"IT'S ALIVE!"

                                     

                             CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

I’M NOT RESURRECTING FRANKENSTEIN FROM THE DEAD, BUT I AM TALKING ABOUT CREATING LIVELY CHARACTERS AND STORIES AND WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE.

AS WRITERS, WE ALL KNOW THIS IS A KEY ELEMENT FOR EVERY STORY WHETHER IT’S CHILDREN’S FICTION BOOKS ARE ADULT.

IT’S HOW WE CAPTURE THE ATTENTION OF INTERESTED READERS AND KEEP THEM READING UNTIL THE STORY IS COMPLETED.

WELL, I WANT TO TELL YOU HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THIS AND MORE.

I BELIEVE THE MOST EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUE IS MUCH LIKE THE CONSTRUCTION OF FRANKENSTEIN: YOU TAKE A LITTLE OF THIS AND ADD A LITTLE OF THAT AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOU’VE CREATED A LIVING BREATHING BEING.

CHARACTER BUILDING IS SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES A GREAT AMOUNT OF THOUGHT.

THIS IS WHY I’VE BROKEN DOWN THE PROCESS FOR YOU IN HANDY BULLETS.

1. YOU NEED TO DEVELOP KEY ELEMENTS, SUCH AS PHYSICAL PRESENCE OR DISTINCT ATTRIBUTES.

HERE’S A HINT; WE’RE HUMAN SO WE SHOULD CONSTRUCT CHARACTERS THAT POSSESS THIS SAME TRAIT.

THIS IS AN EASY ONE BECAUSE WE HAVE MANY PATTERNS AND BRANDS TO CHOOSE FROM. IN A WAY, WE’RE DESIGNING OUR CHARACTERS LIKE CLOTHES DESIGNERS OR BUILDING PLANNERS LAYOUT PATTERNS FOR THEIR CREATIONS, CONCENTRATING ON ORIGINALITY. MANY DESIGNS SHARE SIMILARITIES BUT STILL, MAINTAIN A MODICUM OF INDIVIDUALITY.  

2. THEY SHOULD POSSESS STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES, IE..CHARACTER FLAWS.

WE WANT BELIEVABLE CHARACTERS THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY WITH, EVEN IF WE CONSTRUCT THEM WITH SUPERHUMAN PERSONALITIES AND CHARM. THERE STILL MUST BE SOME LEVEL OF VULNERABILITY. YES, THEY CAN STILL BE A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR BUT AT THE SAME TIME FALLIBLE. PERSONALLY, I PREFER PEOPLE WHO ARE A BIT ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES, PEOPLE WHO APPEAR TO BE PERFECT ARE CREEPY AND SCARE ME.

3. BE CONVINCING: TYPICALLY WHAT THIS MEANS IS AS A FEMALE I WRITE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, BUT WHEN CREATING CHARACTERS OF BOTH GENDERS I MUST MAKE THE READER BELIEVE I KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT WHEN I DESCRIBE TRAITS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX. I THINK I REALLY DO A GREAT JOB WITH THIS, AS I’VE HAD MANY MALE INFLUENCES THROUGHOUT MY LIFE TO USE AS A MODEL.

THE MAJORITY OF BOOKS I’VE READ WERE WRITTEN BY WOMEN FOR WOMEN, BUT THERE ARE SOME MALE WRITERS TOO WHO’VE DONE A GREAT JOB ALSO. I GIVE CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE. LET'S USE FABIO AS AN EXAMPLE. LADIES MOST OF YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHO I’M SPEAKING OF, HIS FINELY CHISELED FEATURES AND BODY GRACED A NUMBER OF HISTORICAL ROMANCES BACK IN THE DAY. NOW HE’S TURNED THE TABLE AND WRITES NOVELS UNDER THE SAME GENRE ABOUT FEMALES FROM THE MALE PERSPECTIVE. WAY TO GO FABIO!

4. PERSONALITY: EVERYONE LOVES CHARACTERS WITH A LEVEL OF EXUBERANCE ABOUT THEM. NOT TO HIGH STRUNG THOUGH, OR BUBBLY. THIS TENDS TO GET ON THE READERS NERVES, I’LL ADMIT MINE TOO. THIS ALSO GOES FOR MEAN SPIRITED, HIGH STRUNG OR OVERLY NICE ONES. LET'S BE HONEST, WE TEND TO AVOID PEOPLE WITH THESE TRAITS BECAUSE THEY JUST DON’T MESH WITH CERTAIN PERSONALITIES. WE ADORE CHARACTERS WHO ARE CHARISMATIC, JOVIAL WITTY, ARROGANT, WE EXPECT THIS FEATURE BECAUSE MOST MALES ARE BORN THIS WAY.

 NOT OVERLY, MUCH BUT EQUIPPED WITH JUST A HINT OF BADASS IN THEM TOO. I LOVE CHARACTERS ESPECIALLY PARTICULARLY THE MALE ONES WHO PROVE CHIVALRY ISN’T DEAD WHO ARE HONORABLE AND POSSESS MANNERS, WHILE STILL HAVING A BAD BOY EDGE BECAUSE THEIR MAMA, OR IN THIS CASE THE WRITER RAISED THEM RIGHT.

I DO BELIEVE THIS IS WHY I BECAME A ROMANCE WRITER. IN THIS WORLD, I CAN CREATE ONE MAN WITH ALL THE QUALITIES I LIKE AS WELL THE REQUIRED PERSONALITY TRAITS THAT OFTEN DON’T COME PACKAGED THIS WAY IN REAL LIFE.

THIS GOES EQUALLY FOR THE FEMALE CHARACTERS TOO. THEY MUST POSSESS CERTAIN PRINCIPLES IF THEY ARE GOING TO BE HEROINES IN THE STORY. WHINEY, INDECISIVE, CLINGY WOMEN ARE NOT ALLOWED AS MAIN CHARACTERS IN ANY OF MY STORIES AND SHOULDN’T BE ALLOWED IN YOURS EITHER, JUST BEING HONEST.

 THE MAIN CHARACTERS WHETHER MALE OR FEMALE MUST BE STRONG AND DRIVE THE STORY. THEY CAN’T DO THIS IF YOU MAKE THEM WEAK.

NEVER MIND THE FACT THESE ARE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS, AT THE SAME TIME THEY STILL HAVE TRAITS THAT MAKE THEM VERY REAL.

5. EMOTIONS: EVERYBODY HAS THEM INCLUDING BEINGS CREATED ON PAPER. EMOTIONS DRIVE US AS HUMANS. IMAGINE THE HAVOC IT CAUSES IN A STORY. I LOVE THIS ATTRIBUTE IN CHARACTERS BECAUSE IT ALLOWS ME AS WELL THE READER TO IDENTIFY WITH THEM. WHATEVER THE SITUATION MIGHT ME. I LOVE TO SEE MALE CHARACTERS DISPLAY A CERTAIN LEVEL OF EMOTION, TEARS, OR GOOD. SENSITIVITY IS NOT WEAKNESS; IT ONLY EXEMPLIFIES NORMAL HUMAN TRAITS. KEEP IN MIND WE MUST KEEP IT TO A MINIMUM. CRYING MALES WHO ARE OVER SENSITIVE TEND TO ATTRACT LABELS THAT AREN’T VERY FLATTERING TO THE MALE EGO.     

6. PERFECTION: THIS IS WHAT YOU DON’T WANT TO DO. THERE IS NO ONE PERFECT BUT JESUS. SOMETIMES AS WRITERS, WE INFUSE OUR CHARACTERS WITH TOO MANY UNBELIEVABLE QUALITIES. THIS ONLY WORKS IF YOU’RE WRITING A FAIRYTALE FOLKS. COME ON, WE ALL KNOW SOMEONE WHO COMES CLOSE BUT STILL HAVE SOME NIGGLING INCONSISTENCIES THAT DISQUALIFIES THEM FROM GETTING A PERFECT SCORE. IT’S OKAY TO MAKE THEM WITH CHARACTER FLAWS, LORD KNOWS WE ARE ALL FULL OF THEM. SO WHY WOULD WE TRY TO MAKE THE READER BELIEVE THEY DO EXIST? FLAWS ARE NOT BAD, NO NO QUITE THE OPPOSITE. FLAWS ALLOW FOR GROWTH. WE ALL CAN STAND A BIT OF IMPROVEMENT, (I’M JUST SAYING) IF WE CREATE THE CHARACTERS AS IF THEY ARE INVINCIBLE, IT LETS THE READERS DOWN WHEN THEY DISCOVER IT’S NOT TRUE.

7. UNIQUENESS: QUIRKS ARE SOMETHING WE WERE ALL BORN WITH, SO WHY WOULD WE MAKE OUR CHARACTERS WITHOUT THEM. AFTER ALL, BEING QUIRKY IS WHAT DEFINES AND MAKES US INDIVIDUALS. THIS IS WHAT WE WANT FOR OUR CHARACTERS TOO.

I’VE READ MANY BOOKS WHERE THERE WAS NOTHING UNIQUE THAT DISTINGUISHED THE CHARACTERS FROM ANY OTHER STORY. THEN AGAIN I’VE READ OTHERS THAT MADE ME BREATHLESS WHEN I GOT SOMETHING TOTALLY UNEXPECTED OR UNIQUE.

I RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT I LOVE THE PARANORMAL GENRE, WELL FOR RIGHT NOW ANYWAY. MY READING PREFERENCES OFTEN CHANGE, BUT DON’T WORRY I AM A DIE HARD ROMANCE WRITER. NEVERTHELESS, I HAVE TWO PARANORMAL AUTHORS THAT ARE CURRENTLY AT THE TOP OF MY READING LIST. I ALWAYS LOVED THE TWILIGHT SAGA, BUT THESE BOOKS ARE EVEN MORE EXCEPTIONAL THAN THOSE ARE. BEING SO I WANT TO SHARE THEM WITH YOU, THE FIRST AUTHOR IS CHERI SCHMIDT, SHE IS THE WRITER OF THE FATEFUL SERIES, AND ERICA STEVENS, THINK I MENTIONED HER BEFORE, SHE IS THE WRITER OF THE CAPTIVE SERIES. BOTH GREAT AUTHORS AND THEY’VE CAPTURED THE MALE NUISANCES REQUIRED TO MAKE ANY CHARACTER BELIEVABLE EVEN MYTHOLOGICAL ONES.

8. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES: WE ALL HAVE THEM, AND MOST OF THE TIME WE ARE WILLING TO NAME THOSE, WHICH GIVES US PHYSICAL POWER, BUT NOT SO MUCH THE ONES THAT MAKES US SUSCEPTIBLE TO WEAKNESSES LIKE KRYPTONITE.

OKAY, WHEN IT COMES TO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IT IS IMPERATIVE TO THE STORY THAT WE DO NOT LEAVE OUT THE CURSED WEAKNESSES. WHY? WELL BECAUSE JUST LIKE EMOTION, IT MAKES THE CHARACTERS MORE BELIEVABLE IF THEY ARE DEFINED WITH TRAITS WE ALL POSSESS. I KNOW NO ONE WANTS TO ADMIT TO THAT BUT IT’S TRUE.

MY STRENGTHS WITHOUT A DOUBT OUTWEIGHS ANY WEAKNESSES, BUT THE FACT REMAINS I STILL HAVE THEM ALONG WITH DOUBTS AND FEARS. THIS DOESN’T MAKE ME ANY LESSER A PERSON, HOWEVER, JUST HUMAN THE SAME AS THE CHARACTERS WE CREATE.

9. SEX APPEAL: WHO DOESN’T LIKE THAT IN ANY INDIVIDUAL, REAL OR FICTITIOUS? THE DASHING HERO IS BRAWNY AND HANDSOME AND THE HEROINE IS CURVACEOUS IN ALL THE RIGHT PLACES AND BEAUTIFUL. WE EXPECT THESE CLASSIC FEATURES BECAUSE IT FUELS THE IMAGINATION AND GIVES THOSE OF US WHO ARE WAITING FOR OUR PRINCE CHARMING OR CINDERELLA HOPE THAT SOMEDAY OUR DREAMS WILL COME TRUE ALSO. OKAY A LITTLE OVER THE TOP WITH THE DISNEY PROMO, SERIOUSLY, WE’VE ALL FANATICIZED ABOUT THAT PERFECT SOMEONE, AND THROUGH THE CREATION OF EXCELLENT CHARACTERS WE CAN LIVE OUR LIVES VICARIOUSLY THROUGH THEM.

10. GREAT WRITING: NO MATTER HOW WELL WE DEVELOP CHARACTERS, THERE’S STILL JUST A LITTLE MORE TO MAKE IT COMPLETE. THIS IS WHERE THE GIFT OF A TALENTED WRITER PLAYS THEIR PART. YOU CAN HAVE THE BEST CHARACTERS BUT IF YOU DON’T WRITE A GREAT STORY TO GO ALONG WITH THEM THEN THAT’S ALL YOU GOT.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED TO INSURE BOTH REQUIREMENTS ARE MET, I USE REAL LIFE SITUATIONS AND INFUSE THAT INTO MY STORIES. AGAIN I’M GOING BACK TO RELATIVITY, ALL THINGS RELATABLE. YOU KNOW WHAT I LEARNED IN READING ROMANCE, PARANORMAL, AND OTHER GENRES THEY ALL POSSESS THESE KEY ELEMENTS.

LISTEN YOU CAN’T GO WRONG USING THE FORMULA I’VE LAID OUT FOR YOU.

NOW THERE ARE OTHER KEY FACTORS THIS IS ONLY THE MODIFIED VERSION. AS WRITERS WE KNOW WHAT MOVES OUR READERS, WHETHER IT’S COMPASSION, LOVE, ROMANCE, OR JUST A GOOD OLE TEAR JERKING DRAMA. WE HAVE TO LEARN HOW NOT TO BE AFRAID TO EXPLORE WHAT MAKES US HUMAN AND WHAT MAKES OUR CHARACTERS COME TO LIFE ON PAPER.