Creating Interesting Characters

How well do you know the characters in your story?

It sounds like a simple question—perhaps even a bit lame.  I mean, you are the author after all!  They can be whatever—or whoever—you want them to be, right?

Wrong.

Your characters need to be consistent throughout your project.  The person you start them out as needs to be the same person they end up as—minus the personal journeys and transformations that take place during throughout the course of the story.

Have you ever been writing a particular scene only to realize that you don’t really know how your character would react in the situation you created?  Or maybe your protagonist is walking through a crowded subway and you can’t seem to get him to do more than get from point “A” to “B”.  His actions don’t seem real or interesting in the slightest.  Perhaps you find yourself searching your manuscript for the model car they drive or the name of his ex-girlfriend from college.

Vagueness in your characters isn’t just something you notice—your reader will see it too!  As a result, they’ll appear less real to the reader and their connection to them and the situations they’re in will suffer.

So how do you combat this?

Personally, before I start on a new project, I complete a full biography of all major characters in the plot.  I use the bio page to remind me of characteristics about the character that I might have otherwise forgotten.  In addition to text, I also include a picture of what I envision the character to look like.  That way I can be sure my descriptions about their appearance are consistent throughout the work.

Below is an actual biography I use for one of my main characters in “The Veil”.

 

 

Special Agent Dana Cooper

35 years old
5’ 7” / 135 lbs
Caucasian and Latino
Brown eyes, brown hair-slightly wavy
Chestnut complexion reflecting Latino heritage
Mature, tough, wise
Power: Remote Viewing (evolves to include past events)
Joined FBI 8 years ago

“Coops”, as her coworkers call her, was raised by her adoptive father, James (Jimmy), who was a Jersey cop. He rescued her from drug-bust that killed her parents when she was only three. She immediately bonded with him, and the courts agreed that it would be in her best interests if he raised her. He raised her happy and healthy—but also to be a survivor.

Now full-grown, Coops is a Special Agent with the FBI and is known as shrewd and tough. She’s beautiful, but doesn’t spend a lot of time on her looks: little make-up, hair pulled back in a pony-tail, dress slacks and a plain button-down shirt or sport coat.

Coops has seen a lot of things, but nothing can prepare her for the things she’ll experience after meeting Robert and Julia. Troy finds her super-hot, but Coop wants nothing to do with him.

She doesn’t believe in the supernatural and will take some convincing if Robert and Julia want her help.

Journeys:

• Coop is on an on-going journey of self-discovery into her womanhood. She missed out on a lot because of only being raised by her father, but she’s aware of the woman deep in her and longs to be feminine and delicate.
• (Possible Journey) She could have some dormant abilities like Robert and Julia that have unknowingly helped her in her career in law-enforcement.

Partner: Paul Stanfield – partners for 2 years
Boss: Deputy Director Shawn Crawford

 

As you can see by the above example, I describe any pertinent visual cues that distinguish her from other characters in the story—including age, weight and height.  Obviously I’ll probably never refer to her exact weight in the finished work, but knowing detailed information about her like that can help make descriptions of her consistent throughout the story.

The visual cues are aided by the image of the character pasted into the bio.  You can find a picture of anyone on the web and use it…it’s only for your own personal reference (due to copyright issues, the picture of “Coops” is not included in this post.)

I also include a complete background of the character including dates (if appropriate), spans of time, important people to that character such as parents, siblings, partners, children, etc.  Other things to consider detailing include:

• What kind of car they drive, and what it looks like
• Where they work, what they do there, how long they’ve worked there, etc.
• Where they live
• Bars or clubs they like to hang out at

Basically, my bio sheet is a virtual repository of story-related facts and details that I can refer back to at any time.  Having specific details available at a moment’s notice will save you countless hours searching your manuscript!

Lastly, ever character has a “Journeys” section.  This is where I put a bulleted list of life-changing events that I want them to accomplish during the course of the story.  Lesser characters may have only one or two journey items, while primary characters will often have as many as four or five! 

It’s important that all your main characters grow and evolve throughout your story.  If they remain stationary, they’ll grow stale and uninteresting to your reader.  Readers relate to their personal struggles and inner demons and they’ll be much more likely to relate to them on a personal level, making the experience of reading your novel that much more enjoyable.

Spending the time to create character bios can actually help to shape your plot.  You may find that the story almost writes itself when you turn your fully-flushed out characters loose in a given scene or situation!  At the very least, knowing them in detail will help you create continuity that you simply can’t get otherwise.

 

How do you create your characters?  Is there a technique you use that you’d like to share?  Post your approach in the comments section!