Characters: How do you create believable ones?
|
Listen to this article
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
There are many ways to create believable characters in the stories we tell.
This was something I pondered long and hard while writing GHOSTED. It’s pretty much a rule (if we’re going to admit there are some writing rules that matter) that you give your character a unique and well-defined personality, with strengths and flaws that make them interesting and relatable. Give them motivations and goals that are clear and consistent, and make sure their actions and behaviours are consistent with their personality and values. Before you start writing, research your characters. Poke around in their inner life and complex relationships with other characters.
It’s super important for a character to react consistently throughout a story. This helps make the people (or creatures) you create believable. Their actions should make sense in the context of the story. If a character’s reactions are unpredictable or inconsistent, it creates confusion or disbelief for the reader.
Characters playing a part
Even when a character is pretending to be someone they aren’t, it’s still important to stay consistent to their personality and values. If you’ve written someone who is typically shy and reserved, they may become nervous or flustered when trying to appear confident. This kind of consistency helps make them believable and adds depth to their personality.
What about when an evil character is seen by everyone as being good?
Guess what I’m going to say? Yep, you got it. It’s important for the character to continue to act consistently with their personality, even if others are unaware of their true nature. An evil character who is seen by everyone as good may still have certain mannerisms, tics, or habits that reveal their true nature to readers. Alternatively, the character may struggle to maintain their facade of goodness and occasionally slip up or make mistakes. The key is to make sure the character’s behaviour remains consistent, even if they are pretending to be someone they aren’t.
Quiz time
Answers below the questions
- What is one of the most important aspects of creating a great character?
A) Their appearance
B) Their backstory
C) Their personality
D) Their role in the story
- What should you consider when developing a character’s personality?
A) Their appearance
B) Their role in the story
C) Their goals and motivations
D) All of the above
- How can you make a character more dynamic?
A) By giving them multiple conflicting personalities
B) By giving them a complex backstory
C) By having them undergo significant personal growth
D) All of the above
- Why is it important to give your characters flaws?
A) Because it makes them more relatable
B) Because it makes them more interesting
C) Because it gives them room to grow and change
D) All of the above
- How can you make sure your characters are well-rounded?
A) By giving them a diverse set of skills and abilities
B) By giving them a rich inner life and a unique perspective
C) By giving them both strengths and weaknesses
D) All of the above
Answers:
- C) Their personality
- D) All of the above
- D) All of the above
- D) All of the above
- D) All of the above
