Tip of the Day:
Creating “Real” Characters
Any story is nothing without the characters in it. Without them, it may as well have been a report. Remember that your characters are real people in their fictional worlds. So they are more than a title, they are more than goths and mean girls and nerds and bullies. Every character you write is their own person.
So how do you write “real” characters? Three important steps:
(1) Establish clear goals.
That goes for every character. School bully? They will have their own goals too. You might not need to tell the readers what that is. But if it's there while you're writing your character, it helps flesh them out more.
(2) Define their identity.
Your characters will have their individual voices. Each character will have traits that shape them into the individual they become. (Think Sims, minus taking away the ladder from the pool).
The school bully might be insecure, they might have issues at home and they need a place to vent. There could be a number of reasons for their behaviour. Don’t lump someone off as “mean.” Decide why they're mean.
(3) Research.
Psychology is such an interesting subject. And there are so many psychological studies that can help you decide what kind of personality your character will have. You're writing about someone with insecurity issues, for instance. They won't wake up one day, suddenly a different person. How can someone with insecurity issues become a better person then? There's really only one way to find out, get on your PC and research it.
