Character Writing

I think, out of everything in writing I am most comfortable talking about character writing. It is just about the only thing I think I can give advice on- after all I am still working on getting good at everything else.

As far as characters go I am someone who enjoys creating them very much, and if you are also someone who needs to create characters for a story this would be my top bit of advice- have fun! Create different and entertaining characters- if you enjoy the characters that you create, not only will you have more fun when you write them, but chances are that your readers will love them too.

But if you’re looking for advice here are my personal bits of advice-

Character sheets are your best friends

Whether you make separate files for each character, or you put them into one document, recording details about your characters is the perfect way to start. Save them, refer to them, but most importantly make changes to them when you come up with something new about your characters.

Something I do is put my characters under a title- their main characteristic or something that impacts them the most. For example my main character is a leader above everything else, her character revolves around her duty to her goals and her team so it was only right to characterise what traits made a leader- this is where plenty of research will come in handy. One example I found was “confidence” so I noted it down and then said “she realises her confidence may affect that of those around her in tough situations, so she keeps a level head and stays confident under pressure”

Other important things to note down are their negative and positive characteristics- all characters have them. In good there is evil and in evil there is good. The greatest strength of your characters can also be their greatest weakness- “perfectionism” is a great example. Alternatively, their greatest weakness can be completely unrelated from their strengths, hidden behind a wall, revealed in the worst of situations.

Online you can also find questions to answer for your characters, “things to know”. I love doing these and I promise you that they do help. The questions consist of things you probably didn’t think of, things that make your character more fleshed out and realistic. If you want to really get to know who your characters are then I highly recommend filling out a few of those.

Looks DO matter!

As with people, the personality of your characters should matter the absolute most. However what if I told you that looks also are personality. A character who is a workaholic fighter is likely to have shorter hair, one that is tied up, so that it won’t get in their way. A messy hairstyle and a strange sense of fashion indicates an unorganised and chaotic character. A character who heals is likely to be put together, with a light colour scheme of clothing, and a calming aura.

That being said no one can tell you what your characters should look like, especially (but not exclusively) if you are writing a fantasy universe. Of course looks should fit to the characters personality - but a character who looks chaotic but is actually organised and smart would also be interesting if they are written well.

This is also where character diversity comes in- everyone naturally does want to see themselves represented in the media. And I am of the personal opinion that as writers we need to include a range of characters who look completely different so that all communities will see themselves in a character of yours. I think this is the biggest example of where looks matter.

Keep your protagonist close but your antagonist closer

The temptation is always there, to make your villain just about the most detestable character in the universe you have created. However sometimes lowkey villains do well, ones you don’t know are the villain until the very end. At the end of the day your villain should always have a reason behind their actions, they should be just as fleshed out as any other character in the story. What made them this way?

Not all villains need an insanely tragic backstory, even though it does help make them more human. Characters who have been through such hardships are well liked by readers- you can understand their actions better and in a terrifying way you can see yourself in them.

On the opposite end of the villain spectrum, some of the scariest villains can be those who haven’t necessarily gone through anything traumatic to get to where they are. Villains who simply feel entitled to the world due to their upbringing. Villains who don’t even know they are the villain until their plans reach the extreme.

Remember that your protagonist is also a villain in the antagonist’s eyes. If someone kept ruining your plans over and over again you’d naturally see them as villain too. Especially if you thought you were right.

Most importantly

Do your characters justice. So much work goes into creating a likeable character, by the end of it you’re likely to love your characters a lot. So the natural progression here is to make sure the reader sees these characters how you intend them to. Write them well, do them justice, leave no page unturned.

Get someone to read through your story and give you feedback. I’m lucky enough to have a boyfriend who is always willing to help read what I’ve written. And sometimes he notices mistakes I’ve made that I wouldn’t have been able to spot myself so that I can edit them and get my message across better.

Create and have fun. Chances are that if you have fun with your work - others will too.