eragon crossed his arms.
And now we're cornerd, Saphira said.
"And now we're cornered.." Eragon said dejectedly, "I am sorry."
I know little one, Saphira said gently.
"Well this has been interesting," Angela said as she swung her knapsack over one shoulder, "Perhaps we can escape now?"
Solembum gave a long, irritated yowl.
"Of course," Angela said, "This way, single file everyone!" She walked out of the elevator, side-stepping past Saphira, who heard her mutter, "Oh Eragon, what a pickle we're in indeed!" as she saw the charging band of Kull.(6 votes)
