Great Characters

Creating characters is one of the most exciting and intricate aspects of storytelling. Well-developed characters can drive a story forward, engage readers, and become iconic in their own right. Here’s a guide to creating compelling characters:

1. Start with Basics:

• Name: It can set the tone for the character. Consider its origin, meaning, and sound.
• Age: This can influence the character’s worldview, physical abilities, and relationships.
• Physical Appearance: While not always necessary to detail exhaustively, key features can be memorable or inform character history.

2. Delve into Backstory:

• Family: Family dynamics can shape a character’s personality, values, and motivations.
• Past Traumas or Triumphs: These can be crucial in defining fears, motivations, skills, and desires.
• Education & Occupation: They can provide insight into the character’s skills, daily life, and social status.

3. Personality & Traits:

• Strengths and Weaknesses: Both make a character relatable and multi-dimensional.
• Likes and Dislikes: These can be used to add depth and make a character feel real.
• Habits & Quirks: Small, consistent behaviors can make a character memorable.

4. Motivations & Goals:

• Internal Motivation: This is a deep-seated reason for a character’s actions, often linked to emotion or personal history.
• External Motivation: Tangible goals or needs that drive a character’s actions in the story.

5. Relationships:

• Friends & Allies: Relationships can provide support, create conflict, or showcase different facets of the character.
• Enemies & Rivals: These relationships can drive the plot and reveal the character’s strengths and weaknesses.

6. Character Arc:

• Growth: How does the character change or evolve over the course of the story?
• Static: Some characters remain largely unchanged, serving as pillars or constants in a story.
• Decline: Not all arcs are positive; some characters may face a downward trajectory.

7. Voice & Dialogue:

• Speech Patterns: These can indicate a character’s background, education, and personality.
• Unique Phrases or Slang: Consistent language use can make a character stand out.

8. Role in the Story:

• Protagonist, Antagonist, Sidekick, Mentor, etc.: Each character should serve a purpose in the story, whether it’s driving the plot or supporting the main characters.

9. Flaws & Conflict:

• Internal Conflict: Personal struggles within the character, such as fears or moral dilemmas.
• External Conflict: Struggles with outside forces, be it other characters, nature, or society.

10. Research & Inspiration:

• Real-Life Inspiration: Drawing from real people can add authenticity.
• Diverse Experiences: Researching backgrounds, cultures, and experiences different from your own can create well-rounded, respectful representations.

Tips:

1. Avoid Stereotypes: Strive for depth and avoid one-dimensional characters.
2. Character Sheets: These are tools where you can jot down all details about a character, helping maintain consistency.
3. Evolution: Allow characters to evolve, even beyond your initial plans. Sometimes they’ll surprise you!
4. Empathy: Even if you disagree with a character’s choices, understanding and empathizing with them can lead to richer storytelling.

Creating characters is a blend of art and craft, intuition and planning. The more time you invest in understanding and developing your characters, the more real and compelling they’ll become to your readers.