Character Building I
by Tim Edwards
Every writer knows that getting your characters right is one of the hardest things about writing. This is because, although they are fictional, characters are people (or perhaps space aliens or dragons, but that is another article altogether!), and therefore they are complex. People change their minds, contradict themselves and do things that are out of the ordinary for them. This is why there is no formula for creating a great character – there are too many different types of character and too many different ways that they can serve your story.
Ask different writers and they will tell you different things about their characters. For some the characters come out of nowhere, for others they are built specifically to serve the plot. Some writers exclaim that their characters tell them what to do and they are simply along for the ride, while others rule their world with an iron fist and order the characters to do their bidding.
However you create characters, the one thing that you are aiming to do is to make an impression. Forgettable characters will make you a forgettable author, and you will most likely not make it to the publishing stage. Take your time to create characters that your readers care about, and you will turn readers into fans.
While there is no formula for characterisation, there are some points that you can take into account if you want to build effective characters for your story.
- Emotion is not a dirty word
Creating emotion in your character should be your first priority. You might have long descriptions about how they look and where they live, but a reader will not care about this if your character is as wooden as a plank! People want to read about other people who are dealing with their own problems and difficult situations, regardless of the genre or setting. Think of the emotional reactions your character would have in any given situation, and work from that. (Complete the exercise at the end of this article to help with this!).
- Make them believable – but not too believable!
You want your characters to be relatable. Your readers will want to connect with the characters in your story and they can’t do this if they can’t relate to where your character is coming from. However, it is important that you don’t make them too pedestrian – they need to be larger than life, but with very real and human traits.
Think of a successful action film character such as John McLean from the Die Hard movies. He is larger than life, throwing himself into feats of great bravery in order to save the lives of others. But McLean is also real – he has a sarcastic nature, has problems with his family, and falls into alcohol abuse. This makes him relatable to everyday people, while carrying out his amazing stunts.
Spending time on your characters is one of the most important aspects of writing. If you feel your characters are not up to scratch, then overhaul them, make them better. If you think your characters are perfect, you are probably wrong – so make them better anyway!
Think of your main character, or a character you are having problems with, and answer the following questions:
1. If X was walking alone through the forest at night, what would their demeanour be?
2. How would X’s best friend describe them in 3 words?
3. If X’s mother died in their arms, what would be their immediate reaction?
4. Is X a doer or a thinker?
Thinking of your characters emotional reactions and their deeper characteristics will help you to discover more about who they really are. And the richer you make your character, the more your readers will connect with them and the situations that they are in.
For more help with building your characters, sign up for our free character building workshop, that will take you through X pages of exercises to assist you with creating characters that leave a lasting impression on your readers.
