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?

Adding Character to your Characters

Photo by Karol Pomplin

First of all I'd like to apologize for not posting as much lately. Revisions have taken a big chunk of my time. Hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving! Been REALLY eager to post about writing—so here we go….

Shaping originality and charm into your characters can be a lot of work but it can also be a ton of fun. What makes your characters unique? Exciting? Appealing? Do they lack charisma? Beauty? Goals?

Maybe your characters end up becoming the opposite: Grumpy, unkempt, and hideous.

Think about the special people in your life or perhaps those who fill the entertainment business. In which ways have they succeeded or failed? What makes them who they are? What personality traits set them apart from everybody else?

Give your characters a unique habit. Maybe add a quirky word or two in their dialogue. Make them stand out. You should be able to read a passage of dialogue and know who is speaking without having to read any speaker tags.

Present them with more than one flaw/trait. This will give them some character and it will open the door to creating a three-dimensional personality.

Remember, let's stay away from clichés. If you heard it once before, then that's a cliché. Strain your brain and work your creativity. This is your chance to let your originality shine through. Yes, it takes some effort on your part, but in the end it will be well worth the labor.

And don’t forget to show don't tell. If he/she is the stubborn type. Don't say it— show it through his or her actions. Actions speak louder than words (excuse the cliché ☺).

Below are some awesome links that will help breathe some life into your characters.

Enjoy and happy writing!

PDF Creating Three Dimensional Characters By Susan Williams Beckhorn

MUST bookmark this page.

A fabulous list on How to Describe a Fascinating Character by Jacqui Murray

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3D Characters

Three Dimensional Characters

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