Let’s talk character building.
All authors love hearing that a reader liked their book. It’s even better when the readers say, “I loved that book.” But the all-time best compliment is in the immortal words, “I couldn’t put that book down.”
There are a ton of reasons that a reader would say that about an awesome book, but it always boils down to one definitive reason. The characters were phenomenal. If you don’t have well-developed characters in your story, then your story will fall flat–no matter how good you think your plot is.
As an editor, that is the first thing that I am looking for. I want a character that hooks me in, and I cheer for him/her, cry with him/her, and struggle with him/her. This is pretty basic stuff, but I think it is the element of a story that many writers struggle with the most.
So, here are the top 5 most essential elements to creating a memorable character.
1. Know archetypes.
If you haven’t already studied archetypes or learned to recognize them, you better get your reading on. Archetypes are those roles that characters fill. The sage, the goddess, the hero, the ruler, the innocent, etc. Get to know archetypes so that you can understand where your characters fit within your story. If you skew too far from your archetype, your reader may reject your story.
2. Know the hero’s journey.
Alrighty, this is another one of those essential story craft touchstones. You must know the hero’s journey. From the time of Gilgamesh we have been telling stories, and the best stories, the ones that we can relate to, withstand the test of time. Please read The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. If you are serious about becoming an author, you HAVE to read this book.
Other books that you should read include
The Story Equation by Susan May Warren
Hooked by Les Edgerton
Writing Heroes & Villains by Jackson Dean Chase
Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t by Steven Pressfield
3. Make your character flawed
We all hear this, but do you really understand? Your characters must be human, and no human is perfect. We all have stumbling blocks and weaknesses. If your POV characters fail to have relatable flaws, they won’t appeal to your readers. This problem will essentially kill your story.
4. Make your character likable.
This is another one! We have to like your character. Even an antihero has a likeable characteristic or two. Han Solo showed his love for Princess Leia in times of weakness. He also was hilarious—this is always a good way to tap into likeability.
5. Draw from your own experience.
Write what you know. If you can draw from any personal experience that helps you tap into those feelings, please use it. If you have no way to relate to your character, it will fall flat on its face, and the readers will not feel that your character is genuine. Do research, if you are writing something new or foreign to you.
BONUS.
Finally, to have that coveted Three-Dimensional Character, please make sure you do the following:
Tell us what your character looks like, either through the eyes of another character or through actions that the character makes.
Have a dark moment story (DMS) for your character. This is their tragedy, fear, resentments, and weaknesses that fuels their lie! This has to be established BEFORE your write your story, because it is essentially what drives your character’s motivations to move through the plot.
Develop your character’s moral substance through the decisions they make. Surprise your readers. The readers will know based on the DMS what your characters are apt to do, but surprise them by having them make decisions that go against their nature.
Make sure that the character’s needs (internal motivations) are fueling their wants (external—plot).
I hope that this helps you fully develop characters and have a story that your readers cannot put down.
If you have any additional insight or want me to dive further into details, comment or email. Thanks so much for following.
