| Warm-up
Exercise: Before we begin
the main workshop, here’s a quick exercise to get
you warmed up:
Write down the name of a friend or
acquaintance.
What is her favourite past-time, the
types of books she reads, movies she watches, even
television programmes she enjoys? Does she drink alcohol?
If not, why not? Does she open up easily to new friends?
If she was stuck in an elevator for an hour with two
total strangers, would she start up a conversation while
waiting to be rescued?
(This isn’t an exercise to find
out how much you know about your friend – it’s
about building a personality, a character.)
Now, take another sheet of paper. Give
your friend a new name; we’re going to change her
personality.
If she’s shy and retiring, bolster
her a little, make her more outgoing. If she’s
already outgoing, crank it up some more. Give her an
accent if you like. Give her some mannerisms, like wild
use of her hands while talking, or let her crack her neck
when she’s nervous.
Make her language a little more
colourful. If she’s an office worker, turn her into
a more upbeat person. Think about an occupation she would
never contemplate. Make her an actor, singer, or even a
television newsreader.
Now change her clothes. If she normally
wears jeans and a t-shirt, try dressing her in
‘power’ suits. Or maybe she could be the belle
of the ball. Long flowing after five gowns with
glittering stilettos might be more in style with her new
personality.
If she never wears makeup, give her a
makeover; a new hairstyle, heavy foundation, eyeliner and
lipstick. She might even like some eye shadow.
Ü Good job! You have accomplished a technique
often used in creating characters.
*
* * * * * * *
Creating
Memorable Characters
Building
Characters from within your mind’s eye:
Ü Part One
- Backstory
The first step in this journey is to
give your character a background and backstory.
Many writers believe you only need to
do this if you are writing a novel. I disagree. Although
you may never reveal any of this information in your
story, knowing your character’s backstory will help
you, the writer, to understand her past.
There are a number of methods you can
instigate to get this information. Some writers literally
‘interview’ their characters, asking questions,
talking out loud. Others write a short story or essay,
learning of the character as they write.
I prefer to write it down partially in
dot form, partially essay form. I then move on from
there. (See example at the end of this workshop)
Here are some questions to get you
started:
How many siblings does she have? Are
they male or female? How old is your character? Does her
birthday fall on the same day as someone famous? Is she
named after someone famous? Does she have an unusual
name? What is the origin of it, or the reason she was
given that name?
What is her hair colour? How tall is
she? Does she walk with a limp, a cane, or have one
finger missing? Is she afraid of heights, terrified of
enclosed spaces, or petrified of spiders? Is she afraid
of the ocean?
Is there a reason for any of these
things? Perhaps she was locked in an old refrigerator as
a child? Or maybe she fell from a two-storey building, or
almost drowned as a toddler?
What type of books does she read? For
instance, if it’s romance she reads, is that because
romances were banned in her childhood, and it is now a
rebellious act. (The books your character reads could
give insight into her character.)
Is she a home-body or love to go out
raging and partying? Does she drink herself into
oblivion, or is she a non-drinker? Maybe, as a teenager,
she was not allowed to socialize with friends. Or perhaps
she was banned from drinking alcohol. (These things could
be total acts of rebellion – another aspect to your
character’s personality.)
What type of music does she enjoy?
Classical, jazz, rock etc. (If it’s more classical,
then this character may have a laid-back type of
personality.)
By now, you’ve probably realized
what I’m asking you to do - build an overall picture
of this character.
Some other questions you could ask your
character:
What is her greatest weakness? Failure?
When she was fifteen years old, did
something significant happen to her? (Such as a car
accident, a friend died, her brother abducted etc.)
Did she ever endure date-rape?
Attack by a stranger?
Was she ever attacked and/or injured by
a vicious dog?
If she found someone unconscious in the
middle of the road, what would she do?
What are her pet hates?
What does she love about herself? What
does she hate about herself?
Does she have any bad habits? Good
habits? Fears or phobias?
Does she like animals? If not, why not?
What has been her greatest challenge in
life?
If she was granted one wish, without
any limitations, what would it be?
What sort of clothing does she like to
wear?
- to a party
- to work
- out for a walk
- visiting friends
By now, you should have a really vivid
picture of your character. I don’t mean physically,
rather personality wise. (See physical appearance vs.
imagination)
And you should also know what motivates
her. (We will discuss this further in a later section.)
If you don’t have a full-bodied
vision of her, go back and start the exercise again. Now
that you’ve got the idea, you can add your own
questions, too.
Ü Part Two
– Creating your character
Close your eyes. Go on, I’ll wait
for you.
What do you see? A tall, lanky,
mud-covered man leaning against a fence? Perhaps you
visualize a short, wild-haired gang leader picking his
teeth with his switchblade? Or maybe it’s a
beautifully manicured, stylish woman dressed to the
nines?
Who ever it is, you just have begun the
journey of creating your main character, also known as
the protagonist.
Don’t worry about a name at this
stage. That can come later. Of course if a name jumps out
of the computer screen or off the page at you, go ahead.
Scribble it down.
Summary:
- Learn
as much about your character as
possible
- It
is just as important to know your
character/s in short stories as it is
in novels
* * * * * * * *
Sample
character:
Here’s a character I created
recently. It still needs loads of work, but this might
give you a little extra insight into how I go about
creating my characters.
Undercover Police Officer
Male
6’2"
32 years old
Long blonde hair pulled back into a bun
Muscle bound – keeps fit, works
out.
Sleeveless t-shirt, torn jeans, cowboy
boots
Five o’clock shadow
Earring in left ear, tattoos on both
arms
Overall appearance: Scruffy, ruggedly
handsome
Background:
Grandfather murdered in his home after
a property disagreement could not be resolved. Joined
police force to seek justice.
Marital Status:
Single. Would like to settle down, but
his lifestyle restricts social life. He also feels it
would be unfair to any potential partner, as he can
sometimes be away for months at a time.
Personality Traits:
Wary. Trusts no one. Heavy smoker;
smokes when something is on his mind and he needs to mull
it over. Wants to quit but doesn’t have the
willpower or inclination.
Contacts:
High in the police hierarchy. Has large
network he can call upon for backup. Does not necessarily
follow correct etiquette, and prefers to listen to his
gut instinct.
Additional information:
I have tried to build up a picture of
this character’s physical traits as well as what
motivates him (i.e. why he became a police officer) and
how he conducts his personal life. As I get to know him
better, I will add to his profile. Although it may seem
like something that comes easy to me, that’s rarely
the case; this short piece took close to 30 minutes to
create.
The method I use is to create the
character in my mind’s eye. I see him as a person,
standing in a place he would mould to, I dress him the
way I feel he would fit the surroundings. Then I decide
what motivates him; why he’s doing what he’s
doing, the thing/s in his past that pushed him to decide
to take this path or the reason he lives the life he
does. I think about traits that will make him that little
bit more unique than any other character. For instance,
in one of my novels the hero is a big, strong macho man.
He’s a charmer, he’s an organiser, and
he’s an undercover cop. He’s also afraid of
heights – that simple phobia made him more human,
more realistic, and since heights are also my phobia, I
found it easy to portray it in the novel.
If you want to learn more about
character creation (and I recommend you do), try going
along to your local acting group.
Sit in on their rehearsals; watch the
characters growth from instigation to that first
performance. Witness the changes first hand, the
transition of the character in his/her personality and
traits.
Or perhaps you’d prefer to study a
movie. One that comes to mind as a good example is
Witness. Follow the change in the character Harrison Ford
portrays – the detective; from an uncaring,
hard-nosed detective, until the end where he falls in
love with the mother of the boy who witnessed the murder.
Total transformation.
*
* * * * * * *
Creating
Memorable Characters
Give
your character a unique voice:
I love to eavesdrop, and make no
apologies for it.
Whenever I have the time, I go to my
local coffee shop, order a marshmallow filled mug of hot
chocolate, and take my time drinking it. That’s when
the fun begins - I listen to other people’s
conversations.
Really.
Sit and listen to a group of teenagers
talking. Watch their facial expressions, their hand
movements, and their body language. When they get riled
up about something, do their voices get louder? Softer?
What about their faces, do they look angry? Take notice
of their language. I don’t mean do they speak Greek
or Italian etc., - it’s more their usage of
language. For instance, do they use ‘street
speak’ or is their vocabulary more refined? Do they
swear a lot, or are they noticeably aware of members of
the group dislikes when it comes to bad language.
Undertake the same exercise with a
group of elderly people, middle aged women, sporty men,
and so on. Each group will speak in different ways. Their
mannerisms will be different; their tone of speech will
also be different. If you intend using young children
(i.e. four years old) in your writing, make sure you
portray them correctly. There’s nothing worse than
reading a story where a three or four-year-old talks like
a ten-year-old child.
All of these are important things to
notice. You will want to portray at least some of this
material in your stories. You may not need all of it now,
but you will store it in the back of your mind, for later
use. And if you intend to use the same characters in a
series of short stories (as I do) it will prove to
strengthen your writing and your characterizations.
For your individual characters,
particularly those that feature often, you need to give
them an individual voice.
For instance, a mid-twenties male
surfer may speak thus: "Man! Did you see that
whopper? It was sooo cool."
His mother may say of the same wave: "Oh
my God - John is out there in that! Please Lord, let him
be safe."
A witness to a crime might say: "The
robber had a gun."
Whereas a police officer would say: "The
perp had a 32."
Using language that ‘fits’
will intensify your stories and make them more
believable.
Giving your character a unique voice is
also about letting the reader know who is talking without
having to use speech or action tags. i.e. ‘John
said’. (More about Action Tags later)
Summary:
- Make
each character unique
- Use
appropriate ‘lingo’ for each
individual character
Exercise:
- Write
a short passage featuring two
protagonists. One character is a
greengrocer, the other a teenage boy. The
teenager has been caught stealing fruit.
Write 2-3 paragraphs (minimum)
highlighting the exchange that follows.
Ensure their individuality –
including unique voice – comes out
in your writing.
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