Creating fictional characters
As writers, we must know our created characters as if they were real people. We have to know everything about them in order to make them ‘live’ in the world of our fiction. The more real we can make them in our imagination, then the more real they will be on the written page, and so for our readers.
- How old are they?
- What is their height/weight?
- Where were they born?
- What was the childhood home like?
- Describe their Parents
- Describe their school building
- Did they like or dislike school
- What is their favourite food/colour/holiday location/song etc (This list is endless)
- What is their medical history?
- Financial status
- Sexual orientation
- Do they have a criminal record?
- What work do they do?
- Do they enjoy/hate their job?
- Any Brothers/Sisters?
- What’s their best friend’s name
- Their first pet’s name
- Their partner’s name
- How long with present partner/how long alone?
All of these questions you can simply decide.. And as your decisions increase then your choices will begin to form themselves based on your previous choices. Your character will begin to grow organically. You can then step into your character’s shoes to discover what s/he would do, or how they would react in any given situation.
Unless your work is autobiographical, try not to base your characters entirely on yourself, or you risk making every character that you create, a self portrait. However, if you create a fictional character, then your time spent doing this will be more interesting.
And as you build characters, you may find that they take on a life of their own, and may well surprise you with what they say and do. You have now contacted your inner creative self, and your work will flow more freely, and easily.
Almost certainly you will not actually use all of this ‘ back story’ that you have created for your characters, but these details form the bedrock on which they’re based.
With fiction, the reader sees only the part of the characters that the writer chooses to reveal in the context of the story; but a practiced writer will know all about their character’s wishes and dreams, their hopes and their fears.
