Read any great book and you will discover dynamic characters with unique personalities. A character without a personality is a dead and dull character. Personality gives the reader a sense of believability and a sense of realism. The reader must believe the character as a real, living, and breathing person. Many new writers often overlook the most basic of characterization, personality. Characters are the same as people in real life; each human is different because of individual personalities, and your characters must be the same. Give your characters life by giving them personalities unique of their own.
It is important that each character have their own personality and individual traits that show their personality as the story progress. It is our personality that dictates our decisions and actions and it is the same with the characters in a story. Personality traits must affect what the character is doing and the decisions being made. Personality traits should be clear to the reader by showing those traits and not telling.
Note: Do not to overdue character personality traits; there must be a level of believability for a character to work in the story. If a character doesn’t seem real with real emotions the reader will not sympathized and lose interest.
Note: It is the job of the writer to demonstrate the character traits as the story unfolds.
The character must have goals, period. Without goals to motivate the character, the character will seem bland, for there would be no reason for the character to do anything in the story. Goals are what make a character persevere when all hope seems to be lost and the character finds the strength to keep pushing forward through the climax to the resolution.
Note: Goals are a basic fundamental in character building. Not only goals important in real life, but in the life of your character as well. It gives them life. Goals affect personality, decisions, and actions.
The character must have something at stake. Without something to lose the reader will ask why the character doesn’t just walk away from the problem. There must be something that keeps the character from walking away, something of deep importance.
Note: The stakes may be different for each character, and value of the stakes is measured in different standards by each character. What the main character finds important, may not be as important to another character. Two characters working toward the same goal may have different reasons or stakes that motivate them to push toward the goal.
Note: Keep in mind what is at stake is of extreme value to that character.
The character arc is a great tool for the overall dramatic structure of the story, and the key to writing a good character arc is to have the characters have their own and unique personality traits. Personality is what makes characters believable and draws to the reader closer to the story.
In simple terms it is the transformation of a character over the course of the story. The character changes somewhat into a different person as the story progresses.
Note: It is important to remember there is a difference between growth and change. Some characters will undergo a major transformation, and other characters may under go minor changes, and understanding this concept will improve the character arc and its implementation to the story. Also take note a story cannot develop if the main characters does not grow and change, and it is the characters personalities that will determine the growth and change of a character. Therefore it is a necessary that each character has their own and unique personality traits. The writer must find ways to show the trait or traits, example: A character that is paranoid would chew on thumbnails, pace the floor, etc.
Note: A character without a personality is a dead character. Take great care when developing characters, dull characters will kill a story no matter how good the plot is. Take note of the top fiction authors; all their books have great character with their own personality. By creating personality in a character it creates a sense of realism. Never overlook the characters personality.
The writer should know the character better than anyone else, and a good way to know your character is to ask questions by creating a character sheet.
Notes: Use this work sheet when creating characters. It helps to create ideas and install personality. It is always a good idea to know a little bit about the characters in your story. And it is nice to have reference material to help generate ideas. Sometimes just by creating a Character Sketch a story will blossom in the imagination, begging to be written. I encourage any writer to create a character sketch.
Learn to create strong, diverse characters that entice the reader to turn the page. Use the information above. Using the Character Sketch is a good tool to create the basic foundation for your character and installing a personality. As in real life, everything from age to relationships effects personalities. Take great care in your writing, do your best, and be passionate about your work. To be writer is to have a great passion, a desire, and a need to write.
“To compose our character is our duty, not to compose books, and to win, not battles and provinces, but order and tranquility in our conduct. Our great and glorious masterpiece is to live appropriately. All other things, ruling, hoarding, building, are only little appendages and props, at most.” ~ Michel de Montaigne
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