Building a Character

One of the funnest (and hardest) parts of writing a story is building a character. Not just anyone will do when you need someone to sweep into your story and save the day. Or just any old Jane to take the layers of crap (we like to call it conflict) on her, either. So, who do you choose? You can’t just grab your next door neighbour and throw them into a murder scenario. (As much fun as that might be.) So, you have to get creative.

I’m one of those who has a general idea of their main character before they start writing. Usually. Sometimes I have nothing. However, I have found that in the cases where I go in blind, I often end up having a main character who lacks in proper motivations to carry the story forward in a strong and convincing way. That means, editing. A lot of editing. And that takes time. A few years ago I read Linda Seger’s book “Creating Unforgettable Characters” and built a worksheet for myself using her ideas and tips. It’s been great. Even when I don’t use the worksheet, just making it has helped keep those elements in mind when I start a new story or introduce a new character. (If you want to pop through some online character questionnaires, check out this link.)

What does your chararacter want? What stands in their way? (I have to know those two things before I start or I don’t even have a story. Generally speaking… I have broken my own rules a time or two. Oops!) But to get more depth, questions like: How do you handle conflict?; What is your level of education?; and What does your home look like? tend to help me delve deeper and get a greater understanding of who the heck I am working with.

Back in June, Writer’s Digest posted an article called, “9 Questions to Ask Your Main Character.” While I don’t think I have asked any of my characters these specific questions, they are good ones that will help get into the psyche of that wily old character of yours.

Being the curious sort that I am, I asked my writing buddies over at AgentQueryConnect if they ask their characters questions before they start writing. As you may have guessed, the answers to that poll were all over the board. If you have time and are curious what you can ask your main character, read the whole thread–there are lots of great questions that other writers ask their characters.

Writer’s tip: If your story is falling apart, lacks a little something, or your characters don’t feel quite right, try taking a break and having a coffee and chat with your characters. You might be surprised what they tell you.

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