Just a little late morning snack for your #motivationaltuesday ...
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Are you having trouble bringing your characters into the real world? Watch them walk off the page by following these 4 simple steps!
There’s nothing worse than slaving over every detail of your characters, only to see them fall flat, so to speak, on the page. Remember the Lazarus machine in the movie Casper? Just think of these steps as the “primordial soup mix” to bring them back to life.
- Cast them.
Have you ever read a book and mentally played the movie version in your head, complete with celebrities playing the starring roles? Why not try that in your own writing? Writing programs like Scrivener have character sections so that you can actually copy a picture onto the “notecard,” with a description on the back.
Furthermore, there is no rule saying that your characters have to resemble celebrities. Modeling them after real people in your life may even be an easier way to remember all of their traits. The more clear you can make the character in your head, the better they will translate to your work and audience.
- Watch them.
Not in a creepy way.
In order to truly bring a character out of the two-dimensional world, you must pay attention to their own unique mannerisms. How do they walk? Do they have any nervous habits or tics? Which parts of their face are engaged when they smile?
You shouldn’t lay these traits out like a grocery list in your actual work, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea for your “notes” section. Find little ways to illustrate the dimple in your character’s cheek, or the slight limp that becomes apparent if they are in a hurry.
- Listen to them.
If you’ve ever read Harry Potter, you know that Hagrid is a character who is easily identifiable, even without a tagline. Why? His pattern of speech is one that is unique to him, alone. No other character in the series has the same accent or gruff way of speaking as Hagrid. The house elves, on the other hand, are easy to spot by their high, squeaky voices and tendency to speak about themselves in the 3rd person.
Dialogue is a major factor in bringing your characters to life, and sometimes the best way to achieve the desired effect is to observe real people. Are you trying to capture the essence of a crotchety old man? Find one! Pay attention to the words he uses, as well as the way they look coming out of his mouth. What makes him crotchety? Is it the things he says, or the way he says them?
- Drop them.
Into the action! The best way to find out about the stuff of which your character is made is to poke them with a stick so they move. (Don’t poke things that are already real. It’s rude.) Do you want your audience to think your character is brave? Prove it. Show, rather than tell, and let them see your character in action. Use situations and obstacles, not only to move your story along, but also as a way to bring out specific traits in your characters.
Writing a character can be a daunting and tedious task if you’re invested in the wrong details. By focusing on the things that truly make them three-dimensional, you can more quickly and easily build someone who is believable and real.
Let me know if you have any questions! Also, feel free to use these steps in your next character sketch and let me know how it goes!
Happy Writing! 😍