Wrandom Writing Tip #3: Real Live Characters

Tip #3:

Writing can be so...enlivening.

I have created a million-jillion characters in my head, without particular stories of their own (Marie and Phillipe LaCroix, Matt Hartman, Ryaan, Rgaatornn, Mikhail Avandayev, and Luc Martine, to name a few). I don't know why, but I find awesome joy in creating characters, even if I come up with them and never apply a story to them. I think it's partly because I like to have a few extra characters around in case I miraculously come up with a storyline. Then, I can plug in someone I'm already familiar with into the new book.

If you're struggling with thinking up characters that come to life on the page, you might be over-thinking things a bit. Creating believable characters isn't as hard as you would think. There are a few secrets I've learned over the years for coming up with the coolest characters ever:

1. Give your character a secret. I've neglected this tactic for years and have just recently come to appreciate how a well-kept secret adds depth to a character. You can make it something silly, sad, serious, or embarrassing, as long as it's believable. How do you know if something is believable or not? Try putting yourself in your characters shoes. Would you go into hysterics if someone found out you slept with a teddy bear? Or have a temper tantrum if someone accidentally bumped you while walking?

2. Give the character a name you love. This might not be a problem for some people, but for me, it's a huge deal. I pick out names for my characters as if they were my own flesh-and-blood children. I spend days pouring over baby name books, searching for that one name that pops out at me. Sometimes, if I'm lucky, I'll see the name first and model the character after the name. But usually this isn't the case. Give your character a name you won't get tired of writing over and over. I believe names contribute to a character; a character named Bob probably won't be nearly as interesting as one called Cole or Dwayne (is it just me, or does Dwayne scream ace-pilot-turned-rogue?).

3. Give the character interesting features. I love to describe people. There, I admit it. Sometimes I do it too much (if you've read The Journey, you probably noticed how much I love to point out how blue Eadën's eyes are). But I believe I write this way because I see this way. When I meet someone I usually find one distinguishing feature that I remember the person by (i.e. Eadën's blue eyes, Dirco's pale hair, Vette's bouncy curls and wings...). So, why not try to make someone who's interesting to look at? While I have an awful habit of making every character I create beautiful, I do suggest you don't make everyone as handsome or as pretty as possible. Some people can simply be described as 'interesting': others, ugly, or even horrid (save those for the villain! ;D). Others are simply simple; some teens can have acne, adults should have some gray hair, and little kids don't have to be cute every single time (but then again, they can be!). Give your character something to remember him by.

4. Give your character an awesome, unexpected personality. Have you ever read Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank? If not, I suggest reading it. There are many diverse, wonderful characters in the story, especially the main character, Randy. In the beginning, Randy is described as a scoundrel; he is seen as a reckless youth with no self-control. But once the story shifts to Randy's point of view, you are quickly confused. The exact opposite seems to be true of Randy's personality; he is quite calm and cool-headed, even under nuclear fire, and incredibly responsible. He ends up leading the ruined town as a mayor-like figure. This is a wonderful example of an unexpectedly-characterized character—every character should be as diverse and unexpected as real-life people.

I often—really, I do this every time!—begin writing a book by creating character sketches—short blurbs about the different characters in the story. After all, the characters are what will be pushing the story along and giving you inspiration to finish the book. Shouldn't you make them worth remembering?