CHARACTERS

One of the very first things you’ll need before you write a story (or a book,) are a few characters.  Characters are the ones who bring the story to life, they are the reason readers are transported into the book.  Developing one can be both easy or extremely hard.  You are the one who designed everything about them: From what they look like to the deepest desire locked away.  A few things you NEED to know about your character(s) are what they love (and how to keep it from them), what they hate (and how it affects them/how they deal with it), what they need (whether money or friends, it’s all up to you), what they want (they are trying to claim), what they fear (what scares them), and their personality.  Is your character always forgetting things they need to know?  Have it so the reader forgets as well.  Does your character love a certain activity, but is so busy with other events that they don’t often have time for it?

 

A fun thing to try is talking with your character in your head or out loud, and try to imagine their responses.  You need to know how they will deal with stuff that happens to them, or, what they will not be able to handle.

 

Don’t forget about the antagonist!  The villain of the story!  The neat part is that they/it doesn’t even have to be a human/animal/other like your protagonist.  The villain could simply be a disability, (example: maybe your main character is blind) and they want to find out what to do with it, how to overcome it.  The villain does not have to be a cloaked spooky guy; it can be anything standing between the protagonist and whatever it is that they need/want/love.

 

Here’s my protagonist from Defenders.

Name: Syrene Pectar

Appearance: Blue robes and cape, Sword of Light, Locket of Appearance

Loves: Her dragon fadith – Willow, having someone she can trust, her friends

Hates: Wars, always running from her past, grimfoetivees (snakes with two talons and wing-ears that can alter memories using their blind eyes and music.)

Needs: Friends, answers of who she is/who her parents were, peace, to settle old failures

Wants: To have her name known, not be be alone anymore

Fears: Failure

 

Just with a profile like this one, you have a story laid out for you.  Characters are the life of the story, and you are the one who can change a reader by using your story to relate to real life.  One more thing: Don’t write about unrealistic characters!  Don’t get me wrong, aliens can be realistic in your story, and I write about all kinds of strange creatures.  What I mean is don’t have a character who doesn’t have any struggle with life.  If they are perfect, the story falls apart.  How can a perfect character alter the direction of the story?  If a character is fearless, where’s the story?  Characters need to have characteristics where they struggle with certain things; they fear something they did or will do; they are desperate to prove themselves but tell themselves they don’t have what it takes, etc.

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Writing for Those Who Enjoy It

Jovial January Writing Tips: Writing for Those Who Enjoy It

Fantastic February Writing Tips: Plot Structure and Hooks

Marvelous March Writing Tips: Middle Fillers, Climax, and Language

Amazing April Writing Tips: Villains and How to make the Worthy Opponents

Mysterious May Writing Tips: Writer’s Block