5 Ways to Make Your Characters Real

Making your characters real is really not much of a mystery, even if you're writing one.

Still, there are things that a writer must remember when placing their main, secondary, and antagonist characters on the page. Here they are in no particular order:

1. Every character needs flaws, especially your main character who must change and grow through the story.

2. Every character must have some redeeming qualities; yes, even the antagonist. Perhaps the antagonist lies through her teeth on every account, but keeps a beautifully kept yard or has an eye for formal wear.

3. Every character needs to have characteristics specific to who they are. These characteristics may be body mannerisms, dress style, the way he drives his car or the way she avoids speaking in public.

4. Every character needs to stay in character. If it helps for you to make a list, do it. If it helps you to remember hair color, eye color, or what your main character's name is, write it down or use a picture from a magazine to keep you on task.

5. Every character needs to be as real as your next door neighbor. That means you may know more about your main character than you will use in your book. But you will know the insides and outs of your main character in case something comes up and you need to know her favorite type of music, for example.

I tend to mix up character names in my books, so it's a good idea for me to write them down and have them handy. You may forget the particular flaws given to a particular character or the redeeming qualities, or even the particular body mannerisms your protagonist has.

If so, make a list and have that list handy.



You won't regret it.

Do Your Characters Speak to You? Do You Listen?

I had a great conversation recently was a fellow author about characterization, and the importance of making their fictitious characters REAL.

What makes a character real? I asked.

I suppose they are like the rest of us, was the answer. They say the right things based on their likes and dislikes; perhaps where they sit in a family situation, whether first or fifth in line. They do the right things. You can count on them to visit particular places and settings.

Photo by: Menage a Moi, courtesy of Flickr

So what happens when your character doesn't feel like that to you?
I asked.

Well, you're probably not listening to them them, he answered.

Listen to a character?

You bet.

Have you ever been writing along merrily, when suddenly what you have written seems awkward, almost forced?

I have.

And the best thing I can do is to stop and take notice. The scene I have just written, does it run true for the character, or am I forcing the character into a place he/she wouldn't really go?

Is the character speaking like themselves, or like me? Do I want the character to say something so bad I forget that the character might just feel differently about that?

Okay, so maybe we writers are a little bit crazy. I'm almost saying here that we hear voices... but I want you to reflect on the last time you wrote dialogue.

Did you listen?

Was it more important to get the feelings of the character authentic over your agenda for them?

There's something soothing and yes, REAL about a character who appears real on paper because we've remembered to listen.

So listen...