The Man Behind the Beard – Writing Tips and a Bearded Men Quiz

     Writing tips and bearded men in one blog—just go with it. To make a fictional story come alive, writers need to create meaningful and memorable characters. The best characters, bearded or otherwise, are the ones that make the readers feel emotion while they read. If a protagonist is well-written, readers will want them to overcome conflict. They will feel heartbreak at a character’s misfortune. Readers will turn pages in hopes their beloved protagonist wins in the end. Unless, or course, the reader doesn’t like the protagonist.

Yin Yang

     Characters need a variety of traits. A character who is courageous and humorous could also be obnoxious and selfish. Antagonists shouldn’t be perfect, just like everyone else. Tony Stark saves the world and is likable, but he is a bit egotistical, too. However, egotistical people may not see a big ego as a flaw. Creating characters with a mixture of different traits allows readers to decide for themselves if they like a character or not.

Hunk, Babe, Troll

     Creating a great character takes a lot more effort than describing what they look like. For example, “the older man with a beard” could describe many guys, including the band ZZ Top and Santa. To add a little fun to this informational blog, here’s a history lesson that involves older men with beards. The answers will be at the end of the blog.

Men with Beards

     See if you can name all the bearded men. Getting all of them correct would be amazing. A score of five, six, or seven is impressive. Two to four correct answers is probably average. One correct answer is bad.

 

     Writing that is done well takes a lot of hard work. Many people underestimate what a good writer can do to make a story come alive, sway opinions, or make a company look good. It is a craft. It takes time, effort, and multiple revisions for writers to get an article, essay, or story from an idea to a finished product. Yet, many writers get paid .01 per word for their effort. This article would be worth $4.29.

Answers:

A. President Rutherford B. Hayes

B. Edmund Gwenn (Santa from the original movie Miracle on 34^th Street)

C. Bram Stoker, author of Dracula

D. President Ulysses S. Grant

E. John Harvey Kellogg inventor of Corn Flakes and other breakfast cereals

F. John C. Fremont, American explorer

G. Buffalo Bill Cody, American scout and showman

H. President James A. Garfield

 Credits for photos: Hayes – biography.com; Grant –  quotesgram.com;  the rest – Pinterest