Sexy, Memorable Characters the Marks & Spencers Way

Here is a little idea for creating memorable characters that came to me while watching a Marks & Spencers’ advert. Describe what makes your character stand out from the ordinary in the style of a Marks & Spencers advert.

“Gourmet salad with caramalised pear and creamy Stilton drizzled with hazelnut oil dressing. This isn’t just a salad it’s an M&S salard.”

For anyone whose not seen one here is the advert the line above is taken from (although I should warn you that you may have a craving for food afterwards).

The formula for making a character description along these lines goes something like this:

  1. Start with [Character Name]
  2. Now describe the character’s interesting qualities
  3. End with “it’s not just an [Character Archetype] it’s an M&S [Character Archetype].”

So for example…

Lala Leig: A deep, dusky, brooding heroine struggling to understand her place in a world she doesn’t want to understand. This isn’t just a heroine it’s an M&S heroine.

Raphael Johnson: light and fruity man that goes straight to your head. This isn’t just a hero it’s an M&S hero.

Nicole Wang: A cunning, adored villain who never sacrifices his minions who are fanatical in their devotion. This isn’t just an evil villain it’s an M&S evil villain.

Its fun just to write up a character in sexy, ad copy terms that you might never use for them in your regular writing.

For a twist try describing famous fictional characters and see if your friends can guess who it is. For example who do you think these two characters from a famous novel might be?

X: An ardent, vengeful hero slowly, marinated in mysterious origins. This isn’t just a hero it’s an M&S hero.

Y: A beautiful, passionate, strong-willed heroine with a mischievous streak driven by a deep romantic bond into into misery, violence and despair. This isn’t just a heroine it’s an M&S heroine.

impworks © Copyright Mark Caldwell 1996 - 2024