Characters can make or break a story. You can have a really great idea for a plot, but without characters to pull it off, your novel could turn out kind of lame.
There are plenty of writers who advocate natural character growth, and I’m right there with them. But if you dive in without a plan, you’re going to have a lot more editing to do when you’re finished.
Why you need to plan your characters
Having an idea of who your characters are and where they’re going is incredibly helpful as you write. If you take too much of a hands-off approach, you run the risk of letting the wrong character steal the show, or having a protagonist who isn’t believable because she doesn’t know what she wants.
I’ve compiled a few practical rules to help you structure your character creation before you begin writing.
Rule #1: Fill Basic Roles.
Every story has some essential roles that need to be filled in order to make it a good story. To begin, you at least need a Protagonist and an Antagonist. It might be easier to think of them as the Hero and the Villain. The conflict between these two characters (assuming the Antagonist is a character and not nature) is what propels the story forward.
Even if your Villain doesn’t make an appearance until the climax of the story (like in the first Harry Potter book), we need to feel his or her presence throughout. The Villain has to make problems that the Hero just can’t resist solving.
And at the same time, these characters need to be deep and complex, just like other characters such as the Mentor, Love Interest, or Foil. Even your hero should be broken in some way, because what drives a great story is watching characters come to terms with different pieces of their identities, even the parts they don’t like.
Rule #2: Profile All Important Characters
Choose your definition of important. Make a list like this one and fill it out for each character:
- NAME:
- AGE:
- PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: (eyes, hair, defining features)
- ROLE:
- GOAL: (Act 1, Act 2, Act 3)
- FLAW:
- FEAR:
- SECRET:
(Check out my previous post on characters for more explanation.)
Rule #3: Leave Room for Growth
Just as with your plot outline, you should keep your character profiles handy and add to them as you discover new things about your imaginary friends. As you write, focus on giving each essential character an arc, so that they emerge changed on the other side of the conflict.
The character profiles are meant to keep this growth smooth and consistent, but don’t be afraid to let your characters do something unexpected. Have fun with them, get invested in them, and your story will be better for it.
Thanks for reading, and be sure to share if you found these tips helpful!
Wonderful work, Kamryn