1. Character Traits How an author makes fictional characters come to life

2. Character Traits help us… Understand why characters act the way they. Predict what they may do next Understand character’s relationships with other characters Draw conclusions about the story.

3. Character traits are how the author makes his creations “real” What does the character say or do? What does he/she think or feel? What is his/her appearance? What do others think about him/her? How does the character make you as the reader feel?

4. Character Traits are descriptive LOTS of adjectives are used An author may tell you directly about the character. Example: “Johnny was a shy and quiet young man.” The author may also tell you indirectly about the character.’ Example “As soon as Johnny came into the room, he walked to the corner of the room and read quietly while the rest of the class worked on the homecoming float plans.”