The purpose of developing characters for a story is for the reader to know the characters. Readers will better like the story and the characters when they are properly developed, believable and easy to relate to. Important areas to consider when creating a good character are the character’s history, his or her name and his or her appearance.
A Character’s History
People are not blank slates. Characters should not be either. A writer wants to create a character that is believable, and believable characters have families and friends, or enemies. They have habits, hobbies and mannerisms. They eat, sleep, breath just as real people do. Characters need a history because it will help determine their characteristics. Even if the character is a newborn, he or she has a history because he or she has a family. Characters must live somewhere - maybe the story's setting - and interact with someone, and since they are usually not babies, they have a past. Write it down if it helps to remember.
The past, or back-story, that a writer can create for a character does not necessarily need to be explained in full within the story. However, it is beneficial for the author to know what the character’s past is. Then when at a moment in the story when the past needs to be explained to further the plot, develop interacting characters or explain the setting, it has already been thought out. When the character has a history, carefully naming him or her is important.
Naming A Character
An author may, of course, give a character any name that he or she personally likes. But there are also a few considerations that come with giving the character a name. The character’s nationality is one, as people generally have names that reflect their heritage. Another may be the character’s lineage. As discussed, the character with a back-story is more credible. As people are often named after grandparents and other ascendants, this is something to consider for the character as well.
Names also have certain meanings, and it is a good idea to look into the meaning of a name when choosing one. Understanding the meaning of the name given to the character may help you write about the character's personality. Remember that when readers read a name, they have a mental picture of what the character looks like.
A Character’s Physical Description
When the character has a name, the writer will most likely have a mental image, same as the reader. It may only be a particular feature – blonde hair, for instance. Whatever the image is, work with it. You may describe the character’s looks as seen in this mental image. But the way a writer sees the character may not be the way the reader sees the character. A good idea is to ask a friend or family member what they see when they read or hear the character’s name. Molding the character’s looks to what the readers see may benefit character development and even the story's plot.
Feel free to use your own artistic freedom, but consider these suggestions to make a character plausible and relatable.
Michelle Wright - Michelle is an avid reader and writer, with a focus on book, film and music reviews, gluten free recipes, and fiction writing "how-tos."
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