Spencer Lanoue
Writing a character can be a thrilling journey, whether you're crafting a hero, a villain, or someone in between. Characters breathe life into stories, making them relatable or intriguing. But what exactly goes into creating a memorable character? Let’s break it down into manageable steps.
Crafting a Compelling Backstory
A character's backstory provides the foundation for their motivations and actions. It's not just about where they were born or who their parents are—it's about the experiences that shaped them.
Ask the Right Questions: What pivotal events happened in their past? Did they face any hardships or enjoy significant privileges? These details can influence their worldview and behavior. For instance, a character who grew up in a war-torn country might value peace and stability above everything else.
Use Personal Experiences: Sometimes, your own experiences or those of people you know can offer rich material for a character's backstory. If you've ever felt like an outsider, that feeling can help you write a character who's always trying to fit in.
Balance the Details: While a detailed backstory is crucial, avoid overwhelming readers with too much information at once. Reveal elements of the backstory gradually, allowing the audience to discover layers of the character as the story unfolds.
Defining Character Traits
Character traits are the building blocks of personality. They help readers understand how your character will react in different situations.
Think in Opposites: Give your character a mix of traits that might seem contradictory. This adds depth. For example, a character might be confident in their professional life but insecure in personal relationships.
Use a Character Trait List: Sometimes, it helps to use a list of traits to get started. Is your character empathetic or self-centered? Are they adventurous or cautious?
Show, Don’t Tell: Instead of stating traits directly, illustrate them through actions and dialogue. A character who is generous might be shown giving their time or resources to others without expecting anything in return.
Building Distinctive Voices
Every character needs a voice, and how they speak defines them as much as what they say.
Use Unique Speech Patterns: Does your character use slang, or are they more formal? Do they have a particular catchphrase? Consider how their background affects their speech.
Reflect Emotion and Mood: A character’s dialogue should reflect their current emotional state and the scene’s tone. A terse response can indicate anger or stress, while long, flowing sentences might suggest calm or happiness.
Differentiate Characters: Ensure that each character has a distinct voice. If two characters are having a conversation, readers should be able to identify who's speaking without dialogue tags.
Developing Motivations and Goals
Characters without motivations are like ships without sails. Their goals drive the story forward.
Identify Short and Long-term Goals: A character might have a long-term goal (to become a doctor) and short-term goals (passing an important exam). Both should be clear and relatable.
Understand Their Why: Why does your character want what they want? The reasons should be personal and compelling, providing insight into their character. Perhaps they want to become a doctor because they lost a loved one to an illness.
Create Obstacles: Goals should never be easily achievable. Introduce obstacles that challenge your character and force them to grow. This creates tension and keeps readers engaged.
Designing Physical Appearance
While personality and motivation are key, a character’s physical appearance can also play a significant role in how they're perceived.
Avoid Clichés: It's tempting to rely on stereotypes, like the evil character with a scar. Instead, try to think outside the box. A villain can be outwardly charming and pleasant-looking.
Use Descriptive Language: When describing a character, use vivid language that paints a picture. Instead of saying, “She had brown hair,” you could say, “Her hair was the color of rich, dark chocolate, cascading in loose waves down her back.”
Reflect Personality in Appearance: A character’s appearance can hint at their personality. A meticulously groomed character might be detail-oriented, while someone with a perpetually rumpled look might be more free-spirited.
Creating Flaws and Strengths
Perfect characters are boring. Readers enjoy characters with flaws because they are relatable.
Balance is Key: For every strength, introduce a flaw. A character who's incredibly brave might also be reckless. Someone who is highly intelligent might struggle with social interactions.
Relate Flaws to the Story: Flaws should have an impact on the story. A character’s fear of flying might prevent them from reaching an important destination, creating tension.
Show Growth: Over the course of the story, characters should grow. Perhaps they overcome a flaw or learn to harness a strength. This growth makes for a satisfying narrative arc.
Crafting Relationships and Interactions
Characters do not exist in isolation. Their relationships add richness to the story.
Create a Network: Who is important to your character? Family, friends, mentors, rivals? Each relationship should offer something unique and influence the character in different ways.
Dynamic Interactions: Relationships should evolve over time. Friends can become enemies, and rivals can become allies. These shifts add depth to the narrative.
Use Dialogue to Build Relationships: The way characters talk to each other reveals a lot about their relationship. Subtle nuances in dialogue can indicate respect, tension, or affection.
Understanding the Role in the Story
Every character serves a purpose. Understanding their role helps keep the story focused.
Protagonist, Antagonist, or Sidekick?: Identify what role your character plays. Each has different requirements and should be developed accordingly.
Support the Theme: Characters should reflect or challenge the story's theme. If your story is about redemption, even minor characters should somehow relate to this theme.
Keep It Consistent: While characters can grow, their core essence should remain consistent. Sudden, unexplained changes can confuse readers and disrupt the story’s flow.
Breathing Life Into Characters
Once you’ve laid the groundwork, it’s time to bring your character to life.
Use Action and Reaction: Characters are defined by their actions and reactions. How do they handle conflict? What do they do when faced with a moral dilemma?
Infuse Personality: Let their personality shine through in every scene. This makes them memorable and relatable.
Maintain Realism: Even in fantastical settings, characters should behave in ways that make sense. Their actions and decisions should be believable, given their background and traits.
Interestingly enough, creating characters is where the magic of storytelling truly begins. It's an art that requires attention to detail, empathy, and sometimes a little bit of trial and error. But with practice, anyone can create characters that leap off the page.
Writing characters can be a complex process, but I'm here to help. If you're ever stuck or need inspiration, remember that tools like Spell can assist in brainstorming and refining your ideas. Whether you're looking to outline plots or generate dialogue, Spell's AI can help you move from concept to creation quickly.
