Creative Characters

A good story should have engaging characters, but creating them is a challenge. 

Think about your favourite characters in film and literature - why do you like them?

To create effective characters, you need to have a good profile. It's usually far more detail than you will include in the story. Here are some questions to help you develop rounded characters:

Age - usually your characters should be of a similar age to the audience for whom you are writing. Their age will impact on their actions - we'd expect a two year old to throw a tantrum, but not a 45 year old - unless of course there is extreme provocation, and the whole point is that their behaviour is atypcial for a reason.

Physical appearance - short or tall? thin or fat? hair colour / eye colour etc. These need to tie in to your charcater's ethnicity - we expect blonde Scandinavians and olive-skinned Egyptians, unless there is a really good genetic reason for him to be different

Life experience - what has happened to her up until the point of your story? What experiences have helped shape her into the story character? How is her character going to change and develop in the course of the story?

Education - does he have a degree, or did he flunk school? This will impact on his speech, and knowledge, and the actions he takes.

Culture and belief - what is her world view, and how is it shaped by what she believes and her cultural heritage. We don't expect atheists to be praying, unless of course the story is about how they find faith.

Motivation - what leads them to do what they do? Is she a teacher because she loves children, or a doctor, because her father was one?

Family and friends - loner or socialite? From a large family, or a nuclear one?

Some sites advise you to base your characters on people you know. In my opinion, this is a really good way to alienate friends and family, as they may recognise themselves, and may not like what you've written. DH Lawrence discovered this to his cost. It could even land you in court.

Write out your profile, and keep it where you can go back to it, adding as your character develops.

Creating a character is fun, and when you do it well, and the story starts to flow, they come alive, and may even suprise you in what they do.