Five Quick Tips on Creating Characters

Photo by Martha Ramirez

Let's talk characters. 







Here are some fun and quick tips on how to create believable personalities.


1) Let your characters' personalities shine. Don't hold back. Use dialogue to reveal who they really are.

2) GMC—No not General Motors Company. In fiction GMC stands for: Goal-Motivation-Conflict. Make sure you make these clear. This is VERY important.

 

Goal-A passion he/she wants or wants to avoid.

Motivation-the sole reason why his/her goal is important to him/her.     

Conflict-What's standing in the way of his/her goal?

3) If you have the opportunity to show another character connecting with your protagonist, go for it. Empathy creates emotion and if readers see that others care about your lead character, then they will too.

4) Don't be afraid to show your characters' flaws. We all have them. Readers can relate with emotions and flaws.

5) Choose a unique, yet not complicated name. You've heard it all before. To avoid confusion, don't name two characters with the same letter (yes, I admit, I'm guilty of this).

Same goes for names that rhyme. You don't want a Mary and a Fairy. Okay, bad example, but you get the idea J

6) Last, but not least, have fun. Get to know your characters as you would a friend. Interview them. Get under their skin. Add unique (or familiar) quirks and mannerisms.

Favorite mottos can help distinguish when the character is speaking without having to look at a speaker tag. Maybe he or she likes to call her friends: lovie. Be creative, but don't add it to every line. 

Great reminder from D'Ann: Careful not to overdo it.

What tips have you found helpful when creating characters?