#how to write characters

[charactervsplot]

Let your characters yearn.

Not just for love, but for a better life. Or a home. Or forgiveness. Or a purpose. Or respect.

Whatever it is they want, let me feel them yearning for it.

[charactervsplot]

How does your main character act at home? What does your character do for work/school? Where does your character go in their free time?

Show me your character in all three situations and they will feel like real people.

[nivtee]

hello !

do u have any tips for baby writers such as myself? especially on how to write characters and not make them sound very OC -🐛

hi 🐛!!! ahh!! honestly i consider myself a baby writer, but even so i've been writing for years. writing isn't just something to treat as 'oh i have the ability to type letters so i will' you actually have to care about what you're writing!! here is a small list of tips i have about writing and writing characters!!!

im really glad you like my writing!! but i still have a ways to improve myself, which is a big reason as to why i started uploading my writing in the first place.

CHARACTER WRITING

— read either the source text or some fan favourite fics of your character. what is different and what is similar through each of the different texts? use similar language and actions when describing the character

— figure out what is and isn't attractive. this works for platonic and romantic relationships, is their character a bit too bland for you to write about them in the way you want? change them slightly, make a 'grumpy and mad at everyone' character only like your character, or set it up in a way where they're slightly calmer around them.

— if you think it's getting to out of character, try shifting the focus away from that character. if you're writing about james potter (source: marauders) and he starts sounding like lip gallagher (source: shameless) then step back and write about lip, otherwise you'll blur the line between your characters too much.

— but, who cares? they're your characters for a reason, if im going to read what you write, i want to know you wrote it and not some random kid trying to write. i want to see what you do to bring characters bring to life, show me how your remus lupin is different from the real remus lupin.

GENERAL TIPS

— its hard to figure out where you would start and stop, especially when writing one shots. in my opinion, look at what you're writing (smut, angst, fluff ect) and start from there. smut is usually best to end just before the slow act, where as fluff should go through the entire act, angst should almost always end during the peak, where there's a chance to end positively or not.

— the whole 'show don't tell' rule is stupid, because sometimes i want to hear the characters blatantly say their sad. i like feelings being brought up and told, be bold.

— your writing is just that; yours. if i wanted to read the same thing over and over, i would, but i look for new stories and new portrayals of the characters. i want your story to impress me, even if its a 'two characters, one bed' trope. tell me how your story changes it up, and how you make the story play out.

— when you struggle writing a scene, stop writing, put on some music and imagine what's happening in the scene. what do you see? put some dot points of what's important to you in the moment, is the wind blowing? does the air smell weird and does your character notice?

im not amazing when it comes to writing, but if you ever need some feedback (honest but not harsh) feel free to send me a message and/or your work!!

( i love to read and im a huge fan of helping others! )

[writing-with-olive]

Hey, I wanted to know what is generally preferred or seen as "better"? Previously one of my readers said that I used my characters' names too much in my writing and that it was repetitive. But I was doing that to make a clear distinction between who was doing what bc I was writing two characters with the same gender and pronouns so always saying "he" could possibly be confusing. I switched to using "the black-haired boy", "the redhead" etc. instead. But I want to be careful w that bc (continued)

If you describe a character as "the Japanese boy" or something I feel like it's kind of just reducing them to their race/ethnicity? But sometimes it can be hard to make other distinctions besides different hair color or race if the characters are for example both male, both students, same age, etc. I only stick to different hair colors, though. But then recently, I saw a post with someone complaining that it's annoying and saying "Why not just use the characters' actual names?" (continued)

Also. Recently I have seen discourse about how calling girls and women "females" is problematic but does the same go for men? It's not my intent but sometimes I might say something like "the redhaired male" if the character is not a young boy but not far into adulthood either. Bc writing "the redhaired young adult man" just sounds awkward to me personally. But it's really not my intent to offend anyone's gender if I use "male", I noticed I will sometimes overuse male at times though (continued)

Anyway I'm sorry for all the background but basically I just wanted to know which is better when writing scenes with two characters with the same gender, should I just use their names or is it better to describe them, and if I do describe them can I say "male" or would that be considered insulting? I don't want my writing to be annoying or repetitive but I also want it to be clear so you know who's talking but also don't want to say or do anything that could be misinterpreted as insulting. (End)

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Hi Anon! Thanks for the ask!

Short/Summarized Answer:

Stick to names/pronouns as much as possible

Change sentence structure to allow for names and pronouns without seeming too repetitive/confusing

Don’t refer to characters as their race - it can reduce them down to that

Instead, use professions, positions, relations to mc, achievements as points of reference

Use of the words “male” and “female” are generally okay as adjectives but not as nouns.

Long Answer:

I think as a general rule of thumb, I would stick to names and pronouns as much as possible. That way you can sidestep most of the problem of reducing people down to single traits.

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So. How to make this not confusing when using pronouns, and not repetitive when using names?

1. Sentence structure is going to be your best friend. Using sentence structure, you can dictate which things are going to be referenced directly (and thus get pronouns) and which things are going to be implied by the references (and thus do not need pronouns).

For example...

“The priestess walked through the group of travelers. The oldest among them, a man, glanced at her. She didn’t meet his gaze.”

...or another example...

“The two warriors were training as part of the Elite Guard - a group of the finest male warriors in the realm, all paid to protect the Emperor at all costs. Cass ducked under Lucien’s blade. Too slow. The following punch sent him sprawling.”

The first example might have been cheating a little - the priestess was the only one who we knew used she/her pronouns. The second example, however, isn’t that different. The point of the scene was about two men dueling, but rather than try to grapple with two identical sets of pronouns, the trick I used was to use he/him for Cass, and the implied it/its for Lucien’s sword. Lucien’s presence is implied by the fact that it’s his sword being swung. By changing it up like that, each moving part to the scene had its own pronoun. The other detail that makes this work is the sentece “too slow.” This implies that Cass’s actions had consequences. That clears up any doubt about who’s sent sprawling.

As much as possible, set up sentences so that each moving part has its own pronoun

Use smaller details to clear up possible doubt or confusion

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2. Simplify things. Basically what I mean is if you can remove a name from a sentence, and it still makes sense, do it. This will help things from sounding too repetitive later. (Pronouns usually don’t stick out enough to sound too repetitive) Also experiment by rewriting/adding/deleting sentences so that you can convey the details you need without needing to use names or pronouns as much.

For example...

“Analucia spotted Mirabell walking alone in the courtyard. Deciding that her book of etiquitte was far too dull, and the day was too nice to miss, Analucia went outside and joined Mirabell. Mirabell and Analucia walked in silence for a full minute before Mirabell asked, “are you in too much trouble?” Analucia decided that Mirabell was in too good a mood to have it be spoiled. 

“No.” Analucia lied cheerfully.”

Can be changed to...

“Analucia spotted Mirabell walking alone in the courtyard. Deciding that her book of etiquitte was far too dull, and the day was far too nice to miss, she went outside and joined her friend. The two walked in silence for a full minute before Mirabell asked, “are you in too much trouble?” Analucia decided that the girl next to her was in too good a mood to have it be spoiled.

“No.” she lied cheerfully.

This went from an somewhat atrocious example to something more passable, but it can be better. Some sentences are prone to sounding more repetitive. Mixing things up, whether it’s the style of the sentence (dialogue, thoughts, narrative, etc), or the gramatical structure of it, can lead to a massive improvement.

For example, the above scene can be made even better by allowing for more drastic change...

“Deciding that her book of etiquitte was far too dull, and the day was far to nice, Analucia went outside to the courtyard and joined her friend. The two walked in silence for a full minute before Mirabell asked, “are you in too much trouble?”

She’s finally in a good mood. I won’t spoil it.. “No.” was Analucia’s cheerful lie.

The details from the first sentece could be redestributed elsewhere, and by chopping it off, the scene was instantly made less repetitive. Also, by making Analucia’s decision to lie part of her internal thought process, we could further elliminate more uses of the two girls’ names.

Elliminate unnecesary names - this will make necesary uses of names seem less repetitive

Chop off unnecesary sentences - especially if they use character’s names

Remember that pronouns usually don’t sound too repetitive - at least, not to the same extent as names

Change up sentence structure so they don’t requre as much repetition of names/pronouns

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Unfortunately, names and pronouns don’t always do the trick. What if names are too repetitive, and pronouns too confusing, and you’ve played around with sentence structure and nothing’s working? This is where you call in your backup: alternate titles and descriptions

.

So. How to do this so things are clear and not offensive?

1. Generally speaking, the term “female” is something you’re going to want to stay away from as a noun, but depending on usage, it’s fine as an adjective. To be on the safe side, I would say that a similar thing goes for male. 

I (someone who usually presents and fits the societal role of a woman) have never been offended by descriptors such as “a group of female writers.” That being said, the phrase “the female” can be problematic. 

If you’re going to use the word male/female, stick well away from using it as a noun.

(I actually don’t know if male is problematic, but what I’ve decribed above is my personal rule, as I’d rather stay on the safe side than risk being offensive)

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2. Professions, titles, achievable awards/positions/etc, and how they relate to your MC are all usually fair game. For example, if you’ve got two students, maybe one of them was chosen as Prom Queen. You could refer to her as that. Or, if your MC has just met another character, then that character might be referred to as “the stranger.” This also helps to avoid reducing characters to a race/ethnicity, and as an added benifit, it can also help keep more story-relevant details in readers’ minds.

Referring to characters as something that they a) have control over, and b) is relevant to the story will always be better - if it’s not relevant, then it’s just taking up space.

On a similar note, doing the opposite - that is, when you refer to characters using things like their race, or other things that they can similarly not control, can lead you to problematic territory for the same reasons that you specified - it can reduce them down to that thing. This is especially true if you refer to your characters of color using their race, but do not do the same thing with your white characters.

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3. This is kind of similar to point #2 of this section, but I did want to address this somewhat seperately.

You asked...

It's not my intent but sometimes I might say something like "the redhaired male" if the character is not a young boy but not far into adulthood either. Bc writing "the redhaired young adult man" just sounds awkward to me personally

In a case like this, I can definitely see why you’d find the phrase “the redhaired young adult man” awkward; it’s a lot of description all at once!

Generally, I would establish most of what characters look like seperately to their reference. So in this example, you could establish the character’s general age beforehand, and then refer to them as something simpler - that way you could get out of both the awkwardness and the potential problems of using the word “male.” (which again, I’m not entirely sure if it’s problematic, but I personally avoid it to be safe)

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But what if none of that works? What if they’re similar enough that I can’t differenciate them clearly except for their names?

This is going to be the moment where you’re going to have to take a good look at your characters. Do they actually need to be two seperate characters? Can they be combined into a single character? If both of them seem to be around each other for a large part of the book - to the point where this is a major problem, the answer is very likely to be yes.

If not - if they need to both be their own seperate character - then this might be a wakeup call to go into their character’s personalities, traits, and backstories, and add enough variation that they can exist as their own individual character, who’s distinguishable from the others.

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I know this was both late, and bit all over the place, but I hope it helps!

Happy Writing!

[rozmorris]

Devising characters for your novel - Ep 7 FREE podcast for writers

Devising characters for your novel – Ep 7 FREE podcast for writers

What’s going to happen in your story? That might seem to be the key question. But there’s a question that’s even more important – who does it happen to?

In today’s episode, we talk about how to devise characters for a novel. Characters who’ll create the most interesting story for your plot situation, characters who’ll surprise the reader, characters who aren’t necessarily based on your own…

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[zigzagzipwriting]

WMaCC? Types of Characters and Backstories

Types:

Hero ~ Seen as superior/admirable to the reader, confident, no hesitations or self-doubt in actions, fantastical or powerful, doesn’t change over the course of the story because they already are at ‘peak position’ (ie. James Bond, Indiana Jones, Sherlock Holmes)

The Average ~ Equal/sympathetic/identifiable to the reader, relatable desires/needs and doubts/struggle to overcome obstacles {ie. McClane “Die Hard”}

The Underdog ~ Inferior to the reader (inspires the reader to feel compassion and a want to help, protect, and/or console them), an unlikely hero, outmatched and overwhelmed, handicaps and hardships, inspires admiration for their determination and suspense of outcome (unlikely success) {ie. Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins)

The Lost Soul/Anti-Hero ~  Opposite to the reader, the dark side of human nature, sometimes not immediately likable but hold a certain quality about them after reader learns about them, often the antagonist, readers sometimes see a dark part of themselves hidden in the character. Some questions that intrigue the reader are what makes the character the way they are, what motives do they have, how the character defies normal laws and social laws, identification on the alignment chart, and how they show the reader the dark side {ie. “The Godfather”)

Backstory & Wounds:

Your character’s life before the story affects their attitude, values, and personality - shapes them into who they are before the journey

Your character doesn’t just ‘start’ when your story starts; they have memories, been through events that have shaped and changed them for better or worse

History, family, education, socialization, adventures, childhood

Some characters will have wounds - past trauma that caused emotional wounds never healed and haunt the character, fears, near-death situations, a bad experience or relationship, something that makes a current event remind your character of a past event and makes them uncomfortable and scared

Victimizing Characters:

Undeserved mistreatment, injustice and contempt ~ Teasing, humiliation, mockery, embarrassment, being snubbed or passed over, prejudice, false accusation, physical brutality and violence. Abused, exploited or made to suffer, abandonment, loneliness, or neglect

Undeserved misfortune ~ Death of a loved one, loss of someone or something important or valuable, someone down on his luck, someone who has had an accident, or sheer bad luck

Physical, mental, health or financial handicaps (underdogs) ~ Physical deformity, handicap, mental illness, who are trapped by their situation or by a fear or phobia, are ugly, burdened by addiction or disease, or enduring extreme poverty or hardship

Suffering an injury ~ Injured or wounded and in pain or danger, emotionally haunted or wounded (generate empathy in the reader)

Fear ~ A secret being found out, a desperate need to achieve a certain goal. A great need that might crush your character if they fail to achieve it

Revealing weakness or vulnerability ~ Suffering pain, grief, self-doubt, fear reaching rock bottom, lost all hope

Betrayal or deception ~ Typically villain/antagonist or traitor to the hero/protagonist, but can be used to the opposite degree when the hero does it to a villain

Disbelieved when telling the truth

Exclusion and rejection ~ Need for love and belonging, unrequited love, involuntary outcasts, loners, misfits.

Regret for mistakes made ~ Shows human quality and adds relatability and sympathy to your character

Jeopardy ~ Danger (ie. of being captured, maimed, killed, arrested, caught out, exposed) bigger the danger, the greater the reader empathy

Vulnerability ~  Adds realism to tension when you show that your character can be killed, trapped, enslaved, destroyed politically or professionally, or ruined financially or socially. You’re not afraid to kill off a character if necessary, and your reader will be left worrying for your character’s safety. Vulnerability can come from the character’s own physical, mental or emotional shortcomings and conflicts as well as from the plots of the antagonist

Antagonist Backstories:

While the “Tragic Past” or simply being “evil for evil sake” is good and can still work, it’s a cliche and overused. There are multiple ways that any character, even your hero, could become the ‘villain’/antagonist.

Fear: Doing bad things because they are afraid

Gullibility/Miscommunication: They have been tricked another antagonistic character or misinformed (ie. someone who has been told the villains are out to hurt them)

Low Self-Confidence: They are told they are evil and believe it, don’t think they can break out of the cycle even if they tried, the public and hero has a certain view on them that they can’t break, etc.

Pressure: They want to change their allegiance, but are pressured by people close to them to stay evil. In some cases, the environment or the way they grew up might trap a character (ie. evil society or heritage, or they simply don’t know better because that’s how they grew up)

Desperation: They are desperate for interaction, validation, love, kindness, family, attention, an outlet, understanding, etc, and the dark side gives them those things

“Slytherin Syndrome”: A character has an otherwise noble goal that they are willing to do literally anything to achieve. Hero’s/Protagonists can fall into this same trap of sacrifices for the ‘greater good’, and stories with Slytherin Syndrome can question the line of the protagonist and the antagonist, and if one is in the right or in the wrong (remember: it’s all about perspective; your antagonist will believe they are the hero, and you can let your reader feel that way too). Examples: Somebody who wants to protect their child, even if it means throwing other children into danger. A villain trying to raise awareness and/or break free of an abusive background, even if they are viewed as a typical ‘evil for evil’s sake’ villain by others.

[zigzagzipwriting]

WMaCC? Identify Your Character’s:

Self Identity - How your character defines themselves in life (gender identity, race, sexuality, religion, ancestry, interests). Identity changes interactions and presentation to/with the world, and how the world views your character

Perspective - Your character’s view/lens of the world, which is affected by upbringing, religious and political beliefs, education, social influences, relationships)

Type - Relationships of your character (what they look for in a friendship, romance, or guidance), why such relationships are healthy and fulfilling, and why the character gravitates toward these types of people

Language - Your character’s unique voice (speech patterns, vocabulary, and accent), which is affected by how, when, and where they were raised, personality, experiences, and level of education

Attitude - Is your character an optimistic, pessimistic, or realistic? This affects your character’s everyday attitude, how they see the world, and how conflicts affect them

Happy Place - When and/or where does your character feel the happiest, loved, and accepted ~ showcasing your character at their best to highlight the moment where they are at their worst

Support - Relationships with loved ones or mentors (guide, encouragement, and challenge)

Gut - Gut feelings ~ Gives your reader a better understanding of your character, foreshadows danger/tension, and instinct is a common human drive/moment)

Bane - Breaking point (what it takes to push the character to this point)

Refuge - Safe haven when all seems lost/most needed, a recharge place for the climax, somewhere to regroup and plan

Redemption - Have your character mess up, make decisions that harm themselves or others, and fail/ It’s how they make things right that defines who they are at heart

Glory - The journey shapes who they become (for better or worse). Ask yourself: is the positive development worth the fight? What is your character willing to risk for that ‘change’/’glory’?

Alignment - Where the character falls on the alignment chart (lawful good, neutral good, chaotic good, lawful neutral, true neutral, chaotic neutral, lawful evil, neutral evil, or chaotic evil)

[zigzagzipwriting]

WMaCC? Give Your Character:

A Goal - Something your character work towards, whether it be safety, a job, saving something, regaining something lost, or anything that is the basis of their journey. Some characters can have a different inner goal to their outer goal

Important to the character (forms plot); an obstacle to the goal results in conflict and emotion

A character has a number of goals but one main: the story goal

Examples:

Resolve a conflict

Make a decision

Meet a challenge

Solve a mystery

Overcome an obstacle

A Motivation - Why your character pursue that goal, and the determination of what they are willing to do to achieve that goal

Behaviour is motivated/spurred by something

Motives: Why a character acts a certain way

ie. Hero commits a crime (readers empathize and identify with the character only if they know it was for a good or important reason)

Need (which might be unknown to the character) is different from desire/goal. Create inner need vs. outer goal creates conflict (ie. character torn between what they feel and what they want to do, or their code/values and what they have to do)

Purpose - If it doesn’t shape the plot, changes the protagonist’s world, affects your character or other characters, affects the reader, or add value to the story and the way you are telling it, don’t include it

A Fear - Doubts, insecurities (affect actions, mindsets, and relationships)

Fears (especially emotional) are compelling flaws (ie. fear of commitment, fear of failure, fear of not being good enough, fear of being unlovable)

A Flaw - Relationships, fears, disappointments, discontent, actions (no one is perfect)

Negative traits & fears, resentments, or physiological wounds and other emotional issues

Weaknesses are more important than strengths because they create problems

An unlikable protagonist (anti-hero) needs to be the most interesting character in the story to captivate your reader

A History - Past, heritage, childhood, backstory (shapes character), how your character will handle the journey, defines personality, values, and everything that makes up your character

A Present Story - Journey, quest (instead of telling the backstory, focus on the now/present your character is going through)

Personality - Affects your characters words, actions, relationships, and worldview

Positive, negative, and neutral traits

Habits, quirks, mannerisms

Likes and dislikes, interests

Hobbies, talents

A unique combination of major and minor traits, positive and negative traits, strengths and flaws (and allow them to connect and flow with each other; a determined but clumsy character, a stubborn but loyal character, fiery and strong, quiet and creative. However, you can also use stark contrast: quiet yet fiercely passionate, introverted adventurer, short-tempered but gentle, etc.)

Interests - Passions, hobbies, certain skills your character possesses, and if they are willing to share their interests with others

Ruling Passion - An issue, compulsion, intense dedication

A Quirk/Habit - A strange/unique qualities, habit, behaviour, skill, and/or ability that makes your character stand out in a crowd & memorable to your reader (ie. a particular fidget under stress, a certain tone or squeal in their voice when excited, a skill like reading while upside down for the fun of it, cowering behind the nearest tall person when scared or intimidated, something akin to their personality or past, and more). Give details about your character to the reader. Also, a character can and should have more than one quirk, and characters close to that  character can pick up, trade, or share habits either through conscious teachings, genetics, force, or subconsciously

A Name - Make your character’s name have a purpose, hold power, and be memorable/hold value to your reader. When your reader hears that name in real life, you want to remind them of your character (ie. Harry - “Harry Potter”, James - “James Bond”, Alexander - “Alexander Hamilton”). Names should indicate the time period, your character’s ancestry, and the naming system for a fictional world

A Desire - Desires are more powerful motivators than regular determination  ~ it can be a push to great deeds or temptation to take regrettable actions quickly, especially if a  time limit or danger is present

A Love - While not every story needs to be about romantic love, there are other times of love (friendship, family, close bond, asexual or aromantic, community, adored pet, something or someone they connected deeply to, etc.). Giving a character someone or something to love to care about instils an idea of joy, hope, and possibility

A Value/Agency - Voice your character’s truth, let them take action, and give them a personal agenda or power/agency

Their own, individual point of view

Beliefs, Values, and Morals

Attitudes - Opinions, their point of view of the world

Things your character cares about (ie. security, family, freedom)