Last time, we covered Steps 1, 2, and 3 in creating a good, solid 3-D character.
-Quick Review-
*Step 1: Take down the basics. List off your character's name, their height/weight, their hair/eye color, age, and anything else you want to include in this BASIC list.
*Step 2: Make a list of traits and flaws you want to include in this character's personality. Don't worry, it's just a draft. You can change this list as many times as you want.
*Step 3: What makes the traits you just listed a part of your character? Think up a good back story that explains why they act the way they do.
So, what do I do after I write the back story?
Here comes my favorite part. We get to think about how your character interacts with other characters.
(Time for more pretending!)
Imagine you're one of the characters in your story and put yourself into random situations with the character you're working on.
*What would it be like to have dinner at their place?
*You need to borrow some money, will that character lend it to you?
*You go to a party together, how does your character act?
You can also ask yourself things like:
-How do others characters perceive this character?
-How do strangers perceive this character?
-How does this character perceive him/herself?
-Is your character a listener or a talker?
-Do they hold grudges?
-How do they express themselves?
-Do they like to argue or do they avoid conflict?
-How quickly do they judge others?
-How long is their attention span?
Now, after all that's done, let's think about how your character's self-image.
What your character thinks of themselves is pretty important to their personality. People who have low self-esteem or are self-conscious tend to be shy, whereas people who are confident with themselves and their appearance are more outgoing. So, basically, the way your character sees him/herself can really effect their personality.
*Does your character think they're attractive?
*If not, why so?
*What do they think is their best feature? Why?
*What do they think is their worst feature? Why?
*Is this a realistic assessment?
*Do think of themselves as strong (emotionally)?
*If they had to describe themselves in one sentence, what would it be?
*If they had to describe themselves in one paragraph, what would it say?
*If they could change one thing about him/herself, what would it be?
Okay, now that we've thought about that, let's move on to your character's quirks and mannerisms.
You can tell a lot about a person by their body language. I think the most common one is the "nervous tell." Something you do--usually with your hands--that can tip someone off that you're nervous/lying.
Quirks/mannerisms include:
"Restless hands"
With restless hands, your character's hands are constantly moving. Playing with their hair, twisting their shirt, twiddling their thumbs. They just can't keep those little buggers still. Be careful with this one though. You've only got to point this out a few times for your reader to get the point, so don't go overboard describing the movements.
"Chewing"
These characters have a bit of an oral fixation. (No, not like that. Ya perv.) They chew gum, their lips, the inside of their cheeks, their fingernails, their hair, the sleeves of their jackets. Basically anything they can get their teeth around. This is usually done in uncomfortable situations.
"Hair-Play"
This character can't keep his/her hands out of their hair. They twist it, they ruffle it, they wrap it around their fingers. I usually see this used as a "tell"--something that gives you away when you're lying--but I think it's also a pretty good nervous tick. Or even just a weird quirk.
"Super-Jitters"
Characters suffering from what I like to call "Super-Jitters" just can't stay still. They're constantly moving--especially when they're trying to be deceitful. They shift their weight from one foot to the other, pace back and fourth, tap their feet, and bounce their legs.
"Twitches/Facial Ticks"
Personally, this is one of my favorite quirks to use. I just love a character with a tiny facial tick. It doesn't have to be some sort of obscene, attention-drawing tick. The corners of their mouth jump when they tell lies. One of their eyes twitches when they're angry.
"Damp-Palms"
These characters suffer from overactive sweat glands. Their palms/armpits/whatever sweat like crazy. Especially when they're nervous. You can always tell when these characters are feeling uncomfortable because of the trickle of sweat dripping from their fingertips. (Okay, that's a little exaggerated, but you know what I mean.)
"Finger-Tapping"
These characters are the ones that beat their fingernails against tables and ceaselessly bounce their foot. They tap out little musical beats on their coffee table when they're bored. This quirk works really well for musicians.
Of course, it's not limited to just that list. Come up with a few of your own. They can be whatever you want. Odd quirks are a really good way to spice up your character. Just don't go overboard, unless you want the character to come off as eccentric and/or silly.
Now that your character has his/her own special quirk(s), it's finally time to breathe some life into them.
It's time to think about their goals. Their dreams. What drives this character to potentially risk his/her life for this adventure they're about to embark on? They need some motivation.
Let's take things back to when your character was just a kid.....
What did they want to be when they grew up?
Do they still want to do that?
If not, when did they change their mind?
What do they want to do now?
Now, let's talk about your character's goals in regards to the story.....
What's their main goal?
Why do they want to achieve said goal? What's driving them?
If they don't achieve this goal, what will they lose? What's at stake?
Motivation can really make or break a character. If it's not strong enough or too unbelievable, the reader won't buy it. It's got to be just right. And be sure this goal is something your character would want to achieve. Having your mousy librarian going after a basketball trophy is just silly.
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I hope that helped everyone! If you have any questions, feel free to ask. And if you want to suggest a topic for a future post, leave a comment and I'll try my best.
Thanks for reading everyone!
Love ya!
Everything I've ever read about creating villains has said something along the lines of, "You want your villains to be credible, not likable."