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Chapter 3: From Dao Ming Si to Gu Jun Pyo
- In every story, no character is irrelevant. A minor character should be given careful attention just as you would to a major character.
A. Plan your characters' personalities so that they remain consistent.
List down their positive and negative traits. Their personality reflects, mostly, through their scripts so be careful how you make them talk or think.
A common mistake is when all the characters talk in the same manner, for example, a straight guy sounds gay and everyone in the story sounds gay (and this is because the writer is gay); or everyone talks like adults, even kids.
The character's choice of words should be consistent with his personality and age, unless you really intended to deviate for layering purposes.
B. Write your characters' back stories and create character layers.
For example: A character who is arrogant and often hated by the readers (this is the layer) is actually someone who had a rough childhood and just learned to be tough so that no one hurts him again (this is the root);
or someone who loves to smile and is nice (layer) was actually a former serial killer/ex-convict who vowed to be kind after making a promise to someone special (root); or a rich man pretending to be homeless, etc.
Just be sure not to reveal the real identity at onset so that even the readers will be surprised and not just the characters in the story.
C. Despite the complexities, your characters should also be relatable - do they also get excited over a new kdrama episode? Do they react to political issues? Do they feel afraid, frustrated, nervous? In other words, did you succeed in making them come alive even if they are but products of your imagination?
Some of my favorite characters are Dao Ming Zi and Gu Jun Pyo. I know they're from the same story but I love the layers of their personality: they're bad boys but they whimper when big sister is around. Also, despite their easy-go-lucky lifestyle, they also know how to be responsible when needed.
How about you? Who is your favorite character and how is it unique? Comment down below and don't forget to vote before moving on to the next chapter ^_^
