Hi everyone! Welcome back to the Writer’s Nook. Last week was mostly for introductions and to give y’all an idea of what to expect from this blog, but this time we’ll get right into it! Today let’s talk about characters!
If you’re anything like me, you probably love creating characters. We love to imagine them, we love to throw them into various situations, but actually writing them? Ughh don’t make me do it. Someday someone will find a way to precisely copy an image from our minds onto a piece of paper and then we’ll all be happier, but until that day, here’s some tips on where and how to start when you’ve got a character rattling around in your brain who won’t quiet down until you’ve done something with them.
I usually start with the basics: Name, age, gender. Easy peasy (unless you’re like me and spend an hour on a name generator website trying to find exactly the right one).
Next, we add a bit more depth: General appearance (skin, eye, hair color/style), hometown/nationality, family members. Still easy, but these steps start to build a world around your character, rather than having them chill in an empty void in which only they exist.
Now you gotta use your brain: Motivation, goals, values. Your character’s motivation is what drives them toward the goals they want to accomplish. Why are they doing their thing? Are they doing it for themself or for someone else? And how does that change throughout the story?
Their goal is the thing they’re fighting for, what they’re working toward. It can be anything from working up the courage to ask someone to prom, to finding a legendary artifact to save the world. Whatever it is, however big or small, your character should have a strong goal that leads them through the story –– and be prepared for that goal to change as they go.
Your character’s values are what they wholeheartedly believe in, their unshakable worldview (but spoiler alert, it will probably (definitely) be shaken). Their values contribute to the motivation pushing them toward their goal. Throughout the course of your story, these values will be challenged, doubted, and possibly rethought. And that also means their goals might change too. In the novel I’m writing right now, my main character begins the story by following a prophecy that he thinks will help save his brother, but by the turning point of the book he finds a new, wider goal, which also requires him to question his values and shift his motivation. So while your character’s underlying motivation might not change, there’s a good chance their story will require them to set aside their original goals for the sake of the plot –– which will also give them new, additional motivations.
Character growth happens when the character encounters something that forces them to broaden their perspective and set their personal wants/needs/goals aside. I know it’s basic and old news, but think of The Hunger Games: Katniss’s original goal is to survive the Games. Her motivation is her sister. But when she becomes the face of a rebellion, her motivation shifts. It’s no longer just about Katniss and Prim; it’s about all the kids in Panem who have been forced to fight in the Games. Her perspective shifts, and she begins to fight for everyone rather than just herself. You can see the same formula in pretty much any book you read.
The main point is, your character needs strong values, motivations, and goals in order to be the most authentic type of character. The hardest part of writing anything is making sure your characters read like real people, and one of the ways I double check for that is reading my dialogue out loud and acting out my characters’ actions. It’s a simple trick, but it really helps you see if your dialogue sounds clunky or if you’ve had your character set down the cup they were holding like 3 times. Think about whether your dialogue sounds like something someone would actually say –– it can honestly make or break the authenticity of your characters.
Speaking of authenticity, I also want to offer this tip: if you try to force your characters to do anything, they WILL NOT listen to you. I know I sound insane but hear me out: your characters have this funny way of taking over their own stories. You don't control them, they control you. So let them. Let them lead you where they want to go, even if it interferes with your plans. They're like little wind-up toys: you can set them in the right direction but they'll run around everywhere and bend the story in ways you didn't expect. And a lotta times, that's a great and magical thing.
I just threw a lot of stuff at you, so let’s back up for a second. Again, your character’s goal doesn’t have to be something earth-shattering. If you’re writing a short story, their goal might just be to walk home from school or go downstairs for breakfast or buy a snack from the store. It can be literally anything and it absolutely can be simple. It’s a matter of asking your character what they want (and it might take them a bit to actually give you an answer, if they’re stubborn like some of mine). Then once you know that, ask them why they want it –– that’s where the motivation and values come in.
Here’s the fun part. I like to be mean to my characters. I’m usually not sorry about it. So my favorite thing to do is dangle their goals in front of them and say “Hey look! It’s right here! You’re so close!” and then yoink them away. There are times when your character won’t reach their goal, and that is the absolute best time for them to second-guess their goal and ask if that was what they really wanted. Losing their goal might be their rock bottom, their absolute lowest part of the story. But it’s FUN because it forces your character into a corner that only they can fight their way out of by rethinking what they want. By keeping your character from their goal, you’ll learn something about them and they’ll learn something about themself.
So, to wrap up, here’s my personal go-to basic character sheet:
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Race:
Nationality:
Hometown:
Family:
Friends:
What do they value?
What do they want?
Why do they want it?
Once you have those things down, hey guess what! You have the barebones of your character’s leg of the plot. That’s a big step! Repeat this for every main character, and see how they tangle together. It’s REALLY fun when your characters have goals that directly conflict with each other.
On that note, I wanna give a little disclaimer about these blogs. Obviously this is not the only way to create a character. Obviously I’m not the ultimate authority on writing. I’m not telling you the rules to making characters or writing a story. These are just tips and guidelines that have helped me along the way, and I’m hoping they’re helpful to you guys too!
So by all means, break the rules. I dare you.
That’s all I got for y’all today, but I hope you found that info useful! Before I go, I’ll give a little update about what I’ve been up to these days.
What I’m Writing:
I’m in the midst of revisions of my YA fantasy novel called A DECEPTION OF DEMONS. It’s a vaguely Beauty and the Beast inspired story with a shapeshifting prince and a boy who can talk to deities. Fun times. I’m also working on the sequel, which has been rough. It’s a hot mess, but that’s what first drafts are for!
What I’m Reading:
Just finished: I have not actually finished a book since last week’s post, oops
Currently reading: I am almost done with ALL THE STARS AND TEETH by Adalyn Grace. It’s REALLY good. I love it. There’s cool magic, a charming sort-of pirate and his magic ship, a kickass main character, and a mermaid!!! It’s such an immersive story that has me hanging onto every word. I read most of it in a day, and now I’m procrastinating finishing it because I don’t want it to be over and I don’t want to wait a year for the second book 😭
Starting next: I think my next read is going to be THE DEVOURING GRAY by Christine Lynn Herman. One of my friends has been pestering me to read it for like a year, so I think it’s time I finally listen to her!
Thanks for reading this ramble of mine, and I’ll see y’all next week with some more writing tips! Try out that character profile exercise and see what you come up with. Also, if there’s a specific topic you’d like me to talk about, leave it in the comments!
Till next time,
Anna 😎✌🏻
No comments:
Post a Comment