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Create a Set of Characters
We’ve talked about storytelling and the factors that are necessary to relate an engaging story. But unless you’re writing about rock formations, you’re going to need to create a set of characters who are capable of imbuing your story with the realism and believability necessary to pull off such a task. Whether you’re writing fiction or creative nonfiction, your characters must come off as real people who somehow stand apart from the crowd. As an author, your stock in trade is the ability to create such characters, and while doing so may be challenging, there are several techniques available to help you flesh out your all-important cast.

Bill who?

Authors usually have little difficulty in establishing their protagonists and antagonists. Indeed, these central characters have personal and physical characteristics that serve the author’s purpose of saving—or destroying—the world. But even after having written many such characters, I’m always surprised when I misplace some of the critical details of my antagonist or protagonist. Was William’s last name Smith or Smythe? Why did I choose the former or the latter? Is Smythe too pedestrian for my purpose and should I have named him William St. Jean-Smythe? After all, a name can tell a reader a great deal about a character, and Smith may not be sufficiently hoity-toity if I’m attempting to infiltrate him into the Queen’s inner circle so that he can subvert the country’s political system. In fact, maybe Bill’s last name should be Fedorenko or Goncalves or simply Mr. X (yes, leaving characters unnamed is an acceptable if little-used device in fiction writing, recommends PapersEditing).

Passport, please.

Once you’ve settled on a name—or lack of it—for your lead character, you’ve got to convince the reader that you know something about her or him. After all, these characters are supposed to reflect what we understand of the world (art imitates life), so they must benefit from a history just like everyone else. Where was Bill born and raised? How old is he? His origin will have something to do with the way he speaks, so a knowledge of this upbringing will absolutely impact the way you write his dialogue. When Bill tosses his passport to the customs official at JFK, will the reader know that the blue eyes, blond hair and 180 pounds described in the document are physical attributes that are different from Bill’s actual appearance? If not, you’ll lose the suspense of the scene and imperil the authority of your writing.

Sometimes, physical characteristics become the crux of a character’s repertoire in a story. For example, you’ll need to develop some skills in describing the appearance of your characters relative to their use in the story. If your war hero is recovering from a wound but she doesn’t have a limp, a scar or an eye patch, she’ll be patently unconvincing. Conversely, your mass murderer doesn’t need to look like a monster. But if you’re writing comedy and depending on your words to impart a comical experience to your readers, review your list of funnymen and women to realize what it was that added to the hilarity of Groucho Marx, W. C.  Fields or Charlie Chaplin, and relate those characteristics to your readers.

The everywoman—or man.

Clearly, you’ll need a stable of supporting actors to enhance the believability of your protagonist and antagonist. There’s the teenaged kid bagging groceries at the supermarket, the Italian barber, the interior designer who will only work while she’s barefoot, and the slick politician with all the charm of a snake oil salesman. These characters play important parts in your tale and you’ve got to treat them accordingly; otherwise, they’ll be unconvincing and detract from, rather than add to the credibility of your story. You can enhance the reality of this supporting cast of characters by describing their attire, noting their penchant for chewing gum or capturing their furtive glances at the attractive customer standing in front of your protagonist or antagonist in the bank.

Create your characters with care.

Authors are some of the world’s most dedicated. We intently watch everything around us and then use those experiences to create the literary images we use in our writing, recommends PapersEditing. If you’re new to the world of writing or simply want to refresh your skills when it comes to characters, here are just a few techniques you can employ to make certain that Bill St. Jean-Smythe comes off as a real villain—or hero.

Chart your character’s life.

Consider creating a character worksheet for the most important personalities in your manuscript. Some authors do this by way of a pencil and paper exercise while others choose a more formalized computer spreadsheet approach. Regardless of the medium, you should know and rely on the following information about your characters: gender, age, place of birth, education, height, weight and the color of their hair and eyes. You’ll need to create a list of likes and dislikes—both yours and theirs—that apply to each. Bill likes apple martinis, hates cats and would love to be a golf coach. You don’t approve of Bill’s tendency to drink too much, believe that his disdain of felines is socially irresponsible and think that his real skills lie in computer graphic design rather than golf. Bill likes to dress casually regardless of the occasion, but you think he should have dressed more appropriately when he attended his best friend’s funeral. In other words, develop a commanding knowledge of your characters so that you can relate the richness of that knowledge to your readers.

Keep track of your environment.

The next time you’re out, make a mental note of someone you encounter. Later, write down some of the descriptive details about that person. What color was her hair? Was she wearing perfume? Was she tall, short, skinny, fat? When she smiled, were her teeth bleached so white that they hit you like a flashlight at midnight? What about the dress she was wearing. Was it too short, just right, too long, pleasing, hideous, tattered or transparent? Do your best to capture those details on the page during your writing exercise, recommends PapersEditing. If you discover that you’ve lost too many of them, try it again the next time you’re at the supermarket or the mall or on the train. Record the details mentally and relate them in all their luxurious detail when you get back to your PC or your notepad.

There are innumerable methods you can use to enhance your descriptive writing abilities and the foregoing are just a few. Challenge yourself to make your characters as believable as possible by getting to know them well, learning to describe them precisely and taking advantage of their quirks. In fact, a well conceived character can take the lead in creating that next story. When writer’s block attacks, just look to your characters for advice.

Taken from PapersEditing.