I was recently asked by a young writer I met while guest-lecturing at a writing camp for some tips and tricks on how to come up with good characters that people would want to read about. So, after lots of mulling and reading on the topic as a refresher, I came up with a really long and detailed answer that I figured I'd then share with you. Just in case any of you might be interested :)
THE HERO/HEROINE;
Pick first a person or character that you truly admire, and
write down the reasons why. Why do you remember him/her so well? What struck
you?
Now think about the story you want to create. Think about
the “inciting incident” and the “point of no return” in your story, and how
both of those events would affect your character. This will flavor how you shape
him/her.
Next, here are some pointers when trying to come up with
your main character.
First, what are his/her characteristics, i.e. observable
qualities that make him/her unique? (Physical appearance, coupled with
mannerisms, style of speech and gesture, sexuality, age, IQ, occupation,
personality, attitudes, values, where he/she lives, how he/she lives…). You
don’t have to be super detailed about it, because the most important aspect is
the second point.
Second, what’s your character’s “true persona”? This is what
he/she truly is when he/she gets tested throughout the story on his/her way to
what he truly desires (to help you on
this point, think about what your main character wants, and why, though the why
can remain a little mysterious too to account for the fact that human beings
can be a little irrational as well). On that point, it’s important to note that
most people want the main character to be someone who’s considered to be larger
than life (yet feels real—which is why writers will attribute their
heroes/heroines some flaws too). Think back to your first exercise and why you
liked other heroes so much. What kind of qualities do you want to attribute
him/her?
To help you in this regard, here are some key attributes to
think about regarding your main character:
- What’s
his/her strength? Street smarts, compassion, intuition, wisdom, discipline,
humor, hope, perseverance, humility, etc.
- Inner
conflict. I mentioned above that your hero’s/heroine’s true persona will shine
through, via actions, when faced with
dilemmas. One source of such dilemmas is internal conflict—do I go find my one
true love before he leaves for ever and we can live happily together ever
after, or do I keep my promise to this little girl who doesn’t want to die
alone? This point is really important, because readers are drawn by the
struggles your character goes through. If everything was always peachy, it
would make for one helluva boring story, don’t you think?
- Self-regard.
This too is important, because if your main character doesn’t care about what’s
happening to him/her and around him/her, then why should the reader care? The
more your character’s immersed in his/her own feelings, the more your reader
will feel them too (I think that’s why the Twilight series did so well).
- Wit
and spontaneity. Again, make your main character greater than life, because
he/she needs to do and say things we ordinary readers wouldn’t normally do. And
again, actions speak louder than words.
THE DARK PROTAGONIST OR ANTI-HERO:
Though a lot of stories that have such as the central
“anti-hero” figure, a lot of them have failed in taking off because the author
made them too dark and despicable, without any redeeming qualities. You want to write about a jihadist? His love
of his daughter and a (what he believes to be) a better world for her is what
redeems him to the eyes of the readers. And make sure this quality that makes
your anti-hero humane to a certain level is shown very early on (as in the
first few pages)—otherwise your readers won’t stick long enough to see how
he/she goes through the rest of your story.
In this case, having your anti-hero make a profound
transformation at the end of your story can be very profound and mark your
readers as well—but only if you truly show how he/she’s battled everything in
his/her way (outside and inside conflicts) while working towards that change.
Again, the larger the conflicts and the harder it is for your character to get
to his/her goal, the more rewarding the ending will be.
A NOTE ON YOUR PROTAGONIST'S GOAL:
I don’t just mean “the treasure chest” or the “pile of gold
guarded by the dragon.” It has to be something more rewarding (and therefore
profound) than that. It has to be something your main character’s truly longing
for, from the depths of his/her soul. Such as feeling the love of her family,
being at peace with himself, accepting herself for who she is, etc.
CAST AND SIDE CHARACTERS:
What you want to think about when building your cast is
contrast. That is, how they provide conflict for your main character—whether
it’s by providing physical obstacles, or by contradicting your hero’s/heroine’s
views. Once again, the more friction (and how your main character solves or
doesn’t solve his/her issues) there is, the more your reader will be drawn in.
I think a cute yet good example is given by Kronk (from The Emperor’s New
Groove) and his shoulder angel vs. shoulder demon. They both provide friction
by attempting to stop him from what he’s doing (his shoulder angel telling him
to not kill Cuzco), or from going against his moral standards (his shoulder
demon telling him to “go down the path that rocks”).
A pitfall writers may have is when they have too many
secondary characters who then wash out. To avoid this problem, think about your
cast and see if there aren’t any characters you can’t combine (say those who
have similar views/standards). This will make that secondary character more
focused, and therefore more memorable (vs. having a diluted point of view which
then has less impact). When it’s hard for readers to differentiate between
characters or even remember them, it’s because they haven’t been sufficiently
individualized.
Your cast will also provide different viewpoints of your
main character, and thereby help your hero/heroine get more and more fleshed
out because your readers will be able to see him/her through someone else’s
eyes (whether in a good or bad light).
THE ANTAGONIST:
The only thing I want to say about this point, is to draw
him/her/it as well as you draw your hero/heroine. The reason being that the
stronger your antagonist, the more it will elevate your own main character as
well, and render their fight/opposition that much more epic.
HOW TO PICK YOUR MAIN CHARACTER:
The answer is by picking the character with the most
conflict, the one who changes the most, who journeys the furthest, who’s the
most captivating character.
And no matter which character you’re writing about, make sure
to use yourself and your feelings to portray them (by putting yourself in their
shoes). The more open and truthful to your own feelings you are, the more that
sincerity will transpire on the screen/paper, and the more you’ll touch your
readers.
I know some other writers who pretend to interview
their main cast at a bar, to see how they would answer and get a better idea of
their background and personalities to help them sort things through. But don’t
worry if you don’t have it down immediately, you can play around with ideas
until you feel satisfied you have a good protagonist in place. Then move on
from there to show how he/she will change throughout the story (your character
arc).
I know, this was an extremely long read, but I hope it has helped some of you when coming up with your own stories. Of course, please feel free to leave any questions you may have in the comments section, and I will do my best to answer them :)
Happy writings!
P.S.:
For those of you who want to read more on the topic (and even more so on writing in general), here are two good books for you:
Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting
The Breakout Novelist: Craft and Strategies for Career Fiction Writers
after I've already brainstormed a few times through a new novel (even if it's a novel in a series). The reason being that it forces me to think about my story under different angles, thereby spurring my imagination even further. Which I think is always a plus.
, I've landed on a passage that describes what this agent believes is the true reason why people can project themselves into the main characters of the story. And it's not because that character's nice or you feel sympathy for it. No.
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