Lewis' Book of Reviews and Writing Advice

Character Development

                                                                Quote:

"When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people not characters. A character is a caricature." ~Ernest Hemmingway,

       

  Characters are definitely, without doubt, the MOST important piece of writing! Without strong characters, your amazing plot falls flat on its paper face. So how does one create memorable, likable (we may discuss "hate-able" characters later) characters? Well the number one thing which I've seen stated over and over again is: make them human. NOTE: for those of you who freaked out upon seeing that, I must clarify that this does not mean that fantasy or super-hero characters are evil! It just means that they must have human or relatable characteristics!

      What else helps? KNOW your character inside out! Make a list of literally everything about them! Physical characteristics (more than just: black eyes and brown hair. Instead: short charcoal hair and sparkling or flirtatious brown eyes). These give your character a face, but remember: your characters are supposed to be people (animals), right? They're a personality which floats and assists in creating the story. Therefore, they have a personality. Assemble a list of their favorite color, favorite food, best friend(s), ex lovers, parents, siblings etc! How well do they sleep at night? Where do they live? Do they have a job? What is their passion? Is there something that drives them up a wall every time it happens or someone says it? For example: if someone says "rules are made to be broken," I freak out because I believe rules are NOT just made to be broken....ough...people. Anyway, the main things to know are really: what is this character's goal, what are his fears, and finally, what are his weaknesses?

     Something that helps is back-story. Now, back-story can be the most diverting thing in a book. So if you write a back-story on a separate piece of paper, you may or may not even want to put it in. I should probably define back-story. I look at it as a pivotal—or essential—point in your character's life. You don't have to put the whole work directly in your book, but make sure you add some of it. Otherwise, your readers won't understand your character and their fears as well. They won't be able to say: "No, no, don't say that!" if they don't  know that the character has a particular statement which sets him off and another character says it when he's already angry.

     Another thing that I'll add which helps differentiate your characters from each other is DIALOG! Some authors love dialog while some hate it! Remember, each character will speak and act a different way! Jamie says: "What's up?" and James says: "Hey." When Jamie learns something new, she says: "Convientent information." While James just grunts. I would suggest grabbing a piece of paper and splitting it up into several sections. Label each section and then address each of your characters within it. EXAMPLE:

      How my characters say goodbye:

James: "Bye." *waves casually*Jamie: "So long." *waves furiously and skips away*Lucy: "See ya." *smiles and turns, slowly walking*Len: *grunts* *nods, sticks hands into pockets and slouches off*

    You can also add actions which describe them as well. The categories can include: saying hello, goodbye, sitting, standing, how they act when alone etc.      We've discussed tools for created good, strong characters, but even with these, it can be difficult to picture our own characters. I would suggest that you constantly be thinking of your main protagonist. So let's say you take a trip to the grocery store or you're riding a bus around a big city or you're sitting at the library. Consider how your character would react to being there? What would they buy at the store? What would they be thinking about on the bus. Would they be fixing their hair and adjusting their glasses? Checking their watch to make sure the bus is on time? What would they read at the library? Maybe they aren't even going to get a book. Maybe they're the kid who would go straight to the video game or the movie section! ALWAYS be thinking about your characters.

     The final suggestion I will list in this chapter is: Use the five senses (hear, see, touch, smell, taste) and thought. When your character walks into a room, what does he notice first? Example:  

Lori and John walk into a bar. Lori hears the man swearing at the counter while John hears his favorite song being played by the band. Lori sees the young women in revealing, inappropriate clothing while John sees several of his old high school buds. John reaches for a pool stick, but Lori hesitates. John smells the familiar and amazing hamburgers while Lori almost gags at the stench of alcohol. 

     Just by this little scene, we've already learned about these two people. We've learned a little about them and their past without it even being openly stated. What did you notice? What do you think this paragraph depicts of their personalities and pasts? What thoughts do you believe are traveling through their minds? Comment your thoughts below.

     Remember: I'm not a genius and don't know everything so if you have anything to add on the subject of character development, I would really like to hear it! Comment if so! If you would like some more info on this subject, I can give you the list of websites (and videos) which I have found VERY helpful!  If you have any questions which you would find it interesting to know my writing take on, message me or comment! Or if you would like me to review your book!                                                              Keep writing, Lewis