The Makings of a Character

Well, I'm sure you've heard this before (probably more than once) but at the heart of almost every great story is an unforgettable character. (or characters).
We can all recall the 'great' ones that we've read or watched.

Scarlett O'Hara
Joe March
Lizzie Bennet
Indiana Jones
Maria Von Trapp
Gandalf
Lucy Pevensie

So - what are some key ingredients to creating memorable characters?
Let's look at a few (this is not an all-inclusive list, but a way for you to get started. For more information on characterization, check out Sarah's FABULOUS post here.



Where do characters come from? Well, there are quite a few places:

1.       Imagination - Developed completely from the creativity of your own mind.

2.       People you’ve observed - inspiration from the people you 'see'

3.       People you KNOW - real life is usually stranger than fiction.

4.       Autobiographical - would we ever admit to this one? :-)

But usually they're a mix of more than one. Characters have a crazy way of sneaking up on us out of nowhere, but they can't get very far without our help. That's why the phrase 'character DEVELOPMENT' is used. It's our job to make these characters believable, realistic, memorable, and unqiue.
Not so easy.

Next you must decide 'who is telling the story'. Most novels have one overarching character who is pursuing an external goal, while struggling with an internal goal. We follow this character (maybe even two characters) on his/her journey and watch him/her grow through the process. Growth is important.

When you decide 'who' is telling your story, you'll probably need a name. Names are very important. Just listen to a DiAnn Mills lecture and your learn for sure. She puts a lot of stock in the names she gives her characters.

Jane Eyre has a very plain name. That's important, because she sees herself as plain, but her name is also solid. Clean. Practical. Many things that apply to her personality. But the name Eyre is a bit unique, and leaves of puzzled as to how one actually pronounces it. So there is a bit of a mystery involved, as there is in the entire novel and in Jane's own life.

Harry Potter is a common name. That's important. All of Harry's friends have unique and colorful names, but not Harry. Why? Because Harry is an ordinary kid, who is called to extraordinary things.

Luke Skywalker gives a great 'feel' for a sci fi. Luke (as in St. Luke) and a guy who 'walks on sky'. Cool, huh?

Pick a name with purpose.

Know Thy Character - From simple things like filling out a character sketch to creating an entire FB page from that characters perspective, we all do something to get to know our characters better. I usually interview him/her and sometimes I'll write journal entries from the character's perspective.
Here are a few helpful questions to ask your character.

1.       What is his/her talent?

2.       What is his/her goal?

3.       What is his/her big fear?

4.       What is his/her greatest joy?

5.       Who is his/her best friend/mentor/confidante?

6.       Who is his/her enemy?

7.       What is his/her deep dark secret?

8.       What makes them laugh?

9.       What makes them cry?

10.   How does he/she respond when they are embarrassed? Angry? Happy? Uncertain?

11.   What does he/she carry in their pockets/purse?

12.   What have they lost?

13.   If they had to grab something from their burning house, what would they grab?

Answer these question, devling deeper into 'knowing' your characters, makes them more three-dimensional instead of just words on a page.

Okay - I'm getting a little carried away here, so I'll come to a close. I'll just leave you with one more note about how I 'get to know' my characters better:

I make something happen to them.

That's right. I throw them in the middle of some stressful scene or spiraling conflict, then see how they respond.  Putting a character into action helps you 'see' how they WILL act. :-)

So - what are some things that you do to make your characters?

And stop by Katie Ganshert's blog today for more information about characterization! Remember, these people are important enough to carry your story -so take time to develop them well :-)