Question of the Day: For you authors: What is the most important part of creating a new character? For you readers: What makes a character believable to you?
When I create characters, I try my best to make sure that they are realistic and believable. For this one character, I needed her to have all these varied characteristics (being cultured yet an ass kicker for example) and I had to stop myself because it began to feel like I was stitching a person together from all these different parts like Dr. Frankenstein. Since then, I've been trying to get her character to develop organically, so you would have no problem believe such a person could exist. If that makes any sense.
They begin as a portrait with particular interests, then have difficulties and the potential for change. They react differently from others, and have their own backstory, settings and perspective on things. Attributes may include personality type, need, desire, values, strength, weakness, subplot, theme, archetype or myth, emotion, symbols or motif, solution strategy and morality.
I try to make sure that most chapters, probably 90%, have one purpose in moving the story forward and then finish with something that makes the reader want to turn the pages. I don't do it with 100% of the chapters, because sometimes one needs to take a few pages off from the tension to give the reader a break. At least, that is what I try to do.
When I create characters, I try my best to make sure that they are realistic and believable. For this one character, I needed her to have all these varied characteristics (being cultured yet an ass kicker for example) and I had to stop myself because it began to feel like I was stitching a person together from all these different parts like Dr. Frankenstein. Since then, I've been trying to get her character to develop organically, so you would have no problem believe such a person could exist. If that makes any sense.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by! That sounds like a good approach.
DeleteThey begin as a portrait with particular interests, then have difficulties and the potential for change. They react differently from others, and have their own backstory, settings and perspective on things. Attributes may include personality type, need, desire, values, strength, weakness, subplot, theme, archetype or myth, emotion, symbols or motif, solution strategy and morality.
ReplyDeleteLots of aspects to consider :)
DeleteI try to make sure that most chapters, probably 90%, have one purpose in moving the story forward and then finish with something that makes the reader want to turn the pages. I don't do it with 100% of the chapters, because sometimes one needs to take a few pages off from the tension to give the reader a break. At least, that is what I try to do.
ReplyDelete