Let's Write. (Writing Tips and Tricks)

Characterization (Part 1)

CHARACTERIZATION (Part 1)

There are many elements we mix together to make a story believable and/or good, and characters with dimensions and development and backstory are one of these elements.
One of the most important, if I may say so.
If your characters are poorly presented with little characterization, it's hard for a reader(s) to see themselves in the character(s), to feel with them, to love them, or even just be interested in the story.

Let's say I have character "A" characterized as this; a young teenager with yellow hair and green eyes, her hair is normally light brown, but a failed attempt to change her hair color made them yellow and she usually keeps her feelings to herself.

But here I have the SAME character "A" , but this time I characterize her as this; Chloe is the name her mother gave her, but she changed that name to "C" (pronounced like "See" or "sea") along with her hair color her mother had given her too by genetics the day of her mother's funeral. She heard her mother's voice saying her name every time someone had said her name during the long service, has seen her mother's face in her own when she got home and looked in the mirror of the bathroom she had calmly walked to and barricaded herself in to escape the people downstairs who looked at her with pain and pity, and kept telling her "she's better now", "I'm so sorry for your loss", "She was proud of you, you know", and other useless prepared statement meant to make her feel better but really didn't. She had nodded and given a small, sad smile every time someone had adresses her still, they meant good, she knew it. She had thought being alone in the bathroom would be better, but as she stared at her image in the mirror, it was so much worse, so she searched for the forgotten box under the counter  and when she found it, she hadn't lost any time by changing out of her black shirt and pants she was wearing. She hadn't cared that the old box of dye said it would be "golden", and it ended up making her hair more yellow than anything else close to "golden". No one had made a comment about it. And she didn't talk about it either.

Who would you empathize the most with? Personally, The second version I think. Because there is more to know about her, I gave her motives and I gave her flaws, i have her a back story and come cracks, i have a better idea oh who she is, what she is as a person.

Some might say that the difference between the first version of "A" ans the second is writing style, or stylistic choices. And that's true. Characterization is something that is different for author and you don't need to characterize your character as I'm telling you i'm doing it right now. As the author, you can choose how you characterize your characters, how you being them to life.

Some might say that the difference is background story, but background stories are part of characterization! If you ask me, it's like half of the work on the characterization of a character! By looking into the past of someone, we can understand the way they act, their personality, the way they react to event, why they walk with a limp or why they are scared of the dark. It helps your readers connect with your character(s)

But as always in writing, too much is too much,
don't give all of the background story of each character as soon as you introduce them, keep some of it for later, same with other characterizations traits and techniques!

Playing with characterization is also something great when you create an "enemy" or a a villain. Depending if you want the readers to like the vilain or not, or even if you want them to hate and love them st the same time (or hate them at first and slowly grow to love them), you can use characterization to do that.

For example, if you watched the THOR movies or the first Avengers, you know Loki is a villain we like. At one point we only see his need for revenge, his need of power and recognition by his father and other people, we see how easily he betrays his family. That is all about characterization. But we also start to empathize with him when we see his 'Backstory', we see how deeply he loves his family and that is why their lies is like a betrayal to him. We also see him be weak, how he shows his love for his brother although they are far from being similar, even if he tried to kill him and destroy Thorn had worked for/loved. How did they make us love Loki? By humanizing him, by giving him human qualities and traits; showing background story, showing his pain, showing his weaknesses, showing us emotions; they showed that he wasn't a monster, they showed us that Loki had been tortured by his pain and anger into this villain we saw.

So!
To create your characters and know them better, you can put yourself in their position and answer these questions as if you were them, it's a great exercise to explore a character's voice, personality and background. Think of these questions like your character meeting a therapist for the first time! (if your character if a little secretive, you can let it show in the response but, also put information because it's going to help you build your character)

1. What's your full name? The name you go by (if different for the one you were given)? nicknames people have for you (and backstories as to why the nickname exist if there is any)?

2. Do you have a family? Who are they? What do they look like /do you look like your family physically or personality wise? Do you trust them?

3. What's one of your fears? What is one thing/moment/person/sound/smell you'll never forget?

4. What is your education level? (did you ever go to school? homeschool perhaps? What field did you study? Where did you learn your knowledge if you didn't learn it from school? are you more of a physical learner or visual?)

5. Do you like sport? Are you in shape? What's one of your physical weaknesses?

6. What's one memory from your childhood that makes you smile?

7. What do you look like? Do you have scars? What form do your eyes have? what is your face shape? Your height? What's one thing you love about your body?

8. What are your hobbies? Where did you pick it up from? Since when? How does it make you feel? Why do you love it?

9. Do you have any abnormal traits? (both personality wise or physically).

10. What's the first thing you see when you look at someone?

I'll upload a PDF or picture version of these question on my profile in the bio if you ever want to print it to do it!

I'll also will be posting a second "chapter" about characterization because I have a list of other questions and reason why they're important and what they can bring to your character and your story!!

Please comment questions to ask to a character to help others build characters!!!