I’ve been thinking a lot about characters lately…

I’ve read a lot of books over the summer, all well-written with brilliant plots – most were solid 4 star reads, but in most of them there was something really lacking for me. Fully drawn, relatable characters. It’s not entirely fair to criticise the books for this though, as how we feel about characters in books is a very unique and personal thing. The books that I found rather lacking in characters I could really root for would have presented no such problem for another reader. I think its just me. Considering I’m quite introverted and anti-social in real life, in books it would appear I am looking for escapism via people as well as places and situations… Finding characters I really love is apparently really important to me.

With that in mind, here are my top 10 things to consider when creating a character for the first time:

1. Their back story – I think this gets a bit neglected sometimes. Authors will mention it if its relevant to the plot but sometimes a person’s back story is relevant to understanding the person they are as well, and both should be considered when writing a character. Back story includes the following things: their family, their hometown, their childhood and any relevant incidents that occurred previously. It’s basically everything that happened to the character before the story started. This is important for an author to figure out because everything that happened to a person helps create the person they now are. We are a product of our past experiences, from our schooldays to our first crush, to the way our parents treated us to the way they treated each other, whether we were rich or poor, healthy or sick… It all adds up to character and can help the reader understand the character’s behaviour and motivations.
2. Their likes/dislikes – An obvious one, but one I do see authors neglecting at times. We all have likes and dislikes, and I’m not just talking about foods we love or hate, or sports we love or hate – I’m talking about other, more universal things. We all have things that annoy us, for example, things we can’t tolerate, things that set our teeth on edge. And we all have things we love, things we are passionate about, maybe even things we would die for… As an author, you need to know all of them, even if they don’t get mentioned specifically in the story. Again, likes and dislikes make up who we are and they can really help set a character apart from all the others.
3. Their bad habits/flaws – We must also remember that our characters cannot and should not be perfect. Yes, they might be the hero of the tale, they might be hugely talented, ridiculously clever, or remarkably kind and selfless… But that’s not the whole story, is it? They can’t be perfect because that’s not relatable. Readers want to see flaws, even little ones, because it reminds us the character is a human just like us and flawed, just like us. Believe me, this makes us like them more! It could be anything from being clumsy, or socially awkward, to being messy at home, or absent-minded in the company of others. Maybe they are bad at listening, are too judgemental or too quick to temper. Maybe they don’t take things seriously enough, or are constantly running from their problems. Perhaps they just swear too much or pick their nose! Whatever is is, give them some quirks and bad habits to make them seem more real.
4. Their ability to change – If you put your character through a lot, they should change. Character development is crucial to ensuring readers care about characters. If they start off stubborn and rude and end up the same, they haven’t learnt anything, which makes the plot feel a bit pointless. Undoubtedly, what you put them through as a writer ought to change them as a person. Perhaps they start off shy, introverted and stubborn but the plot forces them to come out of their shell and face the world. Perhaps they are big-headed and think they are always right, and the story changes this as it progresses. It might only be in subtle ways, but to ensure our characters are realistic, we need to allow the journey to change them, just as it changes us in real life.
5. The way they see the world and whether it changes – Similar to the above – their worldview may be shaped by the back story we have already mentioned, or it may be shaped by their bad habits and flaws and the kind of person they are. Either way, the way they see the world may change as they navigate the plot. This might extend to other characters; for example, perhaps they start off with a heart of gold, and somewhat naive, but by the end of the story, the world has hardened them and toughened them up. Or perhaps it’s the other way around.
6. The way they see themselves and whether it changes – Often authors neglect to consider how their character sees themselves. My favourite thing to consider about antagonists, for example, is that they are often the protagonist in their own eyes… They think they are right, just as the hero does. How does your character feel about themselves? What do they think when they look in the mirror? What do they like and dislike about themselves? Consider this to make them seem more real and also how the plot might change how they feel about themselves.
7. Their cultural preferences – Slightly more complex than their world view, this considers their cultural preferences in terms of music, film, TV, hobbies and interests. What a person likes to read, for example, can say quite a lot about them! Equally, alluding to their favourite band or song will give the reader a glimpse of their personality in a subtle way. It’s these little details that make us human and set us apart from each other, so don’t forget them when building a character.
8. The way they dress – Similar to the above, don’t forget to put thought and care into the way they dress. What does it say about them? Describing someone putting on a suit will give the reader some clues as to this characters personality, job and lifestyle, to some extent. Just as having them pull on muddy boots, or tie their hair in a messy bun, will suggest something else. We are all guilty of judging others by their appearance and this can be fun to play around with in writing. A heavily tattooed character blaring out heavy metal might lull the reader into expecting a type of person, whereas the truth could be very different. Having said that, we do dress how we feel and our clothes often reflect our interests and hobbies… so it can be a really useful tool to build character without saying too much.
9. The way they talk – Before creating a character, and particularly if you are new to character building, I strongly suggest you spend as much time as you can observing conversations. Conversations you are having with others, and conversations you overhear, as both are vital in highlighting the unique ways we talk. Consider, for example, that people often change the way they talk depending on who they are talking to. A surly teenager, for example, might snap at their mother in the morning, but be full of excitement and passion when they are walking to school with their best friend. Not only that, we all have different ways of talking. Some people interrupt and talk over people – what does this suggest to the reader? Some people trail off and look away… what could this mean? Some people only say the bare minimum, while others talk far too much. We tend to have phrases we use out of habit, so think about that too. You can weave different parts of people in real life into one character.
10. What they want/what is driving them – This is such an important part to character creation but one I do think gets forgotten sometimes. Obviously, the plot provides the character with a purpose and a reason to act or react. As authors, we have to keep this in mind at all times, because just as back story, and world-view and flaws will drive a character’s behaviour, what they actually want will drive it even more. For the story to reach a conclusion, what the character wants must be vital enough to keep them going. If they give up, the story dies. Something is driving and pushing them forward and it’s best to consider this in terms of an inner and outer journey. On the outside, something has caught their attention or compelled them to react. On the inside, something is giving them the strength to keep going. We are all driven by something in life and what that is will play a huge part in your character’s behaviour. It is perhaps the most important thing for an author to know about their character!

Thanks for reading! Feel free to drop a comment or share. I’d love to know your thoughts on characters in books. Do you have a favourite and why? Have you read a book where the plot was perfect but the characters felt flat? Let me know!