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developing/getting to know your characters

satyesu

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Firstly, I just searched AWWC and didn't find anything relevant.
How do you personally take a character concept and develop it into a character that feels like a convincing person whose actions are believable and follow from its flaws, strengths, views, background, etc - that "writes itself" and such?
 

The JoJo

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When starting on a character, I will list out a few traits, ensuring there is always a mixture of positive and negative. Many traits can bleed into both, for example confidence and arrogance are often two sides of the same key. Motivation usually comes next for me, and that is the key to the character's heart. Everyone wants something, whether its to save a lover, atone for their past sins, or simply make lots of money! Once I know the character's core motivation, then from there they'll "write themselves", as you say.
 

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How do you personally take a character concept and develop it into a character that feels like a convincing person whose actions are believable and follow from its flaws, strengths, views, background, etc - that "writes itself" and such?
I rely heavily on open-ended character interviews. I use this form of free writing to get my characters to open up about the story, and reveal how they felt during certain scenes, or divulge more information about their relationships with other characters.

This kind of character interview is different from the popular kind you'll find online involving static questionnaires. It helps you get to the bottom of the story and the resulting characterization is often much deeper and more pertinent to the story than the results of writing lists of characters traits and attributes or having the character answer stock questions.
 
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quicklime

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I usually start with ideas, and characters flesh out mostly from a need to come up with reasons for them to do the things they initially do. At that point it is all pretty "view from 50,000 feet":

What would I do if someone killed someone I love, and I knew who did it before the cops did? What would I do?

OK, so what would I do if I didn't hunt, and wasn't familiar with guns already?

What would the grief be like, especially knowing I had things to hide?

Would killing the first person change me? Would I continue? In the same manner?

What if I was caught? Would I attempt to flee, or even confront law enforcement?

The "bad guys..." why would they kill in the first place? Assuming more than one, would they actually all have the same reasons, or multiple rationales for their roles?

What would they do after, both to cope and/or reconcile who they are with what they did, and also if they knew I knew? What about if the cops started closing in?


I ask a lot of questions, and many of them require me to assign certain sort of 101-level traits to the characters. All before I start writing, when I am sort of making sure I have a feasible start, a feasible ending, and an ability to actually tie the 2 together.

By the time I start writing then, I have a fairly rough character but at least some idea of who they are and what makes them tick. The rest comes as I write, either in specific scenes, or as scenes flesh out, additional ideas or details come to me for later scenes.

I don't have much luck with extensive character sketches, interviews, etc., but that's me personally
 

relletyrots

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The way I see it, character is the outcome of basic traits and (mostly) life-events. I brainstorm those constantly in my head, until I get a clear picture of what that person is like, and how should they behave. Then I write, and the characters grow organically from there.
 

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We are all the products of our history and experience. Our characters can be no exception to this.
 

Disorderly Order

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First, I figure out the character's goals, motivation, and conflicts. Once you know this your character can "talk" to you (by talk I mean dialogue will pop up in your head and entire scenes)

Second, I put them in situations in my head and see how they act. Have them talk to the other characters especially the antagonist.

Third, music is a huge part of my process in creating characters. When I listen to a song I think about what reminds me of the character in this song and how they would act in the story of the song. Basically I view songs as mini movies.

In my experience its not important what color their eyes are or their favorite song. Once you figure out who they are at their core they'll tell you all of the other stuff. That's why character development for me is an ongoing process.
 

Harlequin

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If you want an easy cheat, take some of those (slightly lame) personality tests which abound on the internet. Fill it in as if your character was doing them.

I don't recommend this as a particularly deep or thoughtful method, btw, just more of something which sometimes works to get the metaphorical ball rolling.
 

BethS

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Firstly, I just searched AWWC and didn't find anything relevant.
How do you personally take a character concept and develop it into a character that feels like a convincing person whose actions are believable and follow from its flaws, strengths, views, background, etc - that "writes itself" and such?

Personally? I introduce the character without prior "development" directly into the story and then let all the shakings and rattlings and pressures of conflict have their way with him or her. Backstory appears as needed. So do talents, flaws, personality quirks, and so forth.
 

Layla Nahar

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I do largely as Beth does, but - I often get stuck right at the beginning of the story, so I end up writing things that happened to the character before the main story starts. I basically write a short 'prequel' (usually it's the MC who needs this treatment) and that gives me some perspective to move from the beginning to the main part of the real story. So all my character 'development' takes place within the context of a story.
 

Layla Nahar

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^Just want to say - since your post followed mine, I don't 'plot' (eg make any kind of plan for future events of the story - I don't use the word 'plot' to refer to anything I'm working on until the story is finished.) Adding this in case what I wrote gives a different impression from what I do. So, for me, too, I start with the character, but for me 'story' and 'character' can not be worked on separately. Maybe that's a better way of putting it.
 

Layla Nahar

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A story that I'm currently working on - I'm going in to great detail with an important event, but I expect that once I put the story in to 'consumable' form, most of these details will disappear. But I need to go into the details to be sure that each character's actions grow from the character, rather than from something I force into the events because I want that thing to happen.

Hope that makes sense.

ps: I won't say I have *no* idea about what will happen, because I've already laid out certain conflicts. I certainly don't know *how* it will happen, and those hows will affect the future of the story.
 

D_Shalayek

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I think I can help with side characters more than main characters. A lot of my side characters I base on real people, or real experiences that I've had with people, and this works insanely well for me because they really do write themselves. When it comes to my top two or three main characters, my process is very different, imperfect, and always evolving. I'd really hate to say "just make characters you'd love to read about," but yeah. Things seem to fall into place when you care about someone, whether it's in a book or in real life.
 

Layla Nahar

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Yes, that definitely makes sense.

still, though--I can't plot my way out of a paper bag and rely on CPs to prop me up ;-) typically by pointing out holes or gaps that need papering over/navigating around.

well, perhaps for me, I have a 'character profile' in my mind? I know what s/he looks like, and how s/he behaves. I read somewhere that the behavior of a character is a kind of top-level aspect, the past is a similar thing but that what really defines the character is the choices s/he makes. It was in a how-too book. (I think it had the word 'engineering' in the title.)
 

Layla Nahar

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DShalayek - I know of at least one writer who bases all his characters on real-life people. Frequently the MC is the author himself, in some disguised way (forex, an MC who is a gunslinger in the Old West)

He's a prolific writer. But that method wouldn't work for me at all :)

Interesting how different people's approaches are

ETA: missed this the first read, "just make characters you'd love to read about," QFT
 
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indianroads

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Main characters tend to be an aspect of my personality - I need to find that person in me in order to accurately write what's going on in his head.
Side characters are based on people I've met.
 

relletyrots

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I hate to base my characters on real people or myself; I create them brand new.

Also, quite unlike others here, I'm very plot-oriented. I do aim to create deep and realistic characters, but the plot is my main focus; I'd hate to grow dull or stale. The advantage is that I never write myself into a corner, and I have very satisfactory plot-twists.

Now that I think about it--my protagonists do tend to be forced into the plot without their control (usually by the antagonist), then find their way once inside.
 

blacbird

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Personally? I introduce the character without prior "development" directly into the story and then let all the shakings and rattlings and pressures of conflict have their way with him or her. Backstory appears as needed. So do talents, flaws, personality quirks, and so forth.

This. It's exactly what I do, also. At the very least, this is how things should appear in the final story, IMO. My favorite writers pretty much all produce stories that appear to work this way.

caw
 

Roxxsmom

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For me, the trouble with pre-delineating a character's background is overcoming the tendency to cram every detail I've discovered into the story.

And there's the whole Checkoff's gun thing too. For instance, if I make a big deal out of showing everyone how my character loves knitting, or is into clicker training their dogs, or loves Greek Tragedies, or has never been able to forget the best friend who moved away when they were ten (or whatever) then the reader will expect these things to have an impact on the plot at some point, even if it's just a an "aha" moment the character has at some point that stems from their area of expertise or passion. And they'll expect that best friend to show up at some point (or otherwise become germane).

Unlike real life, fiction has to employ a certain logic, to make sense. I hate those loose ends that never go anywhere in a story. They make it feel unfinished. When That best friend the character still broods over doesn't show up, or if they don't find a way for their skill with knitting to help them out of a bind, I walk away thinking, There'd better be a sequel.

So if one uses the "character sheet" approach before the story's main plot is in place, then one must be very flexible in being able to come up with ways to make that love of knitting or that best friend who moved away when the character was ten (or whatever) have an impact on their arc or on the plot or some other aspect of the story.

That's why I tend to "discover" things about both my plot and my characters as I go. Their background, interests and abilities may drive the story in some ways, but as the story develops, I may discover I "need" for the character to have something in their background, interests or abilities that works for the story.
 
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Layla Nahar

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... At the very least, this is how things should appear in the final story, IMO. My favorite writers pretty much all produce stories that appear to work this way.

There's certainly a difference between how the author comes to understand the characters, and how the reader comes to understand the characters.

Myself, I come to understand the characters by writing the story. Sometimes I have to write - to myself and for myself only - about things that happened before the novel opens. (Wish I could be more efficient, but there it is...)


To the OP - the best way to see how to present your characters to readers it to study the books you have enjoyed.
 
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I start out with knowing what my characters' personalities are, what their goals are, and what their hopes and dreams are. I then let them develop through action and plot. The behavior they exhibit while trying to reach their goals, how they react to a certain situation, how that situation changes them, and how they interact with other characters is how I develop them.
 
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RWrites

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I personally get an idea, write down what traits I want this character have, use a very basic template to get everything organized and look at anything I might need to add, write some scenes with the characters, and from there continually develop them throughout the planning/writing stage. There's more to it, but this very basic idea of my character development.

Something to try out:

1. Get a basic idea of what you want the character to be. What are their traits, their appearance? How do these things affect the plot/them/etc?

2. Write down that list of things you want them to be and begin add in more meat, more detail. Repeat multiple times. Look up what you can add into this character. There are plenty of list and ideas online so this shouldn't be hard.

3. Optional, but you can also write scenes with them to get into their head.