Before I leave the blog in her very capable hands, I just want to ask pretty pretty please for writers who are willing to take on the theme of Querying for June. I only have one writer left before my Fridays are blank, and it would be a tragedy, since so many people want to learn about all they can in this topic. So if you are interested, willing and able, please check out this post and contact me.
Okay, Sheri, over to you. Thanks so much for this great post!
My Wig Is On Perfectly Crooked
Characters can make or break the
success of a story.
Have you ever read a book or
watched a movie where you absolutely despise one of the characters? What about
the hero you just can’t bear to see lose or the underdog who’s backstory is so
gut-wrenching that even if they committed murder you’d still love them?
Sure you have. We all have. But
why? What makes those characters resonate with us?
A relatable, emotional connection
was established by the writers and filmmakers. They were able to get you to invest yourself and stake claim in the
character. And if this is done well, they will also get you to connect
qualities from a character with someone in your world. It might be your mother
or the dog you and your BFF used to dress up in dog clothes. Or maybe the
babysitter you had when you were twelve. You might even see a bit of yourself.
The possibilities are endless.
Uniqueness, an element that makes
the character stand apart from others, was surely also used. Take Elizabeth from Pride and
Prejudice. Her unique quality was her confidence and dogged opinions, which was
only strengthened by the world she lived in where it was not popular to be an
outspoken woman. A unique quality doesn’t have to be different in itself, just
different to the other characters in your story.
Characters who make a story work
are believable, flawed, and on some level emotionally jaded. Now, emotional
jaded could be as simple as a character having a spider fall on her head as a
young child while sleeping in a camp and developing a terrifying fear of the Arachnid.
(Not that I ever experienced such an event.) Or it could travel the extremes of
depression or anguish over a death, accident, or other traumatic and personal
event.
The trick is to make the reader
believe said character is haunted by his/her past, present, and possible future
~ whichever of these apply to your story.
How is that accomplished? Before
you begin meshing the lives of your characters together in their here and now, give them – at varying
degrees:
1.
A PAST worth telling and exploring. Don’t be afraid to push
boundaries here. But remember, this past should help motivate the character
forward in their current story world. It should help force a change.
2.
A FAÇADE worthy of description, both inwardly and outwardly. Paint a
picture for the reader, but do it gradually throughout a few chapters. Nibbles
always make the eater hungrier. Give them a meal, and they fill up quickly.
3.
A CHARACTERISTIC different from any other character in your story. It
can be subtle or in-your-face. Play with it. Honestly, this is one of my
favorite things to do, while I write.
4.
A CONFLICT that will NOT be
cured within the pages of this particular story. It could be a Doritos fetish
from one character that totally aggravates another character. Kind of silly,
but workable, and it can add flavor to scenes.
Obviously most of this should be
concentrated on your main characters, but developing secondary characters even
a little can add depth to your main characters that you can use and bounce off
of. And who knows, if you accomplish success with this first story you just
might be asked to do a sequel. You’d have surface material on the secondary
characters that you could develop more deeply.
So tip your characters’ wigs now
and again. Change the color. Give them a hat of a different texture,
unexpected. Make me want them to succeed or fail. If you accomplish this,
either way, you’re story will be remembered.
How do you approach characterization?
Sheri Larsen is a published freelance and short story writer, and KidLit author. Her website, Writers’ Ally, is where she explores writing, children’s literature, and motherhood. She lives in Maine with her husband and four children.
How do you approach characterization?
Sheri Larsen is a published freelance and short story writer, and KidLit author. Her website, Writers’ Ally, is where she explores writing, children’s literature, and motherhood. She lives in Maine with her husband and four children.
Some great info. Characterization is usually what I leave for last. It lets me get to know the characters as I put them through the mess (plot). Some great tips.
ReplyDeleteExcellent tip and a great reminder that characters need to be well-rounded in stories (at least in the authors mind) before you sit down and try to breathe life into them. Otherwise, they may not turn out the way you want them to.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Michael, for stopping by and commenting!
DeleteA conflict not cured - I like that idea.
ReplyDeleteHaha! Can you tell I live with a bunch of teens????
DeleteHaunted by his past - what a great description. Everyone comes with baggage. Might as well use it to the max.
ReplyDeleteGreat characterization tips! Introducing an unresolved conflict, especially--it adds another dimension, since few problems in reality are wrapped up nicely.
ReplyDeleteFrom just reading this one post I know that I am going to be busy reading through more of your previous entries. Exactly the kind of advice and help/insight I need - thank you :)
ReplyDeleteI'm very pleased to have you join us at the hearth. I hope you enjoy our stay :)
As for character development? I'm still very much a newbie at the writing thing, so I don't really feel qualified to comment... yet.
Kind regards
MK
That's great to hear, Mark. Misha has established a wonderful opportunity with these guest posts for writers to share what works for them.
DeleteCharacterisation is an area I have to work hard on. I tend to saddle them with some peculiarity to distinguish them from others, but then they have to battle against it.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Thanks.
Characters are not easy to draw and take a lot of work. Great tips!
ReplyDeleteCreating characters that are real and tangible takes work. Great advice.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to thank Misha for hosting my guest post. It was a blast to write and explore. I'd also like to thank everyone who stopped by. It's great to meet all of you. (btw - I was away for the holiday weekend at my daughter's soccer tournament. That's why I'm just getting here to comment. ;D)
ReplyDeleteNice post and the picture is awesome.
ReplyDelete