Over the years, I have met a lot of people. Through schooling, work, and extended family. But one thing is sure, almost no two people are exactly alike.
For writers, this is excellent news because it gives us a lot to work with as well as a lot of room to play. However, we do not want to think we can throw something together and make them do what we need to move the story. A flat, one-dimensional character is not only dull, but they are unbelievable and hurt your story.
Your book will become predictable because there is no depth to your character. I don't know anyone who likes a predictable story.
So there are a few things we will look at today that touch on character creation. Here is the shortlist;
First of all, there are a lot of character traits that may not have anything to do with your character other than a description. We won't address these things today—name, sex, height, weight, etc. These things are another topic and sometimes have no bearing on your story.
This article is more about the "guts" of your character. The "who" they are rather than what they look like. Although writers can sometimes have trouble with the "what they look like" part as well, that will be discussed another time.
Firstly, let's talk about avoiding what people expect or the stereotypical characters.
Avoid Stereotypical Characters
I will never forget watching a movie once, and 30 minutes into it, I was calling out spoilers, though I had never seen it before. Then, finally, I would say, "get ready. An explosion is about to take place," and within 5 seconds, BOOM!
Needless to say, after a few minutes, I had to shut it off because I'm not too fond of predictable characters or stories.
So how do we as writers keep from having boring, predictable characters?
I had actually trained in the art of character creation since 1984 when I purchased my first copy of Gary Gygax's role-playing game, "Dungeons and Dragons." If you have ever played it, or another game such as Heroes Unlimited, TMNT, or just about any RPG videogame on the market, then you have had the opportunity to create a character.
One of my favorite parts of RPG was the character creation. They could be anyone with any background, ability, or strength.
In the case of Heroes Unlimited, you also had to choose weaknesses because let's face it, compelling characters we love have disadvantages.
I remember in 2007 when I began writing Pandemic Dawn Book I. I would sit at the keyboard typing and come to a decision or reaction I had to write. I almost always threw out the first thought that popped into my head. Why? Well, because I love science fiction and have read and watched science fiction my entire life, and if it were my first thought, it would be my reader's first thought as well.
The last thing I want is for my reader to know what will happen next. In the words of Alex Bartholomew Lockwood III, "Boring!"
If you do not know who Alex is, it does not surprise me, mainly because my upcoming novel Losing Dani Strumm, has not been released yet. Alex is a character from my next book.
He is a young guy who loves adventure and exploration and has a short attention span. However, he is also quick-witted and not afraid to say what he thinks and feels.
So for me, avoiding stereotypical characters (or situations in your story) can be avoided by simply throwing out the first thing that comes to mind.
I do this often, and because of my writing style, commonly referred to as "pantsing," it is enjoyable for me to see where the story goes. It is almost as if it writes itself as I am typing. I generally create the main story arc, throw a bunch of characters into the story and "see" what develops.
You may think this sounds crazy and that no real writer would do this, but you would be wrong. Most writers do this, including Stephen King.
So, when your character faces a decision, throw out the first solution you come up with, avoid the stereotypical answer or plot, and be unconventional.
Add Weaknesses and Flaws
You never want your character to "have it all," looks, money, strength, great morals, intelligence, kindness, etc. This character would be unbelievable and unrelatable, and no one would like him.
You want your character to be believable and relatable, so he must have flaws and weaknesses.
Even Superman could not withstand Kryptonite. Popeye's weakness was Olive. Vampires, the sun. There must be obstacles in their path, things that keep them from success, and issues they either have to overcome or accept.
These are the decisions that separate the boys from the men or the girls from the women. However, you want to say it—the immature from the mature. It is not always easy to make the right choice, and sometimes the hero will do so, even when there is a cost he does not want to pay. That's why he is the hero, not because he is perfect, but flawed and fighting to do what is right even when there is no personal benefit.
In Pandemic Dawn, Dorothy has the opportunity to receive something she has wanted for years, but instead, she forfeits it to a young girl who also needs it. (this is vague because I hate spoilers!) Sometimes we make sacrifices for others even though it costs us.
What is Their Hurt
Great characters also have a hurt, wound, or unresolved issue that clouds their decision-making and alters their path. Yet, they could quickly move forward with little resistance if it weren't for this!
They want to do A, but B makes it difficult for them.
In my novel Pandemic Dawn, Taylor is looking for his son, who has been missing since The Cleansing. His hurt is that his son is missing, and he doesn't even know if he is still alive. This "hurt" clouds his thinking and sometimes causes him to make decisions he usually would not make.
These struggles help your audience relate to the character. We all have things that affect our judgments, and sometimes we may not even recognize our hurt making the decisions for us.
Hurts can be physical, psychological, or emotional. Of course, we all remember "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck. His character Lennie Small and the troubles he had because of his hurt.
Never underestimate the power of a character's inner turmoil.
What is Their Motivation
This one is a must! If there is no motivation, nothing drives the character to do anything!
My wife and I have made it a habit of going to bed early each night and spending time together watching movies. We have snacks, drinks, and candy; it is just the two of us. It's date night every night in our home!
The other night we watched a movie adapted from a book. The film was two hours and twenty minutes long, and we assumed it would be good because it was a book first. I know that means nothing, and the movie proved us wrong.
My point in bringing this up is MOTIVATION. The characters were randomly doing things with no rhyme or reason. There is no backstory, nothing telling you what they were randomly going here and there or killing people, even those who were helpful. Absolutely no motivation, description of the character's needs or wants, and no reason for anything happening.
In fact, by the time we turned it off (with only 20 minutes left), you had no clue who the "good guy," "bad guy," or secondary character was. The plot was nowhere to be found.
ALL Characters need motivation, wants, or needs
That gives a reason for them even to be mentioned in the book.
Motivation, wants, and needs move the character (and story) forward to a climax and resolution.
Unless you are Cecil B. DeMille, and feel the need to throw a random clip in the middle of a show out of context to get the length you need for the picture, you need true motivation.
In some cases, such as with Taylor from Pandemic Dawn Book I, his motivation is also his hurt. The hurt is his missing son and not knowing if he is still alive, and his motivation, his missing son, and the need to hurry because he doesn't know if he is still alive.
The characters must have wants, needs, and motivations, or it makes no sense for them to even be in the story.
Keep these things in mind while creating your characters. You will go far! Remember, when you are writing, avoid stereotypical characters and decisions, and ensure your characters have weaknesses and flaws, a hurt that becomes a hurdle or stumbling block, real motivations, wants, or needs. Your character will be relatable to the readers, and they will fall in love.
BONUS TIP
When you are developing your character's weakness or flaw, make sure it is something that is forgivable. Make it something that the reader can forgive. Otherwise, you will never win the reader over.
For instance, a character struggling with alcohol, smoking, or perhaps a gambling habit is relatable and forgivable.
I wouldn't write a character whose weakness was murdering innocent people for fun or worse. No one cares about those characters unless they are the antagonist who your protagonist, in the end, will eventually defeat!
So there you have it.
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