Creating Believable Characters

Creating Believable Characters Whether you're writing a picture book, novel, or short story one of the most important things you need to have is a believable character. You want that character to grab your reader by the throat and pull her/him into the story. Sometimes a really good plot can do that, but if your character isn't believable your reader won't stick around. If they do they won't care what happens. The reader needs to relate in some way to the character they're reading about to care. Granted, the reader may not have to have been in the exact same situation as the main character to relate but she/he needs to see something in that character whether it's their search for identity, their enthusiasm over something, or the fact that their brother just stole their cookie and they feel sad. A good friend of mine, Kristy Dempsey, reminded me the other day that feelings are universal. I mean I've always known it but it's good to be reminded. Make your character FEEL and make the reader feel with them. Make your characters well rounded - 3 dimensional. Let us see slivers of all aspects of their lives not just the plot. Let one of the parents come in and say something nice. Let them do homework or have to baby-sit their cookie-stealing brother. Let us see inside their heads somehow. If you have kids the same ages of your characters - watch them. They're well rounded people. Even if they have a problem they do other things as well. Life continues on around them - whether they believe that or not. Don't make your characters puppets. Just because your plot outline says they have to do a certain thing at a certain time if your character wouldn't normally do that you can't make them. Think about it this way - if you ask your teen to clean their room as they're on their way out the door to hang with friends they probably wouldn't listen right? They'd probably say, 'I'll do it when I come back.' And then go bum around the mall with their friends. Well if you tell a character that is afraid of heights to jump out of a plane for fun because the plot says they need to, they probably shouldn't be listening either. Next point - dialogue. Keep it as even as possible whether internal or external don't have your character start using words they'd never know. Listen to kids speak. They don't use correct grammar - not many adults use correct grammar. Don't have them use it unless they're some kind of grammar expert. If your setting is somewhere where they have a certain slang you had best use that slang. If you're writing in first person especially it's best to keep in the character's voice all the way through the story. Don't suddenly use big words and proper grammar just because it's not dialogue. Remember this story is told in the main character's voice NOT yours. Keep that voice even or it becomes fake. Some ways to get to know your characters: Character charts - know every aspect of your character even if you never use them in your books. You have to know more about the character than you do about your best friends from who they were named after (why) to their most annoying habits. Some people interview their characters to get to know them better. Put yourself fully in their shoes. Role-play - find a quiet place and become your character. Listen to the type of music they listen to. Eat the food they may have to eat. Experience things from their eyes. Most off when you're writing know your characters enough that even though you know what's coming you laugh with them, cry with them, become angry with them and cheer for them. If you can't feel what your characters are feeling how can you expect your readers to.