How realistic and believable are your characters? Are they multi-dimensional with strengths and flaws? Or flat with no personality or humanistic traits? When writing a novel of fiction or a book of non-fiction, from a thriller to a romance novel, prepare to spend a lot of time fleshing out the details of “who” the characters are, inside and out, and “why” they react and behave in certain situations. Yes, even in your non-fiction memoirs. Your goal is to create memorable characters by employing literary devices and creative writing techniques. Follow these 8 character development tips when you write your next literary masterpiece:
1. Establish your character’s motivations and goals.
Great characters are driven by a deep-seated motivation and have a goal they are trying to reach. Consider the story of Cinderella what was her motivation? To find her “prince charming” or to get away from her stepfamily? Your protagonist, the main character, has to be facing a great trauma or hurdle to overcome at the end of the book. Showing your characters’ motivation or “why” creates dynamic and interesting characters and plot twists. This also and also creates a story “arch” (to be explained in next week’s blog.) The main character’s driving force should be one of the first story elements you create since the consequent actions will be driven by this motivation.
2. Create a voice.
Who is telling the story? First-person point of view allows a character, usually the main character, to narrate the story to the reader using first-person pronouns like “I” and “me.” The third-person point of view is a voice that is outside of the action like in Chose-Your-Own-Adventure books, pronouns like “you” and “us” are normally used when narrating in the third-person. The perspective of the narrator will determine how a character’s information is revealed over the course of the story.
3. Do a slow reveal.
Refrain from revealing too much the first time you introduce a character. Reveal information bit by bit as you tell the story. Show your character‘s personality by their actions, thoughts, and responses to other characters and situations. Remember everything you write must have a purpose for being included in your book. Make the reader want to keep turning the pages of your book because they want to know the “why” behind every character.
4. Create conflict.
Conflict is a literary device that pits opposing forces against one another, most often involving the main character and the antagonist. Your protagonist's enemy or foil character. There are several types of conflicts that will impact your character’s decisions. For example, if you have strong characters, test their resolve by putting them against something that reveals their weaknesses.
A conflict can be external—create a bad guy to go up against a good character. A character can also have an internal struggle when they have to act against their morals or struggle with opposing beliefs or actions, like addictions, or impulsive behaviors. Conflict creates tension and is used to move a story forward by forcing characters to make decisions.
5. Give important characters a backstory.
I LOVE creating backstories. These always show the “why” of a character’s actions. We all have a backstory, and your fictional characters each need one, too. Dig into your characters’ lives and flesh out their histories. Even if most of it won’t make it onto the page, a character’s backstory will help you figure out what makes them tick and will inform their decisions in the story.
6. Describe a character’s personality in familiar terms
To create believable characters, design a personality for your main and secondary characters based on characteristics of real people—that will help you create multi-dimensional, rounded-out characters with recognizable personality traits and quirks. Think about your favorite books or movies. What rememberable quirks did the character have? A studder when the fib or lie? Do they eat or chew gum often? Do they have a habit, like pulling their hair or biting their lower lip under stress? Are they a workaholic always at work or school? Defining a character by their settings is also a part of character development. As you write, be sure everything, setting, characters, etc shows a purpose in your story and moves your plot forward.
7. Paint/Create a physical picture of your characters.
Describe your character’s physical appearance: hair color, eyes, stature. What are their mannerisms? What is their body language like? How do they smell? Describe them to help readers envision a realistic image of your character. Be sure you define the “why” for these character attributes. Remember, the more relatable your characters are the more people want to read.
8. Develop helpful and plot-supportive secondary characters.
Create different types of characters that contrast with one another. A sidekick (think Watson to Sherlock Holmes) or a foil (Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter books) can highlight your main character’s traits, strengths, or flaws. If you create a static character, a flat character arc that does not evolve much, and contrast them with a dynamic character, one who undergoes a metamorphosis throughout the story. This will reveal much about both characters in your book.
Practicing these tips will add depth and realistic dimension to your characters. Take the time to meet your characters at work, with their friends and family, or at their doctor's appointments. The better you know them the easier it will be to finish your book!
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