Create characters with Sam Copeland

Treat your class to a virtual author visit from Sam Copeland, creator of the Charlie McGuffin series.

In this teaching sequence, based around an episode of the Author In Your Classroom podcast, Sam shares his top tips for creating memorable, three-dimensional characters.

Teaching overview

The unit guides children through crafting believable heroes and villains for their own stories.

They start by exploring traits that make a character relatable, using Planning Sheets and PowerPoint prompts to shape their ideas. Flaws are just as important as strengths, helping characters feel real and stories stay engaging.

Then, the focus shifts to villains: children learn to give baddies motives or redeeming features, making them layered rather than one-dimensional.

Next, the children plan stories, considering how traits and actions can drive plot twists and tension.

Sam Copeland’s techniques, like mixing short dramatic sentences with longer descriptions, teaching ‘show, don’t tell’, and using inner monologues, help bring action scenes to life.

Finally, children write and share their stories, reflecting on feedback and refining their work.

This teaching sequence also encourages building a working wall of ideas and sharing extracts. Children can extend learning by reading the Charlie books, inventing new stories, or experimenting with completely original characters. It’s a playful, hands-on journey into storytelling, guided by an author’s own wisdom and creativity.