Or your dark-haired hero as George Clooney or Ben Affleck? For more on this, see my blog post:Showing vs. Growing internally will usually contribute more to your Character Arc than the surface story. you have to understand which type of character youre dealing with. Required fields are marked *. Once you nail all of these, youll be writing strong characters in no time. But a perfect character is not lovable theyre hateable because its not realistic. His storyline, revolve around this mental illness, but it, A great way to ensure you never have offensive stereotyped characters is to use, Above is an example of what a character arc looks like on paper and how you can utilize. However, if that is your characters weakness and theyre forced to do so, it can cause conflict for them. Want to turn your Jimmy Stewart into a George Bailey? Take this free assessment now and learn to unlock your true potential: Wait! Do they have any quirks or nervous habits? A police officer? Look through your characters and their appearances as well as their personalities. But he has to grow into that from a stance of reality, humanity. And when we get stuck, theres no shame in going back and engaging in this exercise. Your character may even be a superhero, but he* must be real and knowable within your premise. What physically happens in the novel is one thing. This is largely to help with personality contrast within. Sure, height, hair and eye color, and physicality (athletic or not) are important. Camouflaging your predicament and maintaining a modicum of self-respect would be worth skipping a few meals. Came home from the hospital yesterday., Vacation was the tonic, Bud, Fritz told the doorman. Create events that subtly exhibit strength of character and spirit. As an example, Im going to use Harry Potter from that series simply because its widely known and his character arc even within the first novel is distinct. Reference your characters backstories and do a little research into possible coping mechanisms and how that can affect their personality. In the end, after he has learned all the lessons he needs to from his failures to get out of the terrible trouble you plunged him into, he must rise to the occasion and score a great moral victory. Your bad character has to have at least 2 strong reasons for opposing your protagonist and they should make sense given their history. Whos someone causing emotional struggles in their life? If you have secondary characters (characters who get a decent amount of page time but are not main characters), craft their personality types to show the opposite of the main characters. Keep in mind that siblings can certainly look similar! We, as humans, constantly face our strengths and weaknesses on a daily basis, even in the smallest of forms. The more you try to make your character flawless, the less readers can relate and therefore, theyll like them less. I recently ran into an old friend who told me she was homeless. No growth, no character arc. These tips can ensure your characters speak differently: Ill be honest, there is a very real problem in literature when it comes to diversity. What do they want for their life when theyre old and gray? The point of giving your characters unique voices is to ensure your readers imagine them as real people instead of two-dimensional beings living in paper. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. That being said, the one with the most influence on our lives is where weve been our past. Even after he finds his cancer is in remission, he embraces the illegal drug culture and in the end destroys his own life, his family, and many other lives. We must start with some idea whos populating our stories. This gives them very different personalities despite having similar histories. Potentially heroic, yes. Have you had a child suddenly go missing in a busy store? Which means they create a stereotype of a specific type of person that can oftentimes be harmful without the author even knowing. Do they think logically or emotionally to make decisions? Based on what their life was like prior to the start of your novel, theyll have different interests, quirks, fears, and more. This is particularly for those of you writing Game of Thrones-esque novels with a large number of characters, but its important for others as well. Thats the very definition of Character Arc. A lead character without human qualities is impossible to identify with. So I can guess at their feelings and emotions, but Ill always be handicapped by the simple fact that Im not a woman. These cookies do not store any personal information. Your book should be just as diverse as the real world. A character arc is used to describe the inner and even outer journey, which can be physical, mental, emotional, or otherwise that a character experiences throughout the duration of the story or plot. Theres possibly no better example of character development than in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Deformities? Take my own spreadsheet for my work in progress below as an example. You want something interesting and memorable, but not quirky or outrageous. We help you save time, money, and headaches through the book, writing, marketing, and publishing process by giving you the proven, step-by-step process and accountability to publish successfully. Why? So specific was the authors portrayal of this character that the very name Scrooge has become synonymous with a selfish, miserly, miserable curmudgeon. At the very least, your protagonist, or main character, requires a character arc for their storyline and journey to be captivating and satisfying for readers. This character arc is distinct in that his mental and emotional journey from start to finish is wildly different. Your email address will not be published. Fellow Pantsers, dont ignore or discount this training. You need to let your characters fail. Are they someone who speaks up for themselves? Its a pain (literally) and I never notice Im doing it until later. The reason for this is because so many writers feel as though they need a side character (or even a main character) but is too lazy to do the real work. If theres one Cardinal Rule of fiction, this is it. More on our Privacy Policy. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Is your character a teacher? Our name comes from the fact that we write by the seat of our pants. You want to make sure you are allowing diverse readers to feel included, heard, and represented. You have to build flaws into your character just like we all have drawbacks in real like. The same is likely true for your character. He has to kill Harry Potter because hes the only person who was able to defeat him before and because the prophecy says so. If you have a main character with brown wavy hair, have the next with blonde curly hair, etc. The character development in your story is vital for its selling. Most of the time, this will happen naturally if youre giving each character a unique personality but its great to keep in mind anyway. Huck lies, cheats, and steals his way down the Mississippi River, learns to survive, perseveres through difficulty, and matures into a young man who chooses to do whats right, regardless the consequences. Springholes Character Motivation Generator, https://thgmwriters.com/blog/describe-character-development-crib-sheet/, Top Picks Thursday! Give her a follow: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube. You want each character to stand out as individuals. Brothers and sisters, their names and ages, Where he attended high school, college, and graduate school, a character with a humble upbringing (an underdog) rises to the occasion, a character with a hidden strength or ability subtly reveals it early in the story and later uses it in an unusual or extraordinary way. Without it, you simply dont have a book at allyou just have a mess of ink smeared between two cover. All while allowing you to maintain control of your bookand its royalties.Learn to publish a book to grow your impact, income, or business! Yes, hes evil, but he also has a valid reason for wanting him dead, right? Your reader has a mind, an imagination. Think of character development like the paper of your book. But if he was just trying to kill Harry Potter for the sake of murdering a child, it wouldnt make sense. Without them, you cant go through with character development and expect a captivating cast. When it comes to learning how to write characters and write them well you have to understand which type of character youre dealing with. Give naming the time it needs. Since you know your characters backstory, do a little research into how those specific struggles or realities can shape a persons psyche in order to accurately and realistically craft their behavior. You shouldnt have a Greek named Bubba Jackson.

Imagination can take you only so far. books, its a very real issue that only you and other writers going forward can correct. Pinpoint your secondary characters and development them in a way that makes them clash or oppose your main characters in certain ways. Looking into some psychological effects of trauma can help you accurately and realistically dive into character development. Thousands of readers might have thousands of slightly varied images of the character, which is all right, provided youve given him enough information to know whether your hero is big or small, attractive or not, and athletic or not. Are you ready to get started right now? We all have a favorite (unforgettable) book, television, or movie character. Spend time in a classroom, interview a teacher, arrange a ride-along with a cop, interview a CEO. I identify as a Pantser, so Im sympathetic if you cant imagine creating a character and giving him a personal history before starting to write. Be sure the name is historically and geographically accurate. But because of the characters they fell in love with. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with our cookie use. below to get the definitive guide on how to write a book PLUS get access to the audiobook, advanced trainings, and additional resources to help you write your book!

What is something they want to improve upon? Howeverthis is actually much harder to accomplish as a writer than it seems, even if writing and self-publishing a successful book hinges on it. Dont be alarmed if you think this is a lot of different types of characters. Whats something they could change about their world if they could? Think back to the last time you felt in danger, multiply that by a thousand, and become your character. Render a lead character your reader can identify with, and in your ending hell see himself with the same potential. In the popular binge-worthy TV series Breaking Bad, Walter White begins as a nerdy, nave, kind, and thoughtful high school science teacher who learns he has cancer. Telling: What You Need to Know, Larger than life, theyre also universally human, They see courage not as lack of fear but rather the ability to act in the face of fear, They learn from failure and rise to great moral victories. After all, people love and rave about books not always because of the story itself. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. writing and self-publishing a successful book, Give your character strengths and weaknesses, Develop a wide variety of character personalities, Create an impact of your characters past, Plot-Driven vs Character-Driven Stories [7 Examples Included], About The Author: 7 Examples To Help You Write Yours, How to Write an Epilogue: 4 Easy Steps [Examples Included], How to Edit a Book: 8 Step Guide + Mistakes to Avoid, Worldbuilding in a Novel: A Guide to Creating A Believable World, Their childhood (good, bad, poverty-stricken, spoiled, etc. Meaning, dont create all of your characters to be the dark and sarcastic type or the tough guy type. Theres nothing like personal experience to help you develop characters. Grab a copy of Published. In fact, its specifically because someone fell in love with the characters and care so much about them and their journey that theyre willing to follow them through the entirety of it. Would rather be told: Fritz was one of those friendly, gregarious types who treated everyone the same, from the powerful to the lowly. Maybe youve never experienced such a thing, but you can conjure it in your mind. Our realities are shaped by where weve been, where we are, and where we want to go.

But make sure his flaws arent deal breakers. Fast track your character development in HALF the time. As I teach regarding descriptions of the sky and the weather and settings, its important that your description of your main character is not rendered as a separate element. I had a mother, I have a wife, I have daughters-in-law and granddaughters, a female assistant, women colleagues. Dont base your hero on images from movies and TV shows. So, what are the keys to making a character unforgettable? This is as hard as it sounds. Regardless which kind of a writer you are, character developmentcharacter arccan make or break your novel. Depending on where theyre from, they could have different accents. If you have a character whose parents were very strict growing up, they may be a bit of a rebel and lack the decision making abilities others have mostly because they never learned how since their parents made those choices for them. WEBSITE DESIGN BY LAUGH EAT LEARN, This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Physical imperfections? As an example, I have two characters who both have a tragic background. Think about any bad habits they have, situations they dislike, or even personality traits that arent seen as good in order to craft these flaws in a realistic fashion. You can debate this all you want, but coming from someone who reads. Their voices have to be consistent and not the same. Naturally, we treat heroes with more respect. Your goal is to connect reader and character, so the name should reflect his heritage and perhaps even hint at his personality. For example, lets use Harry Potter again because you probably know what the main characters look like. If there isnt clear diversity amongst them, create it. Piercings? A well-written novel that follows a Classic Story Structure plunges its main character into terrible trouble quickly. These are often called Mary Sue characters. Backstory is everything thats happened before Chapter 1. As we often say, a bad plot can be saved by amazing characters, but the best plot in the world will not save a book with bad character development. In the end your hero will likely rise to the occasion and win against all odds. The biggest mistake new writers make is introducing their main character too late. lives who would fill these character types and thats why its important for your book to include them. Take He Who Shall Not Be Named from Harry Potter for example. If your characters no matter how minor they are dont have a motive that makes sense, readers will be pulled out of the story and end up questioning whats happening, and not in a good way. A CEO? For swashbucklers like Indiana Jones, there are snakes. Frankly, Outliners have some advantages over Pantsers here. What order are they in their family (first born, middle, etc.)? When it comes to learning how to write characters and write them. You wouldnt have characters named Jaxon and Brandi, for instance, in a story set in Elizabethan England. Download your free character development sheet to keep track of each , character you write. Resist the temptation to write about something you havent experienced before conducting thorough research. This can be a key characteristic that will make your characters feel more real and help make them more relatable to your readers, which will make them want to give you those 5-star reviews.