All stories have characters. There’s no story if there are no characters—we can all agree on that.
Your characters live out the story you tell and, in several ways, connect with your readers.
Characters, in writing, may exist solely within the confines of your story but a well developed character may as well be someone you can picture having a talk with over some coffee.
I’ve once read a story where the main character was a cross between a dog and a wolf. It definitely takes mind-blowing skills to tell a story in a wolf’s point of view. We’d dive into the subject of POVs later.
Cutting to the chase, basically, there are two categories of characters that are most important when writing;
•Main characters (MC)
•Supporting characters.
Main characters
The main or central character is usually the protagonist (opposite of villain or antagonist) of the story. They are the lead role that the story revolves around. They experience all the twists and turns.
Usually, in most stories, there’s a single main character, but there could sometimes be more than one.
It is important that your MC stands out and is easily identified. A common mistake writers may sometimes make—not excluding myself—is creating “shallow” MCs.
Think of it this way; characters have traits, personalities, behavioral patterns, that readers can relate to. A relatable character is a likeable one. And then, in turn, readers tend to bond with these characters.
On the other hand, an MC without a clearly defined personality only feels estranged to your readers.
The easiest and perhaps only way to create in depth characters that “breathe” is to get to know your character. How do you get to know your character—especially your MC—thoroughly? Create a personal character profile. This is where you can jot down your characters’ motivations, desires, strength, fears…etc. Ask your characters in depth questions. This way, you get to really know your character and this gives you valuable direction on how to steer your story.
Character building is essential for your MC and every other supporting character. Give your characters little traits readers will tend to love and remember them for, even long after finishing your story. This could be;
a)Your character nibbling their thumb or lip when they think.
b)Your character having the driest sense of humor to ever exist in this world.
c)Your character is never able to get a joke.
d)Your character talks a lot or prefers to be quiet.
Let’s hit pause on the topic of main characters. On to the next group of characters;
Supporting characters
A supporting character, according to Wikipedia, is a character in a narrative that is not the focus of the storyline primarily, but is important to the plot/protagonist.
So in essence, supporting characters “support” the MC in achieving their goals. Don’t be fooled to think these characters aren’t relevant because they aren’t the primary focus. The narrative won’t hold without these characters and they too, to some limited extent, require character building.
Building your supporting character in terms of background or back stories, motivation, strengths, and the role they play to aid your MC gives them an actual sense of relevancy rather than just a disposable means to an end.
Have you ever read a story where every other character asides the MC (s) feel shallow? The plot and all may be great but there’s just a generalized lack of depth.
This is not to imply that “all” supporting characters must be developed. That would only make every character feel like the main character.
Rather, supporting characters closest to your MC should have a decent amount of development in terms of having a backstory. Every other supporting characters may get a limited but logical amount of development according to their relevancy to your MC’s goals.
Also, some supporting characters may not always support the MC in the literal sense of the word. They may be bullies, mockers or even opposers, asides the antagonist. But they play a role in motivating or pushing the protagonist (MC) further towards their goals. So, in their own way, they actually give support.
Lastly, here’s a final advice concerning characterization. Avoid going overboard with the number of characters. There are no definite limits to the number of characters in a story, just what is right for the story. But the fewer the merrier, don’t you think? Avoid the complexities of managing twenty or more characters at a time when you could work efficiently with seven to ten. This also saves readers the hassle of having to keep too many details in mind.
It has been great talking about characterization in story telling. See you in the next nugget!
Action point
Whether for a story or for the fun of it, create all kinds of characters, with features and all, and have a great time doing so. There are also lots of character development questions online that you’d find helpful in your character building.
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Beautiful Swirls; Writing Tips
Non-FictionIf you're clicking on this work, you're most likely a wordsmith seeking to improve your craft. In other words, you're a writer or an aspiring author who wants to learn a few things here and there (there's no end to learning). You've come to the righ...
