Assembling Your Cast

1. Pick a novel or story you like and know well. Write a few sentences describing the protagonist at the start of the work. Then write about the character at the end of the story. Do you see any significant differences? How would you describe their emotional arc?

In the beginning of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger is described as more than a bit of a know-it all. She is good at heart, as shown when she helps Neville look for his toad, but is also thinks herself above most people, and behaves a little high-and-mighty and believes deeply in following the rules. She is, however, definitely a very brilliant girl.

Hermione has changed significantly by the end of the Harry Potter books. She is far more humble about her intelligence and makes a strong effort not to shove her own knowledge down other people’s throats, though she is quick to use it when the situation arises. She is more lax about breaking the rules in that she deeply questions society and decides what she thinks is right and wrong. Overall she matures a lot throughout the span of the books. She is still, however, considered the most brilliant witch of her generation.

2. Read today’s newspaper, looking specifically for characters you would like to write about. Write down everything you know about them, then fill out a mini-bio, filling in answers that you don’t know. 

 Kate Hammer

• One 17-month old son
• Educational Investigative Reporter for the Globe and Mail
• Married
• Lives in Toronto

MINI-BIO

Name - Kate Hammer

Age - 31

Birthplace - Toronto, Ontario

Marital Status - Married, 1 husband

Children and Ages - 1 17-month old son

General Appearance - Dark hair, up in a bun, pale complexion, high cheekbones; a striking profile. On the thin side, but very muscular.

Living Arrangements - Lives in a nice but small house in a good neighbourhood in Toronto with son and husband.

Occupation - Educational Reporter for the Globe and Mail.

Degree of Skill at Occupation - Highly competent and driven.

Feelings about Occupation - Very devoted to her chosen career.

Family Background - Grew up in Toronto as the only child of a single mother. Went to an inner-city school that was very diverse. Thoroughly enjoyed schoolwork, was teased for being a bit of a nerd. Had to work two minimum wage hubs to get to college.

Jonathan Carson

• Founder of KCC, sold it recently for $100 million 
• Inventor of the Skywell

MINI-BIO

Name - Jonathan Carson

Age - 42

Birthplace - Area which is now Silicon Valley

Marital Status - Married, wife.

Children and their Ages - 1 girl, 17, 1 boy, 20

General Appearance - Thinning blond-grey hair, slightly overweight, clean shaven, blue eyes, glasses.

Living Arrangements - Tasteful one-storey spanish-style house on quiet street with big garden.

Occupation - Past CEO of KCC, new inventor and promoter of Skywell.

Degree of Skill - Master of All.

Feelings about Occupation - Loved both jobs. Needs to keep busy to be happy.

Family Background - Grew up only child of a stay-at-home mom and a father who worked in a mid-level corporate position. Was of the upper-middle class, was lazy through school, but worked hard on his own projects. Learned to like to keep busy.

3. Fill out a mini-bio for a relative. When it’s complete, start changing answers.

MINI-BIO UNCHANGED

Name - David Woodiwiss

Age - 46

Birthplace - Oakville, Ontario

Marital Status - Married, Wife

Children and their Ages - 2 Girls, 13 and 16

General Appearance - Thin and wiry, short salt-and-pepper hair.

Living Arrangements - In a house in Southeast Oakville.

Occupation - Commercial Real Estate 

Degree of Skill at Occupation - Highly skilled and experienced

Feelings about Occupation - Mildly indifferent

Family Background - Father grew up on a farm where he had to eat squirrel pie. Mother is now elderly and needs help doing things like working the television.

MINI-BIO CHANGED 

Name -Dave

Age - 46

Birthplace - Who knows?

Marital Status - Married, wife

Children and their Ages - 2 girls, 13 and 16

General Appearance -Thin, short salt-and-pepper hair, tattoos of mythical creatures on his arms.

Living Arrangements - Lives in a apartment complex with family

Occupation - Commercial Exorcist

Degree of Skill at Occupation - Highly skilled and experienced

Feelings about Occupation - Likes it enough, but doesn’t like it when his work follows him home (literally…)

Family Background - No one knows. The only clue he has is his cravings for squirrel pie…

4.Pick a story you know well and list the major characters Look at each one in turn and think how different it would be if they were the star.

HARRY POTTER

Hermione - It would be a story about a smart girl whose friend has a lot of responsibility placed on his shoulders, and how she helps him and her other best friend conquer dark lords, stay out of trouble, and do their homework. Also a love story about falling in love with one of her best friends.

Ron - A story about his first friends and how he was overshadowed by both of them. How he gained self-confidence and managed to help them do the impossible. Also a love story about falling in love with one of his best friends.

Neville - A story of how he learned to stand up for himself, overcome his parent’s death, and eventually became the leader of a covert rebellion within his school against the forces of evil.

Luna - A story of how she managed to get people to accept her as she is and how she became friends with the leaders of a rebellion and heeled them stop the dark forces of Voldemort. Also, nargles.

Ginny - A story about how she did not let love consume her and learned to stand on her own feet before she finally “got the guy”. Also about her part in the rebellion.

George - The tragic story of how he grew up with his brother, pulling off all sorts of jokes, their family and family drama, and how he eventually lost his twin fighting in the battle of Hogwarts.

Mrs. Weasley - A story of a woman struggling to make ends meet for her too-big wizard family, and also how they became involved with the Order of the Phoenix and fought in the battle of Hogwarts, where she lost one of her sons.

Sirius - The story of how he was wrongly incarcerated in an inhumane prison for the murder of his best friend, how he broke out to kill the true murderer, and ended up reuniting with the son of the murdered friend and fighting the dark forces who had his friend murdered.

Remus - The story of a shunned werewolf and how he found love and acceptance within a secret order fighting Voldemort.

Dumbledore - The story of a wise old man who has seen two wars trying to help the youth of the new generation prevent the third.

Snape - The story of a bitter man whose love was rejected by his childhood best friend and how he has to protect her son and play a double agent to Voldemort for Dumbledore in order to fulfill an ancient prophecy.

Malfoy - The story of a confused boy whose friendship is rejected the first day of school, and his moral struggle between right and wrong as his parents push him to fight for Voldemort.

Bellatrix - The story of a crazed woman with a worship-like devotion to Voldemort and how she tries to help him and win his love after she is broken out of prison.

Lucius - The story of a cowardly man who realizes too late that he is on the losing side of the war - again.

Voldemort - The story of a tragic orphan who wishes only to bring a new world order to the wizarding world, and nothing, not even death, will stop him.

5. Make a list of characters you have begun to write about or would like to write about. Fill out a mini-bio for each. Look at each one and consider their stories.

Name - Dove

Age - Biologically 14, actually 96

Birthplace - New York City

Marital Status - Unmarried, single

Children and their Ages - None

General Appearance - Long white hair, clear opalescent eyes, worn out grey pea coat and combat boots, dirty white t-shirt and ripped jeans.

Living Arrangements - Lives in abandoned theatre in New York

Occupation - Street performer

Degree of Skill at Occupation - Musical prodigy

Character’s Feelings about Occupation - Likes to make music, but is in it for the money, so she can give it away.

Family Background - All deceased, only knew her father.

Name - Elaine Terramur

Age - 14

Birthplace - Terramur Manor

Marital Status - Single

Children and their Ages - None

General Appearance - Dark long hair, green eyes, pale skin

Living Arrangements - Lives with her parents in the manor, later on moves to living in the forest, streets, wherever is convenient.

Occupation - None, but throws knives well. Is sort of a mercenary, but a good mercenary.

Degree of Skill at Occupation - Good at throwing knives, smart when it comes to tactics.

Character’s Feelings about Occupation - She likes throwing knives, she likes tactics. But she doesn’t like war or politics.

Family Background - Lives with her parents, but gets along better with her grandmother. Was mainly raised by a governess.

Name - Molita Despre

Age - 28

Birthplace - Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Marital Status - Married to William Despre

Children and their Ages - One adopted son, James Williams, 4

General Appearance - Tall, strong, native Haitian, has cornrows that are pulled back into a bun, dresses very professionally the majority of the time.

Living Arrangements - Travelled around Europe with her husband before adopting her son, settled in Quebec City after his adoption.

Occupation - Cultural Anthropologist

Degree of Skill at Occupation - Has written several books, travels around giving speeches at various universities, is very well known and renowned.

Character’s Feelings about Occupation - Thoroughly enjoys what she does, works very hard.

Family Background - Grew up as part of a lower middle class family in Haiti, was taught to work hard, paying for her and her brother’s schooling  was priority. Her brother passed away of Hepatitis E when she was 7 and he was 10. Worked very hard to get as far as the local university could take her, then got a scholarship to Cambridge. There she gained respect in her field and met William, the only other Haitian there.