Characters
Characters are tons of fun to create, and chances are, you already have some! If you don't and you need inspiration, just take a look at the people around you. What would it be like if your mother had a superpower? What if your neighbor was an alien? It obviously depends on your story too, but there are interesting people all around us--so how can you make them even more interesting?
General Advice
The most important thing is that your characters are realistic and relatable, with real goals and more than one or two personality traits. Make them flawed for sure, as nobody is perfect.
Your main character is going to suffer, yes. But don't make it ONLY be the main character who suffers. Show the side characters and background characters struggling, and having to overcome their own problems too. They don't need to take over the story to have their own growth as well.
In terms of when it comes to story, you should choose up to four main characters. I wouldn't recommend going over four, and even four can be a handful. Make sure that each of these characters is unique from one another, so we're not following a bunch of copy-pasted characters around.
It's best to not have so many characters all over the place; you want just enough characters to make the world feel alive, but it's not like you have to name all these background characters or make them important. It's better to have fewer characters than too many (at least, in my opinion) because it'll be easier to keep track of them if there's less. I've seen so many stories that have a crazy amount of characters, that you aren't able to know them for long--or at all.
While you want your characters to drive your story, make sure that (more interesting) background characters don't take over the story; if they are more interesting, then consider who your main character really should be. You can also take some of these more interesting traits and give them to the main character instead.
If you have too many characters, and some of them don't have much point or any big moments (meaning, they don't add anything to the plot), you can combine characters. Combining characters is fun, especially if they have different personalities and make a more complex character.
Don't introduce characters towards the end of the book/series. Try to introduce most of them in the beginning or otherwise middle; obviously, if a character's appearance is at a cliffhanger for a specific reason, that's fine, so long as they're developed a lot in the next book.
Make your villain interesting, instead of the one-dimensional "I want power/revenge" stereotype.
Include a comic relief character, especially if you're writing a darker story. They keep things lighter and interesting, so we're not having non-stop darkness and despair.
Consider drawing some scenes with characters to get a feel for them!
General Advice
The most important thing is that your characters are realistic and relatable, with real goals and more than one or two personality traits. Make them flawed for sure, as nobody is perfect.
Your main character is going to suffer, yes. But don't make it ONLY be the main character who suffers. Show the side characters and background characters struggling, and having to overcome their own problems too. They don't need to take over the story to have their own growth as well.
In terms of when it comes to story, you should choose up to four main characters. I wouldn't recommend going over four, and even four can be a handful. Make sure that each of these characters is unique from one another, so we're not following a bunch of copy-pasted characters around.
It's best to not have so many characters all over the place; you want just enough characters to make the world feel alive, but it's not like you have to name all these background characters or make them important. It's better to have fewer characters than too many (at least, in my opinion) because it'll be easier to keep track of them if there's less. I've seen so many stories that have a crazy amount of characters, that you aren't able to know them for long--or at all.
While you want your characters to drive your story, make sure that (more interesting) background characters don't take over the story; if they are more interesting, then consider who your main character really should be. You can also take some of these more interesting traits and give them to the main character instead.
If you have too many characters, and some of them don't have much point or any big moments (meaning, they don't add anything to the plot), you can combine characters. Combining characters is fun, especially if they have different personalities and make a more complex character.
Don't introduce characters towards the end of the book/series. Try to introduce most of them in the beginning or otherwise middle; obviously, if a character's appearance is at a cliffhanger for a specific reason, that's fine, so long as they're developed a lot in the next book.
Make your villain interesting, instead of the one-dimensional "I want power/revenge" stereotype.
Include a comic relief character, especially if you're writing a darker story. They keep things lighter and interesting, so we're not having non-stop darkness and despair.
Consider drawing some scenes with characters to get a feel for them!
|
|
Character Development Sheet
I typically start off with a "Character Development Sheet" that I fill out for each of my characters, including the background ones. If you want a sample to go off of, here's mine. If you want to build you own, here's some of the things to keep in mind...
Basic Information (name, gender, sexuality, disabilities, medical conditions)
Appearance (hair, skin, eyes, height, weight, injuries/scars, clothing style)
Voice (your characters should have a unique way of talking, whether it's using "y'all" or even talking like a pirate)
Archetype (based off the twelve story archetypes, like magician or caregiver)
Personality (you can include personality color, animal, song, etc. for fun)
Hobbies and Jobs (if they're into sword-fighting, make sure you do tons of research or learn it yourself)
Health (do they get sick a lot?)
Wealth and Status
Goals and Motivations
Fears and Flaws (definitely make sure your character has flaws--don't end up with a Mary Sue/Gary Stu!)
Habits and Quirks (this is a great site for character quirks)
What They're Known For (do they go to the library a lot, or are they the family cook?)
Background/History (if you're going for a tragic backstory, maybe try something beyond the standard "family dies" or "bullying"--how about their family ends up in the insane asylum?)
Culture and Habitat
Family, Pets, Friendships, Relationships
Favorites and Least Favorites
Normal Posture
Body Language (how they might act if they're lying, how they act when upset, what they do when defeated)
I typically start off with a "Character Development Sheet" that I fill out for each of my characters, including the background ones. If you want a sample to go off of, here's mine. If you want to build you own, here's some of the things to keep in mind...
Basic Information (name, gender, sexuality, disabilities, medical conditions)
Appearance (hair, skin, eyes, height, weight, injuries/scars, clothing style)
Voice (your characters should have a unique way of talking, whether it's using "y'all" or even talking like a pirate)
Archetype (based off the twelve story archetypes, like magician or caregiver)
Personality (you can include personality color, animal, song, etc. for fun)
Hobbies and Jobs (if they're into sword-fighting, make sure you do tons of research or learn it yourself)
Health (do they get sick a lot?)
Wealth and Status
Goals and Motivations
Fears and Flaws (definitely make sure your character has flaws--don't end up with a Mary Sue/Gary Stu!)
Habits and Quirks (this is a great site for character quirks)
What They're Known For (do they go to the library a lot, or are they the family cook?)
Background/History (if you're going for a tragic backstory, maybe try something beyond the standard "family dies" or "bullying"--how about their family ends up in the insane asylum?)
Culture and Habitat
Family, Pets, Friendships, Relationships
Favorites and Least Favorites
Normal Posture
Body Language (how they might act if they're lying, how they act when upset, what they do when defeated)
|
|
Character Design
If you're into art (or know someone who is), designing your characters visually is a great way to create them. You can start with some shapes (someone super tall or muscular), look at poses (to figure out your character's outward personality), use color schemes (that match their personality color), or clothing styles (which also helps out with personality, but can build a history to them as you think of WHY they like these clothes).
Lots of people make reference sheets for their characters, which makes them easier to imagine. You can also do turnarounds, which helps you get a better picture of how the character might present themself with their clothing style or posture.
If you don't know how to draw, you can still sketch out some shapes to make a person (avoid stick figures) or look up different aesthetics that your character might be into. Getting a visual take on a character helps make them seem more alive, and gives you a better idea of who they are.
If you're into art (or know someone who is), designing your characters visually is a great way to create them. You can start with some shapes (someone super tall or muscular), look at poses (to figure out your character's outward personality), use color schemes (that match their personality color), or clothing styles (which also helps out with personality, but can build a history to them as you think of WHY they like these clothes).
Lots of people make reference sheets for their characters, which makes them easier to imagine. You can also do turnarounds, which helps you get a better picture of how the character might present themself with their clothing style or posture.
If you don't know how to draw, you can still sketch out some shapes to make a person (avoid stick figures) or look up different aesthetics that your character might be into. Getting a visual take on a character helps make them seem more alive, and gives you a better idea of who they are.