speech on my favourite fictional character

Essay on “My Favourite Character in Fiction” for School, College Students, Long and Short English Essay, Speech for Class 10, Class 12, College and Competitive Exams.

My Favourite Character in Fiction

The character in fiction that attracts me is David Copperfield, created by Charles Dickens in his masterpiece David Copperfield. Like many fond parents Dickens says he has in his “heart of hearts a favourite child and his name is David Copperfield”.

David is born after his father’s death. His mother marries again. His step-father-Edward Murdstone does not show any kindness in his dealings with David. He sends the boy to Salem House. The Headmaster of the school is a bully and he makes David’s life there miserable. David leaves the school. His mother dies. Then Murdstone sends him as a labourer in the service of Murdstone and Grinby in London: His life there is extremely unhappy. He runs away from London and reaches the house of his father’s aunt Betsey Trotwood. She sends him for further education: to Canterbury. His life in this school is very happy: He marries Dora. She dies. David goes abroad. When he returns home, he has become famous as a writer. He marries Agnes as desired by his first wife and leads a very- married life.

It is the sincere narration of the autobiographical events that gives the novel realism and strength. The bitter experiences that smouldered the sensitive soul of young Dickens acquire a passionate intensity that remains unrivalled in the history of the English novel. David’s employment as a labourer in the service of Murdstone and Grinby reminds us of Dickens who was sent by his father at the age of eleven to a black ink factory to earn his living. Salem House, where David is sent by his step-father, resembles Wellington House Academy, where Dickens learned little. Mr. Micawber, like the novelist’s father John Dickens, is always in debt. David’s love for Dora is Dickens’s own love for Maria Beadnell. Betsey Trotwood, the fairy godmother hiding a soft heart beneath a harsh exterior resembles the novelist’s mother Elizabeth Dickens. Like David, Dickens becomes famous as a writer, works hard and makes his life prosperous. In fact, some critics think that certain details of the novelist’s own life that were not narrated by him to his biographer Forster find eloquent expression in the novel.

The robust optimism shown by David fascinates me. Misfortunes and suffering do not daunt him. He faces them calmly. His life gives me courage and self-confidence to face the battle of life. Winter is always followed by spring. This is what David’s life teaches me.

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My Favourite Character in Fiction-Building-English Essay, Paragraph, Speech for Class 9, 10, 11 and 12 Students.

My Favourite Character in Fiction

A fiction or a novel is an image of life, though in an unusual form. The characters in a fiction are indeed imaginary, yet they certainly represent the actual life we lead in society and in the world at large. This is the reason why there are certain characters in fiction which fascinate us so much.

My favorite character in fiction is David, hero of Dickens’ famous novel, David Copperfield. Dickens, as a novelist, shines primarily as painter of characters. His novels are, therefore, known as novels of character rather than that of plot. David Copperfield is Dickens’ masterpiece and there are autobiographical flashes in the novel, especially the hero. David is no one else but Dickens himself. His entire early life is depicted through the characteristics of David.

David is introduced to us as a poor child whose father had died before his birth. He is loved by the maid-servant Peggotty, who helps him to the very end. David’s mother, unable to support her child, gets herself remarried. David’s stepfather is a man of stern temper, who is always scolding and beating him over trifles. Then David is sent to a residential school in London, where he has a very hard time. Anyhow he has to put up with all the hardships. Then his mother dies after giving birth to a child. David has to leave his school. He goes to Peggotty and with her help manages to reach the house of his aunt-the unmarried sister of his father, who gives him shelter and gets him educated. David falls in love with the beautiful daughter of a solicitor, a friend of his aunt, whom he marries in the end. His career ripens into happiness and prosperity and when the novel concludes, we find him both as a successful youth as well as a successful lover. But here there is a departure from Dickens’ life; he was never a successful man.

The finest thing is David’s character, which attracts the reader, is his cheerful and pleasing nature. He is never gloomy or pessimistic even at the darkest and most terrible moment of his life; he does not miss his radiance of smile and youthful mirth. He faces all the misfortunes of his life calmly and dispassionately; he is never afraid of the odds and encounters which seem to block and seal his life. Again his love for Pegotty is deep and full of reverence; he loves her just like his mother. The romantic phase of his life is also appreciable. Finally, his character teaches us a good and a noble lesson.

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Writing a speech about a fictional character [closed]

I don't have a story or plot or anything, but I want to write a speech about an important fictional character. Unfortunately, I don't know how to do this. I don't really know how to come up with the content.

I think I might need to invent a character and some kind of story for this character, in order for me to write the speech. Does anyone have any idea of how I can do this?

• 3 Sorry, what is the function of this speech? Give a speech about any fictional character to an undisclosed group for what specific function? –  DWKraus Commented Sep 14, 2021 at 3:49
• Tue audience are also fictional characters. –  garbia Commented Sep 14, 2021 at 9:30
• 2 More context, please. You imagining giving a speech about Darth Vader to imaginary Storm Troopers is very different conceptually than you presenting a speech about Superman to a classroom filled with students pretending to be famous people vs. giving a speech about Mr. Bunny to a crowd of stuffed animals to entertain a child. –  DWKraus Commented Sep 14, 2021 at 11:15
• 1 What did you learn by reading the many many many examples in fiction and real life? Here's one for free: poetryfoundation.org/poems/56968/… –  wetcircuit Commented Sep 14, 2021 at 12:00
• So you're saying you know that you want to write this speech, but beyond that you have nothing. You have no idea who the subject of the speech is, or the setting or any of it, and your question is, "How do I invent a character I can write a speech about?" Is that right? Why do you think it would be any different than inventing any other character? –  DM_with_secrets Commented Sep 19, 2021 at 11:52

There is a perfect pair of exercises in the Progymnasmata syllabus I use in my own practice as a teacher that would help you shape and craft this piece of writing.

The exercises focus on either giving a speech of praise (the Encomium task) or a speech of blame (the Invective task).

The exercises both follow the same structure and generally have eight sections which go from the general to the specific and relate the character's achievements to the listeners' lives in general.

The sections are:

• What’s great about them being born a human being?
• What kind of background did they have?
• What natural gifts did they have?
• What name might they be worthy of?
• What qualities did they have that drove them to excellence?
• What did they DO?
• How did people react? What did people make of all this?
• What can we learn from them? How can they influence us?

The originals are period-specific, so references to omens and auguries would not have as much relevance today as they would have in Classical times, but it's easy to adapt - and you appreciate much more about the way in which Classical civilisation was more connected with the natural world in which it existed than post-Industrial society arguably is by doing so.

In my own practice, I encourage students to explore the difference in effect when the speech is given in the form of a direct address in the second person to the character, or in the form of a speech delivered to an audience about the character, referring to the character in the third person - an interesting exercise, particularly when an Invective speech written in the third person is flipped and given in the first person to the writer.

Work with the exercises creatively, and you'll find these are powerful exercises and teach far more about what it means to be a fully engaged member of society than many modern writing exercises or prompts.

Further information on the Progymnasmata syllabus generally and these exercises specifically can be found in:

Kennedy, G. A. (2003). Progymnasmata: Greek textbooks of prose composition and rhetoric . Atlanta, GA: Society of Biblical Literature.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged fiction characters or ask your own question .

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Who are some of your favorite fictional characters and why? (With S.D. Grimm!)

by Jill Williamson | Jul 18, 2018 | Summer Panels | 1 comment

We’re back with  S.D. Grimm. Before we get to today’s question, I want to tell you about about her Children of the Blood Moon series. Scarlet Moon is the first book in that series. I own this book (it’s gorgerous!), and it’s been hovering right near the top of my TRB pile for a while now. Life keeps interrupting all my reading plans, but I’m really looking forward to reading this one. Here is a description.

Evil is slipping through the cracks of its prison, and all Soleden trembles in its wake. Yet some would harness that evil to their own ends, and first among them is Idla, the sorceress queen bent on distorting the world.  Only one can stand in her way: Jayden. Upon realizing her mark as the prophesied Deliverer, Jayden conceals herself from her enemies and her Feravolk countrymen. But after the harm the Feravolk caused to her family, she s loath to rescue the not-so-innocent.  Hiding her mark was never easy, but now that Jayden knows both Queen Idla and the Feravolk are after her, hiding her gift of the Blood Moon will be impossible. Doesn’t that sound amazing? I really need to finish my book club book so I can read this one! Okay, so let’s get to today’s question:

Who are some of your favorite fictional characters and why?

Stephanie:   Wow, I am impressed that Sarah was able to pull a theme out of her character choices! Hermione Granger is a big one for me. Veronica Mars. Lizzy Bennett from Pride and Prejudice , of course.  Neville Longbottom has a wonderfully fascinating character arc over the entire Harry Potter series. I really liked Sean in Maggie Stiefvater’s The Scorpio Races . Martyr from Jill’s Replication has a delightful voice and fascinating backstory. There are also some characters who I find very interesting, even though they are not a “favorite character” in the traditional sense. The Joker from The Dark Knight comes to mind. I like what the writers did with him, and how Heath Ledger portrayed him.

Who are some of your favorite fictional characters?

My favourite fictional characters: Leisendor Winchester from the Dreams Of Warriors by me

Captain America

and many others the reason why I love em is that they are always willing to sacrifice themselves for their country.

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What Your Favorite Fictional Characters Say About You, According To Science

Everyone has their own favorite fictional character. Whether they are an unassuming hero or a psychopathic antagonist, each character has their own individual personalities that are attractive to certain people. It is the innate differences between the psychological profiles of these characters that allow psychologists to correlate them with the personality traits of fans.

This type of research is not new. The field of psychology has already shown that particular people are much more likely to enjoy certain movies , or how the way they behave can be attributed to their personality traits . Research psychologists can make some staggering observations about you, just from studying the types of things you enjoy.

Your favorite fictional character is no different. A study carried out at Marshall University was able to correlate personality traits and characteristics with famous fictional figures. The data then allowed them to identify what type of people like some characters and dislike others. Are you an open, imaginative darling, or do your psychological tendencies point to something darker?

Machiavellian Egotists Prefer Jar Jar Binks

• Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
• 20th Century Fox

Perhaps the most bizarre finding from the study was the psychological profile of those who were big fans of Jar Jar Binks from the  Star Wars prequels. According to the researchers, those who liked the much maligned character showed a strong correlation with being both narcissistic and Machiavellian. This means that they are likely to be egotistical, manipulative, and exploitative of others. Perhaps this explains the crazy fan theory that Jar Jar is actually a secret Sith Lord .

Walter White Attracts Those Who Are Sympathetic And Prideful

• Breaking Bad

Even as Walter White progressed to become a more evil character throughout the run of Breaking Bad , fans continued to stick with him. This is because the shows creators used psychological research to ensure certain types of people would be attracted to him, and therefore likely to root for him right until the end.

People who count Walter White as one of their favorite television personalities are usually agreeable, but slightly narcissistic. This is essential, as they sympathize with all the obstacles that have been put in his way, or the horrible things that have happened to him. These same people also show pride in the way he takes control, and tries to provide for his family.

Harry Potter Fans Are Empathetic Towards Marginalized Groups

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Studies have shown fans of the characters from the Harry Potter series tended to be open and accepting. Throughout Rowling's source material, readers are introduced to many marginalized and ostracized groups that are treated poorly compared to the traditionally noble wizarding classes.

Fans of the series were able to empathize with these groups , and could rationally identify the terrible treatment they receive throughout the books. This clearly translated into the real world as well, because these fans of the books saw improved empathy towards, "'out-groups,' those the reader doesn't identify with."

People Who Are Open Adore Lando Calrissian

• Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

Although Lando Calrissian was more of a supporting character throughout the Star Wars franchise, he has managed to accumulate a strong following and has plenty of fans. It was a common theme in the study from Marshall University that people who scored high in openness liked characters with an uncertain morality, something that definitely describes the former smuggler.

The natural curiosity and imagination of those who have the open personality trait leaves them wanting to experience new things or be creative, which people could easily associate with Lando, given his eccentric and lavish lifestyle.

Those With The "Dark Triad Traits" Associate With Superman

• Superman Returns

It might seem odd those who score highly for narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy - three of the worst personality traits - are fans of Superman. After all, out of all of the superheroes, he he's supposed to represent truth, justice, and honor. Looking at these traits more carefully, however, reveals exactly why they might rate Superman highly among their favorite fictional characters.

Those with these dark triad traits are more likely to be prideful, willing to exploit others, and act in a selfish manner. With his near god-like powers and the love of everyone on Earth, Superman is exactly the type of c haracter  they want to be, so they wouldn’t have to worry about what other people could do to them.

Extroverts Love Spider-Man

• Marvel Comics

Spider-Man has two distinctive personalities. In his non-superhero persona, Peter Parker is a shy and introverted teenager, while as Spider-Man, he is an energetic and enthusiastic fighter (and joke machine).

It's no wonder then, that extroverts, people who are active and like being around other people, relate to the funny superhero. There are only a few fictional characters as talkative or eager as Spider-Man, who has been berated by his fellow superheroes for chatting too much during fights.

Friday, August 5, 2016

Five reasons thor is my favorite avenger.

Who is your favorite Avenger?

2 comments:.

Thor was actually the first Avengers movie I ever saw, so he always has a special place in my heart for that reason. <3 And while Cap is actually my favorite, I think you nailed all the reasons why Thor is my second-favorite! I love his sense of justice and wonder, his growth into manhood and responsibility, his kindness, his humor. His chest. You know. Whatever. Go Thor.

Definitely go Thor! (I feel like that needs to be hashtag now.) ;) He's kind of an underrated hero, sadly... There are so many layers to the character and it's fun seeing how they show through in the stories. It's interesting, too, how he and Cap are actually very similar!

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My favourite fictional character: Hermione Granger

Apr 9, 2021

"It's leviOsa , not levioSA !" - Hermione Granger (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone)

"Books! And cleverness! There are more important things! — Friendship! And Bravery!" - Hermione Granger (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone)

"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself." - Hermione Granger (Harry Potter and the Chamber or Secrets)

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Top 14 Tips and Tools for Creating Unique Character Voices

Creating unique character voices is one of the great challenges of writing fiction. We’re not simply talking about writing good dialogue here (although that plays a major role). We’re also not talking just about developing strong and interesting characters (although that’s a critical foundation). What we’re talking about is taking both your characters and your dialogue that extra mile to make their voices so distinctive and memorable audiences will recognize who is speaking even without dialogue tags or other references.

Last month, I put out a call, asking you all to tell me what topics you’d most like me to post about . (Thank you for all the enthusiastic responses and the inspiration!) Today, I’m writing the first post in response to your requests, this one from AngieElle, who noted:

I would love a post about distinctive character voices.

This is a topic dear to my heart, since creating unique character voices is one of my favorite parts of writing fiction. Sometimes discovering a character’s voice on the page is the only key you need in order for a story to just take off and start writing itself. Other times, finding a character’s voice can be trickier—and until you find it, nothing about the story seems to work.

Today, let’s take a look at the topic of unique character voices from a few different angles and finish up with five tools you can use in your own writing to help you find your characters’ voices.

9 Considerations When Designing Your Character Voices

Creating Character Arcs (Amazon affiliate link)

Vibrant character voices arise out of vibrant  characters . If the voice isn’t working, then the problem may be the foundational issue of the characters themselves. It’s hard to write zippy dialogue for pancake characters. Therefore, gaining a better understanding of your characters is one of the best places to start in creating their voices. The fortunate flipside of this is that if you can come up with an engaging voice for a pancake character, you’re automatically more than halfway to fixing all of that character’s problems.

As you begin contemplating (or troubleshooting) your character voices, keep the following nine aspects in mind. All will influence how the characters speak—and what they speak about.

1. Personality

Often, when we think of voice, the first connotation is that of personality in its most general sense. You can approach personality in many ways, including via personality theory systems such as MBTI and the Enneagram (which we discussed earlier this month).

For starters, however, simply consider your characters’ most defining traits.

• Are they extroverted or introverted?
• Quiet or boisterous?
• Idealistic or cynical?
• Kind or cruel?

One question I always ask when interviewing my characters during their initial development is, “What is the first thing people notice about this character?” Voice will both influence and be influenced by the answer.

Next, you can consider what, in Enneagram terms, is called your character’s “stance.” This has to do with your character’s preferred directional attitude when dealing with the world. This will influence not just what your character says, but when she chooses to speak, and whom she is most likely to engage with.

Is your character:

1. Aggressive (with a  forward emphasis, focusing on the future and moving toward conflict)?

2. Withdrawn (with a  backward emphasis, focusing on the past and stepping back from conflict)?

3. Dependent (with a  lateral emphasis, focusing on the present and reaching out to others for support in conflict)?

(For those interested in the Enneagram connection, the aggressive types are Three, Seven, and Eight; the withdrawn types are Four, Five, and Nine; and the dependent types are One, Two, and Six.)

3. Harmonic Style

The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson (affiliate link)

Another useful Enneagram categorization is that of a character’s harmonic style . In their book  The Wisdom of the Enneagram , Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson explain:

The Harmonic Groups tell us how we cope with conflict and difficulty: how we respond when we do not get what we want. … They reveal the fundamental way that our personality defends against loss and disappointment.

This is specifically useful to know in weighing what your characters most value in themselves and how they will try to communicate this through their dialogue.

Does your character respond most often with:

1.   Competence (looking for logical and practical solutions and answers)?

2. Reactivity (pushing back proactively in the moment to make space before stopping to consider other options)?

3.  Positivism (choosing to look at the bright side and putting a positive spin on things whenever possible)?

(For those interested in the Enneagram connection, the competent types are One, Three, and Five; the reactive types are Four, Six, and Eight; and the positive types are Two, Seven, and Nine.)

>>Click here to read “ 5 Ways to Use the Enneagram to Write Better Characters “

4. Defensive Reflex

Dialogue in a story can be viewed as a sort of contest between characters, especially since much of it will be conflict driven . One character goes on the offense; the other defends; and back and forth they go. In designing character voices, it is particularly valuable to consider each character’s default defensive reflex. These reflexes will be interrelated with a character’s stance and harmonic group (above) but can also be more specific.

Does your character:

• Blush and go silent?
• Get mad and push back?
• Respond calmly while boiling on the inside?
• Flare up at first, then calm down and apologize?
• Give the benefit of the doubt and hold space?
• Judge immediately and feel offended?

Other factors in creating your characters’ voices are more practical. How old is this character? A five-year-old will obviously have an entirely different vocabulary, cadence, and conversational style than will a high schooler or a retiree.

6. Education

By the same token, consider the character’s level of education. A professor or scientist will speak very differently from someone who dropped out of high school. Depending on the character’s self-consciousness around his level of education (whether very high or very low), this may also influence how he tries to speak.

For example, someone with several doctorate degrees might be arrogant in showing off his vocabulary or self-deprecating in trying not to rub his intelligence in others’ faces. Alternatively, someone with little education may try to cover it up by speaking more properly than her background suggests—to various effects.

Where is your character from and what is his ethnic and geographic background? A character who was born in India but lives in New York City will present interesting layers within his communication style. A character’s regional history may also suggest to you interesting word choices. The slang in South Boston is not the same as in London, which is not the same as that in the dales of Scotland or the ranch country of Texas.

Regional considerations will not always include dialect, but when a dialect is appropriate , you will be presented with both new challenges and new opportunities for your characters’ voices. On the one hand, you will need to portray the dialect accurately, both in respect to those who actually speak it and because readers will spot and reject inauthenticity. On the other hand, a colorful dialect done well can instantly elevate a character and her voice to a whole new level of interest and memorability.

9. Profession

Finally, consider your character’s job . Every profession, no matter how humble, offers its own unique way of speaking. Particular slang as well as specialized industry terms may creep into your character’s voice or even entirely permeate it, depending on his level of occupational immersion.

5 Solid Tools to Create Unique Character Voices

Once you have examined your characters from every angle and considered what about them offers opportunities to distinguish their voices from one another’s, you can level up by employing several useful tools. To be effective, all of these tools must be used deftly. To choose one particular tool and to use it in every dialogue exchange may well push the effect from “original and memorable” to “cartoonish and self-indulgent .”

All of these tools are meant to be used to achieve verisimilitude . They’re here to help you create characters who are larger-than-life but who sound real. The moment a character’s dialogue begins to sound repetitive or rehearsed, you’d do better to dial back on the originality and let them talk just like everybody else for a bit.

I’m going to use the characters in  Stranger Things for examples, since I feel the show does a particularly good job creating unique character voices for every member of its cast.

1. Dialogue Tics

The easiest way to bring individuality to a character’s speech is to create a dialogue tic that is used only for that character . This could be almost anything.

• It could be a favored word (or a word the character refuses to use).
• It could be a character’s favored  volume for speaking.

The character voice of Hopper, in Stranger Things , is defined by the fact that he can’t help but holler in almost every encounter, even when he’s trying to dial it down. ( Stranger Things (2016-), Netflix.)

• It could be how many words a character chooses to use or not use.

Your character could be a blabber who can’t stop talking or monosyllabic like Eleven in early episodes of Stranger Things . ( Stranger Things (2016-), Netflix.)

2. Personalized Slang/Swears

Wayfarer (Amazon affiliate link)

A easy way to slip a little originality into each character’s voice is to exclusively assign a specific bit of slang or a favorite swear word or euphemism to each character. Not only will this mark each character in your audience’s minds, but it can also be an opportunity for characterization.

As a personal example, in my Regency-era gaslamp fantasy  Wayfarer , I kept a list of which words each character used. My country-boy protagonist Will would constrain his outbursts to terms such as “ruddy” and “hang it,” while my eight-year-old Cockney pickpocket would let loose with all the historical slang available to her.

In  Stranger Things , it’s interesting to note how the writers utilized swear words to influence character voices—purposefully giving more profanity to the child characters than the adults and more of them to Dustin’s bodacious character than to anyone else. ( Stranger Things (2016-), Netflix.)

3. Metaphor Families

Secrets of Story by Matt Bird (affiliate link)

When discussing dialogue in his book  Secrets of Story , Matt Bird recommends what he calls “metaphor families.”

The aspect of your characters’ lives that determines which metaphors, curses, and exclamations they use. The source of this is usually their job, their home region, or their psychological state. More rarely, it’s their career ambition or a hidden proclivity.

Even if all your characters come from the same place, family, or job, you can still craft each character’s dialogue around unique analogies that offer glimpses of the character’s perspective as well as bringing overall color to the dialogue.

A defining aspect of  Stranger Things is its use of Dungeons & Dragons terminology as a metaphor for the mysterious happenings in Hawkins, Indiana. Although other characters pick up on some of this terminology as the story progresses, it is mostly confined to the character voices of the four boys who play the game. Even amongst the boys, some of the characters, such as Dustin, tend to have a deeper understanding of the D&D lore and therefore use the language more fluently. ( Stranger Things (2016-), Netflix.)

4. Catchphrases

A catchphrase is a word or phrase repeated by a character throughout the story. This could be a simple exclamation, such as “Zounds!”, or it could be a more meaningful statement that grows in importance the more it is uttered (such as Captain America’s “I could do this all day”).

Catchphrases can be a double-edged sword. On the one side, they can help make a character’s voice memorable. On the other, they can quickly feel overdone. Used cautiously, however, they can lend definition to a character’s voice in a story.

In  Stranger Things , Eleven’s limited vocabulary in the story’s beginning lends itself well to her repeating certain phrases—such as “Friends don’t lie”—which take on meanings unique to her character and context as the story expands. ( Stranger Things (2016-), Netflix.)

5. Rhythms and Phrasings

Although the above tools and considerations are valuable in crafting character voices that pop off the page, they’re ultimately all window dressing. The truth of a character’s voice is found not just in the choice of individual words, but in the construction of the dialogue’s rhythm and phrasings.

• Ramble in run-on sentences (like Anne of Green Gables)?
• Speak in clipped, staccato fragments?
• End statements decisively, challengingly, or open-endedly?

More than any other tool in your toolbox, this is the one that will allow you to create truly unique and vibrant character voices. Try to make the way every character speaks slightly from every other character. One character may be posh and refined, using perfect grammar. Another may be nearly incomprehensible with dropped consonants and obscure slang. Everything about the character—from background to emotionality—will determine how the voice comes across on the page.

Stranger Things employs different cadences and styles for all of its character voices, as evidenced by the differences in the four boys. Dustin tends to ramble with enthused intelligence, Mike goes off on emotional rants, and Will holds back, while Lucas, as the voice of reason (and sometimes cynicism), always speaks forcefully, is always hyper-practical, and always gets to the point. ( Stranger Things (2016-), Netflix.)

Apart from more general concerns of crafting the shape of your story through plot, arguably nothing affects your audience’s perception of your story more than voice. This applies, of course, to the narrative voice—but the narrative voice will, in turn, be impacted by the POV characters’ dialogue voices as well. The more distinctive, appropriate, and authentic each character’s voice is, the more these descriptors will apply to your story as a whole.

Wordplayers, tell me your opinions! How would you describe the character voices in your work-in-progress? Tell me in the comments!

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K.M. Weiland is the award-winning and internationally-published author of the acclaimed writing guides Outlining Your Novel , Structuring Your Novel , and Creating Character Arcs . A native of western Nebraska, she writes historical and fantasy novels and mentors authors on her award-winning website Helping Writers Become Authors.

I try to give my characters clear voices. For example, in my Wolves of Vimar series, Randa is an aristocratic young lady who speaks correctly. Thadora is a young girl from the poor part of the city and speaks with dropped aiches and incorrect grammar, and swears a lot. Then she is adopted into the upper class and has trouble learning to speak ‘properly’. Davrael is a foreigner. He’s very quiet. And has an accent when he speaks. Fero is also a foreigner. He’s been Inthe land of Grosmer for a long time and speaks well, but with few contractions. Basalt, a dwarf, says ‘Hmph’ a lot. Asphodel is sensible and a peacemaker. She’s quietly spoken. Carthinal, the leader of the group, has a fiery temper, but quickly calms. I hope IVe managed to have this come over in dialogue.

Nice. Sounds like you’ve got firm handle on all your characters’ voices!

This was a very insightful post. However, when I read about catchphrases, my mind kept going to Shaggy from “Scooby Doo” when he always says “Zoinks!” It’s my weird mind.

Hah! Well, it is memorable. 😉

Another excellent article — and good dialog discussion is so rare that, “The first rule about how people talk, we do not talk about how people talk.” The Stranger Things references especially work to bring more of them to life.

One of my favorite simple methods is, who says how much? Which character can you expect to give simple statements and be done, or pass up a chance to speak at all, and who runs their mouth more?

And who *starts* a conversation, and who lets others go first or doesn’t speak at all until a certain point comes up — a subject that matters to them, an emotional breaking point, or just hating to see the others arguing?

Does someone stop talking when they reach a basic agreement, or sooner if people pressure him or when his friend can take over? Does he need to keep going until he’s gotten things off his chest, or does he have a real need to convince people to see things his way? If he does, is he someone that usually succeeds — or how does he take it if he can’t?

It’s one of the biggest ways to define someone’s voice: weigh it against the other voices there.

Good points. I’ve always loved strong and silent characters, but perhaps ironically the ones who say the fewest words are sometimes the hardest ones to write dialogue for. So much depends on the subtext.

I’m sorry, but I strongly disagree with the idea of using profanity in fiction. As a Christian, May I ask why are you encouraging it? On the practical side, more profanity is only going to get you negative comments and a smaller audience. Nobody’s going to applaud you for swearing in your story, but they will condemn you for it. So why? Just why? It’s wrong anyway and a sign of weak verbal skills in both the character and the author. KM, I admire you, but please can you not talk about profanity like it’s a good thing? Great post otherwise.

The question is how true you want the story and characters to be. If a character is five years old and using profanity, that’s a clue to the type of parent they have: one who has no care for what they say around a child. If you’re writing a story about such a child with such a parent, the profanity is “true” to the character. Even if you don’t write out the profanity, you still mention the child is saying it.

Obviously, if you’re going with the no profanity whatsoever rule you’re probably not writing about adolescents, gangs, cops, soldiers in the heat of battle, or people dropping sledge hammers on their feet. And that’s fine. But if you *are* writing about those people it makes no sense to not reflect — however judiciously — the way they truly speak.

I was the kid who didn’t swear when all the other kids began to in the sixth grade, and my classmates wanted to know why. I was out of step with the norm. If I’m reading about a group of modern sixth graders, it wouldn’t be plausible to me if none of them use profanity when they’re trying to be edgy, or they’re angry. Adolescents test boundaries, including using “forbidden, grown-up” words. Again, the author might simply write, “Jack swore, Jack cussed,” and so on.

This applies even for the educated. I mention the Inklings in my post below. They were all scholarly men, Oxford dons and students. Tolkien and another Inkling, Hugo Dyson, famously converted C.S. Lewis to Christianity while hanging out one night. And yet there’s the legendary anecdote about Dyson getting salty when Tolkien was reading from The Lord of the Rings as he was still writing it: “Not another effing elf!”

If the absence of profanity rings true, I agree you should skip it. Poirot wouldn’t drop f-bombs. If the absence of profanity rings false, a writer must figure out a way to handle it. Even if they resort to the Battlestar Galactica Reboot maneuver and make up a swear word. Because people getting shot at tend to cuss.

Although I have never used what would be considered profanity in my own writings, I have zero problem with cursing. Words only have the power we give them, and I don’t see anything innately evil in the arbitrary distinctions of “acceptable” and “unacceptable” that are given certain words by certain societies.

As Jamie noted, understanding both your characters and your audience is key. If you’re writing to a primarily Christian market, then cursing won’t be accepted. Understanding this is important for marketing the book.

That said, writers can certainly become dependent on swears, just as we do in our own speaking, to the point of laziness. Like any word we use, it should be chosen because it will have the most pertinent effect the author is trying to create. Often, if you take a swear out of a sentence, you’ll find you didn’t really it need it. In other instances, a little extra creativity or characterization will take care of the problem. As discussed in the post, creating a unique “metaphor family” for each character gives you some leeway and guidance for determining each character’s “emphatic language.”

Studying the dialogue in films from the Golden Age of Hollywood, during which time the Hays Code censored all profanity, can be a great exercise in understanding how to strengthen dialogue in general. You’ll find that the restrictions rarely, if ever, dampened the quality of either the characters or the dialogue. However, there are always those obvious moments where it’s clear the author has weakened the dialogue by going out of their way to avoid a swear word.

Ultimately, this is a personal choice for every author.

This is a struggle in my writing. I try to keep it clean enough I wouldn’t be embarrassed to have my pastor read my work while finding a voice that is natural to my characters. Much of classic lit didn’t need excessive (if any) cursing to tell a story. Even Christians are going to let a word slip when under duress, however, and to write a novel where no one ever says a bad word is artificial and not relatable. This has been my main issue with much of Christian lit – cardboard characters and indistinguishable voices that are simply unrealistic.

Yeah, Rebecca, it’s not really fiction, it’s a sermon in book form, an indoctrination in dogma instead of living, breathing people. I had to stop reading….

Thank you for some powerful tips for how to teach my characters to talk. I needed that.

I see everyone has their own opinions on this, but I agree with Miriam. Writers don’t need to use swear words to make their characters more realistic, because not everybody swears (even if they’re in pain). I never have. It all depends on the kind of sins we personally struggle with.

A book where nobody swears or uses nice substitutes can still be written wonderfully without seeming fake. In fact, Steven James has said that using swear words makes a character seem uncontrolled, which can cause readers to lose respect for them. It’s not about what our pastors or mothers or anybody thinks when they read our work- it’s about what Jesus thinks. Does He want the pen He guides to write what we just did? We write only for Him.

Thanks Katie. Good post. Gives me a lot to mull over.

Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂

I’ve been thinking about this issue as I’ve been doing some edits.

The low-hanging fruit is when characters are of different classes, generations, and regional origins. Urbane gentry vs. rough-and-ready hillbilly vs. foreigner who peppers their speech with foreign terms are fairly easy to distinguish.

But the true test is what happens if *all* the characters have a similar makeup. If you have a group of like-minded people from similar backgrounds such as the Inklings or the kids in Stranger Things, that’s where it gets tricky. Giving each of those characters individual voices in that situation is the “tell” for how well a writer understands those characters. That’s where their temperaments must come into play, so this post is timely and thought-provoking.

Would gestures be included in this toolbox? Some characters speak volumes simply by raising an eyebrow.

“I will have your silence,” one character may demand, but another requests, “Please be quiet,” and another snaps, “STFU.” Those are the usual variations where voice is concerned. But another type of character might omit words and level a withering stare, and another might jauntily flip the bird.

The silent ones are not talking but they are communicating, so I tentatively put their actions under the heading of “voice.” Just not sure if their actions count for that purpose.

I have often thought that one of the disadvantages of written fiction versus visual fiction is that we aren’t able to convey a character’s expressions in the same way. For me, some of the most expressive characters are those, like Jason Bourne, who say almost nothing, but who convey so much through the actor’s facial expressions. We can do this in written fiction as well, but it is much harder, since we will often have to resort to some sort of “telling” to get across the exact intent of the expression.

Great article. Provocative, substantial, useful. Thanks for sharing it.

Glad it was useful, Charles!

Now I know you MUST BE PSYCHIC! I started desperately searching for blog posts/podcasts/videos on voice in fiction at 10:30 am. At 11am, I got an email about YOUR AMAZINGLY HELPFUL blog/podcast that exactly matched what I was looking for….Such insightful examples!

I’m also interested in the way authors convey voice as they structure sentences and paragraphs, minimal vs maximal, etc. Thanks so much for this perfect answer to my plaintive call for help! – E R

Yay for good timing! 🙂 I don’t know that I have any articles on minimalist/maximalist style, but you can find more posts about voice here: https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/?s=voice

‘Voice’ is different things to different people and cultures. As an older person, I have witnessed generational changes, new words appear almost weekly. Words that once explained a character, have taken on new meanings. Example: ‘wicked’ now means good among the new generation (here in the UK). Obviously, what you have written makes sense, as a writer, you have recognise the time and place.

Very true. For instance, voice can become very complex when you’re writing in a historical period.

In my last WIP, I loved creating the characters’ voices. My MC was deceptive and stuck-up, so he was always trying to sound smart, with long sentences and big words. He also had a catchphrase – “He actually has a point” – that was part of him learning to recognize when his friends had good things to say. His sidekick was more challenging as the strong and silent but perceptive type. I tried to limit his sentences to five words, but what I found is that when I had to break the rule, sentence structure made much more of a difference than sentence length. I could give the sidekick an eight-word sentence including a dependent clause, and he sounded like the MC. Or I could give him a straightforward ten-word sentence, and he sounded like himself. The short-sentence rule also really forced me to put a lot of content in his sentences, which I thought both emphasized his perceptiveness and contrasted him with the MC: he got straight to the point while the sneaky MC danced around the truth.

This is a great point on how word choice affects pacing–and vice versa.

Thanks for this timely reminder. I have one character that I was fleshing out. I had given him a wound and a personality but not much else in the way of a distinctive voice. A few unique phrases and dialogue tics should do the trick.

Yep, takes everything to a new level. 🙂

Character voice is such a fun topic. In one of your posts on humor (sorry, I don’t remember which one) you mentioned different humor styles for different characters. I have a character who is cold and closed off, but has a very snarky sense of humor that sets her apart.

Yes, great point. There are so many different styles of humor, and assigning a different style to each character can be an excellent trick for accentuating individual voices.

Katie, Though you never tooted your own horn here, Your “Outlining Your Novel Workbook” software is a fabulous tool to use for creating characters with distinct personalities and unique character voices. It also includes concentrations on such glaring personality traits as typical expressions and idiosyncrasies. One whole section of it is focused specifically on personality. What I like about it is that one can easily switch from character to character and contrast and compare their similarities and differences. This post was extremely well timed for me. I am just about ready to populate my WIP with the characters I have created for it. Now, thanks to your excellent insights, it will be easier to give each character a unique character voice. Thanks for making the task that much more achievable!!

Great to hear the software has been useful for you, Edward! 🙂

Another great and informative post. Thanks.

Thanks for reading, Thomas! 🙂

Thank you Katie for all of your tips and information on writing. Thanks to your insights on Enneagrams and MBTI types I am currently mining a lot of potential characters by connecting the two. You may even find them useful in future posts as well. Here are the links: **Myers Briggs MBTI and Enneagrams- Correlations and Comparisons https://personalityhunt.com/myers-briggs-mbti-and-enneagrams-correlations-and-comparisons/

**27 Enneagram TriTypes – Tritype® | System (not to be confused with the 27 Enneagram instinctual subtypes) https://www.katherinefauvre.com/tritype/

That’s great! Thanks for sharing. I will definitely look at these.

I have two characters who use a slight form of dialect, both use ‘I as’ instead of I have and the main character is trying to social climb in a way because she has started her own business and thinks it is necessary to change her accent. I have written a short story whereby I played around with strong dialect and although it sounds authentic it is very difficult to read – it has to go. I bought The Wisom of the Ennergarm book by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson – it is well written and easy to follow – though there is a hell of a lot to take in. Incidentally you don’t get Dales in Scotland you get Glens – Dales are mostly reserved for Yorkshire – never mind it was quite amusing to read Scottish dales 🙂 One last point I cannot thank you enough for your posts, technical know-how and kindness in making this available for free. Your generosity astounds me.

‘Wisdom of the Ennergram’ oops typo – and sorry for the rambling sentences!

Very glad you’re enjoying all the posts! For what it’s worth, I actually did google “dales” before using it in relation to Scotland. According to Wikipedia, the word is “used most frequently in the Lowlands of Scotland and in the North of England.” So I figured I was safe! :p

‘Wisdom of the Enneargram’ This is why I have to edit a million times 🙁

Very interesting post and lots of useful insights. A character’s voice and dialogue is certainly one that really makes them stand out, and one of my favorite parts of reading good writing! A technique I’ve heard used by Hemingway was to swap the characters in a head-to-head dialogue, so that ‘Person A’ suddenly became B and vice-versa. Not sure if anyone here has ever tried that approach? I was reflecting on that recently and curious as to what other approaches writers use on fleshing out dialogue and developing characters (would love feedback here on my site https://whytowrite.co.uk/?p=62 🙂

Hemingway didn’t always use attributions in back-and-forth dialogue. It could get confusing fast!

Oh My God! Did I need this. Lots of characters and having them be unique – the aliens as well as the Humans – is work. It felt OK to have people in similar positions have a similar voice-vibe because they think about the world the same way, even the alien Admiral (in translation) and the Human one made a point that I thought helped the theme. But still…. different vocab, cadence, slang for different people based on family, planet, etc. Different cadence for the protag (military, leap into action type) vs. her sister who leans toward compassion. I could go on and on, LOL.

This article is golden! I have two final novels in the series that I can make better with these ideas.

This just one of many reasons why writing is such a complex art form. But voices are a ton of fun!

Very thought provoking and helpful Katie, thanks. One thing I’m using is one character having a special nickname for another character that nobody else uses. Nicknames or variations of names were used effectively by John Green in The Fault in Our Stars where the protagonist Hazel was called Hazel Grace by the other main character Augustus who in turn liked to be known as Augustus when he adopted a confident persona but was Gus to his family and when he was vulnerable eg when he was ill.

I love nicknames. They can be overdone sometimes, but when done well, I agree, they are great characterization tools.

Re a specific catchphrase in the post: It’s important to know whether a character pronounces “Zounds” to rhyme with “rounds” or “wounds.” The word is a shortened form of “God’s wounds,” the wounds Jesus suffered in the last hours of his earthly life. Some Christians hold those wounds to be particularly important for salvation, so they might be offended or put off by the wrong rhyme (assuming, of course, that they know this particular subtlety of pronunciation). My twisty little mind imagines now a snippet in which a self-righteous character for pronouncing “Zounds” to rhyme with “wounds.” Hmm. I just might have to create a story to use that snippet.

So, one thing I drifted into while writing my 300,000 OC anime fanfic (yeah, I know) is that the supporting characters all have a different way of addressing the main character, which expresses their various personalities. • Noah, the main character, is compelled by circumstance to join the giant robot military, at a base jointly operated by the US and the UN. He is technically a warrant officer, a rank that doesn’t come with a title, and he instead should be addressed as “Mr. Wilson”. However: • Don, the ranking US officer, affects a sort of “cool professor” vibe. Since Noah’s putative assignment is to fix the software, first on the giant robot simulators and later on the giant robots themselves, Don immediately assigns him the nickname “Tech Support”, and continues calling him that even after Noah becomes an accomplished surface pilot. • Kimmy, Noah’s commanding officer from the UN, insists on an informal vibe among her charges, and typically refers to Noah by his first name. This also lets her play a somewhat maternal role during hard times. The one time she addresses Noah formally as “Warrant Officer Wilson”, he knows he’s in trouble. • Adrienne is an ace pilot from alien-conquered France, who’s never seen the outside of a refugee camp or a military base. Not used to working without military titles, she calls Noah “adjudant”, the French term for warrant officer. This is also a small act of defiance for her, as the xenophobic US government has outlawed the use of foreign languages in public, though Don and Kimmy look the other way. After Noah quits the military, she calls him “Mr. Wilson”, and when he says he misses being called “adjudant”, she scolds him for claiming privilege to a title he no longer deserves.

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Descriptive Essay: My Favorite Fairy Tale Character

My favorite fairy tale character is the ugly little duck from Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale “The Ugly Duckling”, which is quite an unusual fairy tale because most of the very popular fairy tales have human main characters but this tale doesn’t. However, the reason I like it so much is that the poor ugly duckling has problems that people are able to relate to and it teaches us a very important message.

You just can’t help but fall in love with a baby duckling, an animal we all consider to be very cute. But then when his family is mean to him because he’s ugly we just feel very sad and extremely sorry for him. Anyone who had ever been bullied can understand exactly how the duckling is feeling and we can’t help but identify with him and want him to be happy.

As he leaves home because his family is so cruel, we feel even more sorry for him and can’t help but wish he could fit in with his family. He finds a home with an old woman, but her cat is very nasty to him and he can’t be happy there either, so now he feels even worse and he’s so do we because being picked on by somebody so much bigger than him, and has to leave his new home as well, when all he wants to fit in. The hopelessness that he feels after he is frightened out of his third home is just heart-breaking and so it’s impossible not to love the little duckling and feel for him as he spends a long, cold winter alone.

He is also an admirable character though, because despite the fact that he is all alone in the world, he keeps on going and manages to survive against all the odds, because he’s only a baby. Then, when he is accepted by the swans and discovers that he is one of them, we can’t help but share all of his happiness.

The reason that he is my favorite fairy tale character and this is my favorite is that I feel like I can relate to him, and many other people can too. At times we can all feel ugly, or perhaps that we’re not very good at something or don’t fit in, and the ugly duckling epitomizes this feeling. The moral of the story is essentially that although he may not be like the others around him, being different does not make him ugly, and when his brothers and sisters grow up to be brown and dull, he will be stunning and bright white. The ugly duckling is a character that may be different from everyone else but is actually the most beautiful of all.

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My favourite fictional character: Queenie, a young Black woman living and dating in London, is ‘complex, funny, broken, fun’

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The 32 Most Iconic and Inspiring Fictional Characters of All Time!

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• Nov 23, 2022

From Harry Potter’s Hermione Granger to Pride and Prejudice’s Elizabeth Bennet , there is an array of most popular fictional characters that truly leave us inspired whenever we think of them. Do you also think about Shuri from The Black Panther or Keanu Reeves’ John Wick when someone asks you about the most badass fictional characters? Who is the smartest fictional character in history: Sherlock Holmes or Hermione? Well, there are many inspiring fictional characters that fall under the category of smartest, saddest, strongest and popular! Here we bring you 20 of the most inspiring fictional characters of all time!

This Blog Includes:

Hermione granger, elizabeth bennet, matilda wormwood, atticus finch, katniss everdeen, jane eyre , eowyn from the lord of the rings, forrest gump, eudoria holmes, raymond holt, hazel grace, captain america, scarlett o’hara, charlie brown, eowyn from the lord of the rings series, hermione granger from harry potter series, rose from titanic, elizabeth bennett from pride and prejudice, shuri from black panther, belle from the beauty and the beast, holden caulfield , albus dumbledore, scout finch, violet baudelaire, top 10 most popular anime characters, list 20 most iconic and inspiring fictional characters of all time.

• Eudora Holmes

“Books! And cleverness! There are more important things! — Friendship! And Bravery!”

An all-time favourite amongst the top inspiration fictional characters, Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling is also one of the strongest female characters in the world of fiction. She is a motivated and ambitious young girl with her own opinion on everything and doesn’t allow herself to be suppressed by others. Even in the face of discrimination based on her background, she fights back with dignity. Another inspiring trait about her that she doesn’t attempt to change herself only to make people like her but she chooses to be herself! An avid reader and a great friend, she uses her intelligence and quick thinking abilities to help her friends throughout the series.

From Hermione to Little Women: Emma Watson, a True Role Model for Millennials!

“What are men to rocks and mountains?” 

The central protagonist of the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Elizabeth Bennet is another very inspirational fictional character to learn from. Considered to be among the most beloved characters in British literature and among the most endearing characters sketched by the author, Elizabeth is a lively, playful and intelligent young woman who takes pride in her ability to accurately judge other people and their intentions. A strong and modern woman with perspectives ahead of her time, she refuses to bow down to societal norms and one can also see traits of feminism within her character. She is thus, rightly regarded as one of the most inspirational fictional characters for modern women.

Watch Pride and Prejudice on Netflix

“Sometimes Matilda longed for a friend, someone like the kind, courageous people in her books.”

The protagonist of one of the most popular children books, Matilda Wormwood is a fictional character created by Roald Dahl and is also regarded as the most inspiring heroine by the author. Often taken as a role model by young book lovers, Matilda believes that you can always a great refuge in every situation, no matter how bad your life gets. This refuge can be found in different things – books, friendship and love being some of them. She doesn’t cower or allow people to put her down but fights back against the unjust system, in the process becoming an unexpected hero, who uses her imagination to fight against force. She teaches us that our fate lies in our own hands.

Watch Matilda on Netflix

“You just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ‘em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change.”

Atticus Finch from the famous novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is another significant mention in our list of most iconic and inspiring fictional characters. An honest, compassionate and courageous man, Finch chooses to remain true to his beliefs, values and conscience, even if they are different from the society he lives in. A believer in racial equality, he strives to pass these lessons to his children. He is an inspiration to all and teaches us that we should always fo what’s right, which is more important than doing what is easy.

Watch To kill a Mockingbird on Amazon Prime

“Yeah, but I’m not very good at making friends.”

Katniss Everdeen is the protagonist and narrator of the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. She is a fierce and strong fictional character who is more mature than her age. Responsible for her family, she is fiercely protective of them. She is rebellious and disregards many rules to take care of her family which is her whole world. A very inspiring fictional character, she encourages readers to break all barriers to achieve what they want to.

Watch Hunger Games on Amazon Prime

“I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.”

The main protagonist of the novel Jane Eyre , the great classic by Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre is another revered female fictional character that you must know about! Tracing her life, Jane Eyre explores the growth of the protagonist Jane’s character grows from a 10-year-old girl to a young independent woman. In spite of being put into difficult situations, she doesn’t succumb to pressure but instead follows what her heart says is right. Throughout the novel, she relies on herself to get back up on her feet and to keep going forward.

Watch Jane Eyre on Amazon Prime

“For even the very wise cannot see all ends.”

Who hasn’t heard of Gandalf the Grey, the wonderfully inspiring and profound protagonist of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings? A befriender of the hobbits and wise wizards, Gandalf deserves an essential mention in our list of inspirational fictional characters as he possesses a god-like knowledge of everyone and everything while also ensures that his powers and motives are closely guarded! His intelligence finds its source from the patience he learned in Valinor and is also a beloved character ready to teach you many lessons about humans and the world!

Watch Hobbit and the Lord of The Rings on Amazon Prime

Very few people have the courage to challenge life and strive for something they truly want. Eowyn is one such inspiring fictional character. A true rebel, Eowyn is willing to go after what she wants and aspires to be. She proves with her fearless attitude that her gender does not define her and she breaks barriers the society sets for all of us, especially girls. 

Watch Lord of the Rings on Amazon Prime

“Stupid is as stupid does”

One of the greatest fictional characters of all time, Forrest Gump shows how pure love can fight against all odds. He is successful in putting across the message that having genuine and good intentions for everyone as well as standing up for what is right is a quality only a few have. He may be portrayed as someone with low IQ but Forrest Gump proves that having fast brains is not the only thing you need to succeed in life. Dedication and hard work can get you where you want to in life. Whether it is ping pong, running a business or saving a friends life, Forrest Gump does it all and does it very well! 

Watch Forrest Grump on Netflix

“It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.”

A superhero like Batman wins the hearts of everyone he comes in contact with. His willingness to take responsibility for his city and fight the evils in society, especially those who wish to cause harm to the residents of his city is truly inspiring. A fictional character like Batman is rare and hard to find. He is a superhero with no real superpower, however, his brave nature and readiness to take on against the villains is a superpower in itself!

Watch Batman on Netflix

“Family members help each other, no questions asked.”

Nairobi is a character from Money Heist Series and is played by Alba Flores. Nairobi possesses the trait of a born leader. She even treats her hostages with love and joy, so much that many hostages end up joining her. In the middle of the ruckus caused by other characters, Nairobi stays sharp and focused towards her work. Time and again, Nairobi fights the patriarchal settings in the team. Her famous line ‘Let the Matriarchy begin’ has many of us in the loop. Even before her death, she proves to be a fighter, be it a surgery or the torture by Gandia. She becomes one of the most celebrated characters of Money Heist with her will, strength and empathy.

Watch Money Heist on Netflix

“Paint Your Own Picture, Enola”

Eudoria Holmes is a character in Enola Holmes. Mother of the three geniuses Mycroft, Sherlock, and Enola, she is the perfect example of a rebellious woman in the world of men. While her sons have already settled and reached the top of their fields, Eudoria is focused on uplifting her daughter. She names her daughter ‘Enola’, which when spelled backwards is ‘alone’. She teaches her daughter to fight her battles alone, prepares her for them. Instead of keeping her in the shell of society, she teaches her martial arts, puzzle solving, etc. Later, we also find out that she is a part of a group of women fighting for reform bills. All the while she was fighting for her daughter’s future.

Watch Enola Holmes on Netflix

Raymond Holt is a character in a famous comedy series Brooklyn 99. The Caption of the 99 and one of the quirkiest characters, he is extremely hardworking, devoted, professional, and empathetic. But most of all, Raymond Holt’s character is inspiring because of his back story. A black gay cop who tackled both racism and homophobia in the 90s and still managed to reach his goals. Infamous as robot captain, he becomes a viable part of his squad, and a father figure to many.

Watch Brooklyn 99 on Netflix

As one of the most inspiring fictional characters written by John Green, Hazel Grace from ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ is truly a brave protagonist who is earlier shown as someone who stays away from people because she feels that when she will be gone, they will be hurt. But, as Augustus comes in her life, she gets out of her shell and we see someone who falls in love with life and encounters love, loss and every other emotion there is!

Buy The Fault in Our Stars on Amazon!

Revered as the Greek Goddess of War and Wisdom, Athena is a true warrior possessing the cleverness, smartness and genius of fighting wars. As an inspiring fictional character, Athena is featured in Homer’s The Odyssey and plays a quintessential role in helping Odysseus in the war. A must-mention in our list of most inspiring fictional characters, she is hailed as the wisest, the courageous as well as the most resourceful of all the Greek characters.

Click here to buy The Odyssey here!

Our feed is flooding with strong empowering female fictional characters and we are truly proud of it! So, next in our list of inspiring fictional characters is the simply courageous Ella from Cinderella. This childhood tale that we have grown up listening to, has such a strong and simple message conveyed through Ella’s character. “Have courage and be kind,” is the theme of the story and Ella beautifully portrays this idea through the strength of her character and her belief in the goodness of the world.

Watch Disney’s Cinderella here!

A marvel favorite, Captain America is Steve Rogers who is injected with the Super Soldier serum and becomes the mightiest heroes and later, a part of Avengers too. What’s inspiring about Steve Rogers’ character is his origins as a slim but courageous young man, with a kind heart as well as a smart brain that impresses Zola, the scientist leading to their decision of selecting him from an army of soldiers for the Super Soldier serum. As someone who has been bullied in the past, he puts up a strong fight for the weak and truly emerges as an inspiring fictional character of all time!

Watch Captain Amer i ca, The First Avenger here on Disney+

The protagonist of Gone with the Wind, Scarlett O’Hara, is another strong and inspiring fictional character who struggles through the trysts of the Civil War and it’s aftereffects. “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a whoop”, is one of the classic lines delivered by Scarlett and was portrayed by Vivian Leigh for the silver screen in 1939 adaptation. The character portrays many multiple stigmas about women in that time and her character development has been studied for years exploring her journey from a spoiled girl to a matured woman!

Buy Gone with the Wind on Amazon here!

Another Marvel addition in our list of inspiring fictional characters, Iron Man or Tony Stark’s journey from a spoiled brat leading the weapon empire to a superhero will leave you in splits! Tony Stark is a billionaire industrialist who is brash and spoiled but his character arc is so magnificent as he evolves into a strong superhero who founds the Avengers, builds the Iron Man suit, saves many and further mentors Marvel’s Spiderman!

Watch Iron Man on Disney+ here!

Concluding our list of most inspiring fictional characters with the hapless Charlie Brown, referred to as the lovable loser, this character’s anxious and neurotic aspects actually resonate with our own contemporary lives! He is one of the main characters of Peanuts, the comic strip by Charles Schulz and is believed to have suffered with neuroticism as he is prone to depression and anxiety but even then, he tries his best to take what life throws at him! Through this comic strip, Schulz has addressed many taboos around mental health, as the relatable character of Charlie tries to accept his flaws and to understanding the meaning of life!

Watch Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie here on Disney+!

11 Inspiring Fictional Female Characters

Looking for the badass female characters in books and movies? Well, many literary and cinematic classics are filled with iconic and inspiring female characters that are the epitome of women empowerment! Here are our top picks of the most inspiring fictional female characters:

• Eowyn, The Lord of the Rings Series
• Hermione Granger, Harry Potter Series
• Elizabeth Bennett, Pride and Prejudice
• Shuri, The Black Panther
• Katniss Everdeen, Hunger Games
• Hazel Grace, The Fault in Our Stars
• Scarlett O’Hara, Gone with the Wind
• Belle, Beauty and the Beast
• Rose, Titanic
• Jo March, Little Women

As one of the badass female fictional characters of all time, Eowyn is truly an inspiration as she taps into her inner bosswoman to fight the most dangerous villain in the Middle Earth! Always believing in her instincts, she does what she feels right and even after the love of her life leaves, she stays strong and fierce to fight the ultimate battle and win!

A sassy and intellectual character, Hermione always knows all the magic tricks and is the coolest bookworm you would love to hang out with! She is also an inspiring character for being the best friend to Harry and Ron, guiding them through the most toughest situation and amidst it all, staying true to herself!

Another badass cinematic character you’ll be inspired from is Rose from Titanic! Rose comes from the upper class where women are not valued for how intelligent or curious they are but for their beauty and whether they can marry a rich man! She still stays true to her intellect as she curiously inquires about the building of titanic to taking interests in arts and respecting the servant class!

Elizabeth Bennett is a uniquely woven character created by Jane Austen in her remarkable novel, Pride and Prejudice. Lizzy, as she is called, never takes interest in parties but instead spends her time reading or in her own happy solitude. This inspiring female character teaches us about the importance of being different and embracing your quirks which can help you shine through!

Another strongest and fierce female character that will leave a long-lasting impression on you is Jane Eyre. Living a life full of struggles, Jane still believes in the goodness of people and is always kind, compassionate as well as fearlessly ready to raise her voice if needed!

The Princess of Wakanda, Shuri is an innovator building many incredible tech gadgets on her own for her brother, T’Challa, the Black Panther! Often considered the female prodigy of Iron Man, Shuri is always ready to take a challenge, make fun of her brother and revolutionizing Wakanda with her tech innovations!

Another inspiring fictional character played by the amazing Emma Watson, Belle from the Beauty and the Beast loves to live in the world of books, dreams of a house with a big library and is one of the kindest characters who see the true beauty in the beast!

5 Inspirational Fictional Characters from Books

“I’m just going through a phase right now. Everybody goes through phases and all, don’t they?”

The lazy, angsty and slouching character from the famous book The Catcher in the Eye is truly an inspiring fictional character for the coming generation. Catcher in the Eye through this multifaceted fictional character deals with some of the pressing issues in the contemporary world, it talks about alienation, depression, PTSD, situational anxiety and the impact of social environment on our upbringing. Holden Caulfield’s character is an icon for American literature and a true piece of art.   

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it”

Dumbledore is a book character that needs no introduction. The wise, old headmaster of Hogswarts who taught us all to believe in ourselves and stand by our convictions is an unforgettable fictional figure. Dumbledore’s twinkling blue eyes, hilarious one-liners and amazing mentorship won the hearts of millions of readers. Even after 20 years since the character was introduced for the first time, Dumbledore remains the greatest work of fiction in the 21st century. 

“He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what’s his reason? I am a Jew.”

The cunning, greedy and unpopular fictional character from the famous play Merchant of Venice is one of the most powerful characters in literature. The so-called villain in the book, Shylock, is a paragon of complexities. Shylock’s character is memorable because of his humanity. His need for revenge stems from the rampant discrimination and abuse he faces because of his religion and occupation. Shylock’s character is a truly tragic figure, an underdog and a victim because of systemic discrimination. Reading about this character and tragedy can inspire us all to do good and be fair in life. 

“Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.”

Scout Finch from the book To Kill a Mockingbird is a lovable, young kid whose positivity and maturity continues to inspire readers across the world. Her innocence and love for her family and amazing level of confidence set her apart from those. Scout throughout the book challenges the social conventions whether it’s related to gender or race and refuses to be boxed in because of her gender or class. She inspires us all to think for yourselves and be empathetic towards others.

 ‘If everyone fought fire with fire, the whole world would go up in smoke.’

Violet Baudelaire from the book series A Series of Unfortunate Events is a polite, resourceful and intelligent character and an inspiration for millions. Violet and her siblings, despite the various hardships, rally on and protect each other throughout the series. The budding scientist with her innovative experiments always manages to get herself and her siblings out of trouble. Her experiments, personality and charisma are awe-spiring. Reading about Violet’s quick wit and scientific curiosity will surely make you reach for an encyclopedia!

Following are the Top 10 most popular anime characters

• Goku (Dragon Ball Z)
• Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)
• Itachi Uchiha (Naruto)
• Kakashi Hatake (Naruto)
• Saitama (One Punch Man)
• Isaac Netero (Hunter X Hunter)
• Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach)
• Ken Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul)
• Meliodas (The Seven Deadly Sins)
• Rokurouta Sakuragi (Rainbow)

Mickey Mouse (1928) was Created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks for Steamboat Willie. James Bond (1953) was Created by Ian Fleming for the novel Casino Royale. Bugs Bunny (1940) was Created by Warner Bros and originally voiced by Mel Blanc. Batman (1939) was Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane for Detective Comics #27 (DC Comics).

A fictional character is an invented person or entity in a narrative, such as a book or a movie.

Lazarus Long is a fictional character featured in a number of science fiction novels by Robert A. Heinlein.

Hence, we hope that you found this blog on inspirational fictional characters interesting and informative. Want to pursue a course in creative writing to start your career as a novelist? Reach out to our experts at Leverage Edu who can help you in choosing the perfect course and university as per your preferences. Sign up for a free session today!

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Speech on My Favorite Book

Books are like magic portals, and one special book has captured my heart. It is a treasure trove of thrilling adventures, unforgettable characters, and valuable lessons.

You will surely enjoy hearing about this enchanting book. It’s a story that has touched me deeply, and I believe it can do the same for you.

1-minute Speech on My Favorite Book

Good day, everyone. I’m here to talk about my favorite book, an enchanting tale called “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

“The Little Prince” is a small book with big ideas. It’s a story about a young prince who travels from planet to planet, meeting different inhabitants. Each one has a unique lesson to teach. So, it’s not just a book, it’s a journey across the universe, where every stop is a new lesson about life.

This book is special because it’s for kids and grown-ups. As a child, you enjoy the prince’s exciting space travels. As an adult, you appreciate the life lessons. It’s like a magic box full of surprises that change as you grow older.

The characters in “The Little Prince” are unforgettable. There’s a fox who teaches the prince about friendship. There’s a rose that teaches him about love. There’s a businessman who teaches him about what’s truly important in life. These characters make the book a treasure chest of wisdom.

One of the best parts of “The Little Prince” is its beautiful, simple language. It uses easy words to express deep thoughts. It shows us that you don’t need big words to share big ideas.

In conclusion, “The Little Prince” is my favorite book because it’s a journey, a treasure chest and a magic box. It’s a book that grows with you, teaching you something new each time you read it. I encourage you all to read this wonderful book. I promise, it’s an adventure you won’t forget. Thank you.

2-minute Speech on My Favorite Book

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, I want to share with you my favorite book. Its title is ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. A book that I hold dear to my heart. It’s not just a book, it’s a journey, a journey through the innocent eyes of a young girl named Scout.

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is a story that takes us back in time, to a small town in the 1930s. This is a time when people were struggling with the Great Depression. The book is written by Harper Lee. It presents a vivid picture of life and the challenges of that time.

One reason why I love this book is its characters. Scout, her brother Jem, and their friend Dill are such lovable characters. They are just kids, full of curiosity, wild imaginations, and a sense of justice. Then there’s Atticus Finch, Scout and Jem’s father. He’s a lawyer, a soft-spoken man who respects all people, and who has a strong sense of right and wrong.

The language used in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is simple yet rich. Harper Lee has a way of making you feel like you are right there, in that small town, experiencing everything with the characters. She has a way of making you laugh, cry, and think deeply about the world around you.

Finally, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is my favorite book because of its powerful themes. This book talks about racism, injustice, the loss of innocence, and the importance of moral education. It’s a book that makes you think, it makes you question, and it makes you want to be a better person.

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An MCU Favorite Makes the List of Most Popular Fan Fiction Characters

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It’s not unusual for fans of a popular franchise to want to take their beloved characters and make them their own by crafting stories that you won’t find anywhere else. Fan fiction has become a wonderful outlet for budding writers looking to hone their craft to possibly go on to bigger and better things, as was the case with authors such as E.L. James, whose Fifty Shades of Grey series started out as Twilight fanfic. Now, a new study focusing on Archive of Our Own (AO3), a website devoted solely to fan fiction, has revealed which movie, TV, and literary characters are the most popular to write about , and the results might surprise you.

Per Collider , the study was conducted by QR Code Generator and analyzed a number of keywords to break down which characters had the most stories written about them on AO3. To no one’s surprise, Harry Potter topped the list with a massive 366,746 pieces of fiction, but second on the list was none other than Tony Stark. Portrayed in the MCU by Robert Downey Jr. , his character is shipped the most with Steve Rogers, a.k.a Captain America. What does ship mean in this case? Basically, fans envision their favorite characters together in a relationship with one another, romantic or otherwise. In the case of Harry Potter, he’s shipped the most with Draco Malfoy, with a total of 298,987 pieces of fanfic written about the duo.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

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For Marc Porcar, the CEO of QR Code Generator, he says that the results point to the popularity certain franchises have maintained long after their ending, and says that fan fiction is a way for people to explore relationships they didn’t get to see the first go around, making it fun for them to imagine what could have been. Especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ stories , as the community has been underrepresented in mainstream franchises for decades.

"The study highlights the enduring popularity of specific franchises and characters that fans still love today. Despite the last Harry Potter film releasing in 2011, the series continues to captivate fans, evident in the hundreds of thousands of fanfictions online. “Interestingly, many of these stories feature LGBTQ+ pairings, reflecting a desire among fans to explore relationships and narratives that were absent in the original works. Writing fanfiction has evolved from a niche hobby to one that can land authors writing contracts and launch careers."

Who Else Tops the List?

While Tony Stark's rank was certainly a surprise at number two, a couple of other MCU characters made the top 10, including Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. Sam and Dean Winchester from Supernatural also made the cut, with Dean being shipped the most with everyone’s favorite Angel of the Lord, Castiel (portrayed in the series by Misha Collins). Rounding out the list were a couple of characters from My Hero Academia , and another Harry Potter favorite, Hermione Granger. Take a look at the results below, which includes the number of fan fiction pieces, and who each character is shipped the most with.

5 Movies Confirmed to Be Inspired by Fan Fiction

For better or for worse, fan fiction has embedded itself into the greater web that is the entertainment industry, and these movies prove it.

Legalities aside, fan fiction is clearly one of the most popular outlets for fans to share their versions of what they envision these characters to be. Granted, some are just borderline porn, but others are well-crafted, detailed tales that rely on emotion and storytelling rather than sex to touch a nerve with readers. With the number of pieces growing daily, fan fiction is here to stay, and as more characters rise in popularity, we look forward to seeing how the top 10 list changes over the coming years.

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'Hillbilly Elegy' is back in the spotlight. These Appalachians write a different tale

Clayton Kincade

A photograph of Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance. Bill Tompkins/Getty Images/Michael Ochs Archives hide caption

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis , the 2016 memoir from Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance, once again began flying off the shelves after former President Donald Trump named Vance as his running mate. Many have turned to the memoir to find out the story of Vance’s upbringing, a core part of why he’s on the Republican ticket to begin with. But the book also brings along a host of assumptions that many authors still find not to be true.

Pulitzer-winning author Barbara Kingsolver said she felt that it was her duty to tell a different story of Appalachian life than the one that Vance presented in the book.

“It used the same old victim-blaming trope. It was like a hero story: ‘I got out of here, I went to Yale,’” Kingsolver said of Vance. “‘But those lazy people, you know, just don't have ambitions. They don’t have brains. That’s why they’re stuck where they are.’ I disagree. And that’s my job, to tell a different story.”

29 days: how Democrats had to overhaul their convention in a hurry for Harris

Vance’s has been mired in controversy since its 2016 publication, especially by authors who cover the region. Vance, who writes that Appalachian culture “encourages social decay instead of counteracting it,” says this upbringing is central to his political ideology and thinking.

Many Appalachian authors, like Kingsolver, have worked tirelessly to combat what they feel is a misleading and even harmful depiction of the region. Her novel Demon Copperhead , a fictional window into the same communities, was named one of the New York Times ’ best books of the century just days ahead of the Republican National Convention. Last year, it won a Pulitzer Prize.

As hundreds of thousands more read about the plights of the Appalachian region, these authors are fighting back against what they describe as Vance’s assumed norms.

Overcoming “Hillbilly Elegy”

Vance writes in Hillbilly Elegy that he grew up most of his life in Middletown, Ohio, but spent summers and his free time until the age of 12 in Jackson, Ky. Vance adds that Jackson “was the one place that belonged to me.”

Vance’s first stop after the RNC was to a rally in Middletown, where he declared, “I love every one of you, and I love this town, and I'm so grateful to have been formed by it, because I wouldn't be who I was without it.”

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But Vance’s claim to the area has created a cultural rift between him and those from Appalachia.

Kingsolver said that when she saw Vance’s recently resurfaced interview calling several Democrats “childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made,” it reaffirmed her disappointments with Hillbilly Elegy .

“When I read JD Vance’s memoir, I resented it all the way through. There was just something about it that kept telling me, he’s not from here, he doesn’t get us,” Kingsolver told NPR. “I thought, OK, you are not from here because when I think about my childhood, many of the most important women in my life who saved me, who took care of me, were childless women. It’s not just blood that defines community here.”

Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) speaks at a campaign rally at VFW Post 92 on August 15, 2024 in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. Jeff Swensen/Getty Images hide caption

It’s not just Kingsolver who has an alternate narrative.

Meredith McCarroll and Anthony Harkins co-edited Appalachian Reckoning: A Region Responds to Hillbilly Elegy, a blend of scholarly, poetic and narrative rebuttals to Vance’s tale published in 2019.

Harkins, a professor of history at Western Kentucky University, said that Hillbilly Elegy loses its footing by generalizing one person’s narrative into a definitive account of the entire region.

“It’s totally legitimate for anybody to tell their own story and how they see it,” Harkins told NPR. “But to then present it as the story of Appalachia, to speak of a memoir of a culture, is problematic particularly because that region has so often been stereotyped and misrepresented through recent history.”

McCarroll, director of writing and rhetoric at Bowdoin College and an Appalachian native of Waynesville, N.C., said that the duo’s goal with the book was to spotlight a chorus of Appalachian voices in response to Elegy’s immense popularity, both existing on their own and in opposition to the text.

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“My inclination was to gather a lot of different voices, both that are challenging him but not speaking to him at all,” McCarroll told NPR. “It’s this weaving together of a lot of different authentic perspectives that can give a sense of how layered and complex this 13 state region is.”

McCarroll added that beyond Hillbilly Elegy, she wanted Appalachian Reckoning to counter the idea of Appalachia as a monolithic place.

“The back half of the book moved beyond Hillbilly Elegy, and really is just a collection of narratives from the region that you can’t read and come away thinking you understand Appalachia,” McCarroll said. “No one should say, ‘I read one book, and so I understand this region.’”

Writing the full truth

For these writers, telling the honest story of Appalachia is tantamount–even if they start difficult conversations.

Elizabeth Catte, historian and author of What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia, published in 2018, said that books about Appalachia fall short for her when authors lean on inauthentic stereotypes in pursuit of authenticity.

“Sometimes people try to make up for personal knowledge or experience or study of a region by laying a bunch of tropes on a book and calling it authentic,” Catte told NPR. “Sometimes you don’t get a sense that Appalachia has a history, that it’s just a place full of problems, but none of those problems have an origin, or the origin is uninteresting to the author.”

Vance’s story has resonated with conservatives and non-Appalachians alike. In the wake of the 2016 election, the book became an explanation of sorts for some liberals as to who Trump’s supporters were and how he managed to win the presidency. One op-ed described Bostonians as “ lapping up ” the tale.

J.D. Vance autographs a book after a rally Thursday, July 1, 2021, in Middletown, Ohio. Jeffrey Dean/AP hide caption

The book became a best-seller and later was adapted into a movie. But for those from the region, crucial pieces of the puzzle that Vance painted are missing.

Harkins said that when discussing Appalachian history, texts must keep economic context in mind, like Appalachia’s political and cultural history with coal , when thinking about how the past has turned into the present.

“You can’t speak about the experience of Appalachia in the last hundred years without thinking about the massive effects that economic change have brought to it, in a place that is often the product of extractive industry, whether it’s lumbering or coal or fracking,” Harkins said. “One of the concerns I have with seeing it through the prism of Hillbilly Elegy is often that most of that stuff is not part of the story.”

Vance’s politics might not land with all readers, but he focused much of his Republican National Convention speech, which he gave just two days after being named to the ticket, on his relationship with his mom and grandma. These relationships are where these authors have found a common ground. For Kingsolver’s fictional quest, it was similarly important to keep Demon’s humanity front and center, both for the reader and for herself.

“I was kind of scared to write this novel for several years because you can’t bludgeon people with sadness or with truths that are hard to bear,” Kingsolver said. “Unless you give it a really delicious package. You have to give people a reason to turn the page. You have to give people characters that they love and believe in, that they honestly start to care about as their friend.”

The power of representation

Kingsolver said that when Demon Copperhead won the Pulitzer Prize last year, Appalachia rejoiced like Appalachia does.

“It was like fireworks all up and down the mountain,” Kingsolver said. “So many people from here, even my mail carrier and the cashier at the grocery store, said, ‘This is amazing. We won.’”

The novel has appealed to more than Appalachians: It unanimously won the 2023’s Women Prize, and more recently, it ranked No. 1 on the New York Times ’ readers’ “Best Books of the Century” list–and No. 61 on the critics’ list.

McCarroll said that with novels coming out today like Demon Copperhead, it is hard to stay upset at the negative aspects of Hillbilly Elegy. 

“What’s so exciting is that there are so many really diverse, beautiful stories that are really offering complicated perspectives, and so it’s like I don’t feel like I have to stay mad at Hillbilly Elegy ,” McCarroll said. “There’s a long history of Appalachian literature, too.”

McCarroll added that a variety of stories is important because they add texture to a region too often boxed into one corner.

“What a Black Appalachian coal miner in Pennsylvania is experiencing might be very different from a Mexican migrant worker in Western North Carolina is experiencing, which might be really different than what a third- or fourth-generation farmer who is white in Kentucky is experiencing,” McCarroll said.

Kingsolver said that when writing Demon Copperhead, it was important to combat assumptions made by mainstream media outlets about Appalachia.

“I think they miss our diversity. They think we’re all white, and we’re not. It was important for me to reflect that in this novel,” Kingsolver said. “I wanted it to be the great Appalachian novel that kind of puts our whole region in a context. We didn’t choose to have poverty and [high] unemployment. We didn’t ask for that. This came to us.”

Kingsolver added that it has been especially gratifying hearing from people whose perspective on Appalachia changed after reading her novel.

“I have heard from lots and lots and lots of people in other parts of the country who said, ‘This book asked me to evaluate my prejudices, and I thank you for that,’ ” Kingsolver said. “It’s amazing.”

When Kingsolver received news that she was at the top of the Times’ readers’ list last month, she said she had to “lie down on the floor” and think about its weight. Kingsolver said that a less obvious reward, though, was readers celebrating a story of an imperfect, wholly Appalachian character.

“I can’t even tell you how many people have written to tell me I’m still worried about Demon, I wake up at night worrying about him,” Kingsolver said. “As if he’s become their kid. He’s the world’s kid. That’s how you navigate it, that’s how you have to.”

Though Hillbilly Elegy might loom large once again, Appalachian authors, whether through fictional tales like Demon Copperhead or nonfiction deep dives like What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia, are finding strength in their resistance and dissent.

Reacting to news of being on the New York Times' list, Kingsolver wrote in an Instagram post:

“With a certain other ‘hillbilly’ book suddenly ascendant, my duty. No elegies here. Thank you.”

Correction Aug. 18, 2024

A previous version of this story mistakenly identified Anthony Harkins as an assistant professor in history at Western Kentucky University. Harkins is a professor of history. Additionally, an earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Bowdoin College as Bowdoin University.

• Barbara Kingsolver