Regarding storytelling, characters are the heart and soul of your narrative. They are the vessels through which readers experience your world, the emotional anchors that make your story resonate, and the driving force behind the plot. Crafting interesting, multidimensional characters is an essential skill for any writer, whether you’re penning a novel, short story, or screenplay. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the fundamentals of character building, offering you a comprehensive guide to creating characters that leap off the page and into the hearts of your readers.
Why Character Building Matters?
Before we dive into the “how,” let’s talk about the “why.” Why is character-building so important? Simply put, readers connect with the characters more than with the plot. A well-crafted character can turn a mediocre plot into a masterpiece, while a poorly developed character can sink even the most intricate storyline.
Characters give your story emotional depth and relatability. They make readers laugh, cry, and cheer. They provide the lens through which the audience experiences the world you’ve created. Without powerful characters, your story risks feeling hollow or forgettable.
Step 1: Define Your Character’s Core.
At the heart of every great character is their core—who they are at their essence. This includes their personality, motivations, and values. To define your character’s core, consider the following questions:
- What drives your character? What are their goals, dreams, and desires? Understanding what your character wants will help you shape their actions and decisions.
- What are their fears and flaws? No one is perfect, and your characters shouldn’t be either. Flaws and fears make characters relatable and human.
- What are their core values? What do they believe in? What principles guide their decisions?
For example, if your protagonist is a young woman seeking revenge for her family’s murder, her core might be defined by her determination, her grief, and her unwavering sense of justice.
Step 2: Build a Backstory
Every character has a past, which shapes who they are in the present. A well-developed backstory adds depth and realism to your characters. It explains why they behave the way they do and provides a context for their motivations.
When crafting a backstory, consider the following elements:
-Childhood: Where did they grow up? What was their family like? Did they have a happy or traumatic upbringing?
-Key life events: What moments have shaped them the most? These could be triumphs, tragedies, or pivotal choices.
-Relationships: Who are the important people in their life? How have these relationships influenced them?
While not every detail of your character’s backstory needs to make it into your story, having this information in your mind will help you write them more authentically.
Step 3: Develop Physical Traits and Mannerisms
Your character’s physical appearance and mannerisms can reveal much about who they are. These details help readers visualize the characters and make them more memorable. When describing physical traits, go beyond height, hair color, and eye color. Think about how their appearance reflects their personality or life experiences.
For example:
- A character who’s spent years working outdoors might have weathered skin and calloused hands.
- A meticulous and perfectionist character might always be impeccably dressed, with not a hair out of place.
Besides physical traits, think about mannerisms and quirks. Does your character tap their foot when they’re nervous? Do they have a signature phrase they always say? Minor details like these can make your character feel more real.
Step 4: Define Their Voice
Every character should have a unique voice that reflects their personality, background, and worldview. This voice comes through in their dialogue, inner thoughts, and narration (if they’re the point-of-view character).
To develop your character’s voice, consider:
- Speech patterns: Do they speak formally or casually? Do they use slang or have an accent?
- Vocabulary: What words or phrases do they use? Are they verbose or succinct?
- Tone: Is their tone optimistic, sarcastic, serious, or playful?
For instance, a grizzled war veteran might speak in short, clipped sentences, while a bubbly teenager might ramble and use lots of exclamation points.
Step 5: Give Them Strengths and Weaknesses
Balanced characters are believable characters. No one is perfect, and no one is entirely flawed. Your characters should have a mix of strengths and weaknesses that make them feel like real people.
Strengths: These qualities help your character succeed. They could be physical skills, intellectual abilities, or personality traits. For example, your character might be brave, resourceful, or a skilled negotiator.
Weaknesses: These traits or habits hold your character back or cause conflict. They could be internal (e.g., insecurity, arrogance) or external (e.g., a physical disability, lack of resources).
Your character’s strengths and weaknesses should influence the story. For example, a character’s impulsiveness might get them into trouble, but their quick thinking could help them escape it.
Step 6: Create Goals and Conflicts
Every character needs a goal—something they’re striving for. This goal gives them purpose and drives the plot forward. However, achieving this goal shouldn’t be easy. There should be obstacles and conflicts that stand in their way.
External conflicts: These challenges come from outside the character, such as antagonists, societal pressures, or environmental dangers.
Internal conflicts: These are struggles within the character, such as self-doubt, fear, or moral dilemmas.
For example, a character might try to save their village from an invading army (external conflict) while grappling with their fear of failure (internal conflict).
Step 7: Show Growth and Change
Outstanding characters don’t stay the same throughout the story—they grow and change. This character arc is one of the most satisfying aspects of storytelling. Whether your character becomes a better person, succumbs to their flaws, or finds a new sense of purpose, their journey should feel earned and meaningful.
To create an interesting character arc:
1. Start with a flaw or challenge. What does your character need to overcome or learn?
2. Show incremental growth. Change doesn’t happen overnight. Your character should face setbacks and minor victories along the way.
3. End with transformation. Your character should be different by the end of the story—stronger, wiser, or more self-aware.
Step 8: Make Them Relatable
Even if your character is a dragon-riding sorcerer or an alien from another planet, they should have qualities that readers can relate to. These could be universal emotions (love, fear, hope) or everyday struggles (feeling out of place, wanting to belong).
Relatability doesn’t mean your character has to be likable. Even villains can be relatable if their motivations and emotions feel real. The key is to make readers understand where the character comes from, even if they disagree with their actions.
Step 9: Use Supporting Characters to Enhance Your Main Character
Your protagonist doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Their interactions with supporting characters can reveal different facets of their personality and add depth to the story. Think about how relationships shape your character:
Allies: Who supports your character and helps them achieve their goals? What do they bring to the table?
Rivals/Antagonists: Who opposes your character and creates conflict? What motivates them?
Mentors: Who guides your character and helps them grow? What wisdom do they offer?
Love interests: How does romance affect your character’s journey? What challenges or joys does it bring?
These relationships should feel dynamic and evolve throughout the story.
Step 10: Test Your Character
Once you’ve developed your character, it’s time to put them to the test. Please place them in different scenarios and see how they react. This will help you ensure their actions are consistent with their personality and motivations.
For example:
- How would your character react to betrayal?
- What would they do if they found a bag of money?
- How would they handle a moral dilemma?
Testing your character in this way can also help you uncover new facets of their personality or refine their traits.
Final Thought
Character building is both an art and a science. It requires creativity, empathy, and attention to detail. By following these steps and genuinely getting to know your characters, you’ll be able to create individuals who feel real, relatable, and unforgettable.
Remember, your characters are the heart of your story. Treat them carefully, and your readers will fall in love with them as much as you have. Now, start building characters that will leave a lasting impression!