Writing A Guide to Characters

Vergere

Fighting the darkness within ourselves
Member
What's the most important part of any story? That's right, the characters. It doesn't matter how amazing your plotline is, if you don't have good, balanced, interesting characters, it'll look bad.

I've noticed that a lot of fanfics here are plagued by Mary Sues, too many characters in one fic with the same personality, dull stereotypes, etc.

That's to be expected! No one can write perfectly right away, and I don't expect anyone to.

But, if you want to learn how to avoid common mistakes, that's the point of this article. I can't guarantee that any of my tips will help you, as everyone has a different writing style, but possibly some good will come of this.

This guide is designed to help you start from scratch with only a plotline planned. If you already have characters written, be prepared to consider changing them significantly.

Index:

0. What's a Mary Sue? Balance and individuality.
1. Goals.
2. Motivation.
3. Personality.
4. Appearance.
5. Peculiarities, quirks, and habits.
6. Getting to know your character.
7. Similarities, or lack thereof.
8. Attitude toward other characters.




0. What's a Mary Sue? Balance and individuality.

This section is, in my opinion, the most important to read first, because if you don't, you might well end up having to rework an entire character, and you won't want to do that. It's also harder that way, because the first version will be stuck in your head. So, read this first, keep it in mind, and everything should go fine. I do recommend, though, that you also read it after you're done creating a character.

For an explanation of what a Mary Sue is, see this Wikipedia page. There's too many different kinds for me to explain it easily.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Sue

I've also added some questions to take into account when considering whether your character is unrealistic. Keep in mind that these are only a starting point to think about - just ask yourself "Is there a reason why this character is like this? Does it help the story in any way?" Check the end of the guide for this section.

If one of your characters does turn out to be a Mary Sue, don't get upset. Everyone writes Mary Sues until they get the hang of creating characters.

So, no biggie, just one simple rule of thumb: Flaws are good.:D



1. Goals.

This is nice and simple. If you're reading this, and plan to write a fanfic, you probably know the main plotline already. If not, go think one up!
So, easy one. What is your character's goal? What is it that they're trying to do?
Examples: Ash's goal is to become a Pokemon Master. Mario's goal is to rescue Princess Peach. Harry Potter's goal is to defeat Voldemort.

With that in mind, you'll need to construct a character who's capable of this task. A two-year-old can't save the world believably under normal circumstances.;) That's a rather extreme example, but if your character needs multiple magical items, a lot of good luck, and just a bit of suspended belief, then they're probably not up to the task.

A particular mistake is making characters who are far too young. When you've got a situation where all the adults are too closed-minded to attempt something, can't think of a solution to a problem, or are outdone in some way by 11-year-old [character's name here], without an unusually good explanation, it's generally not good.

In Pokemon, age isn't such an issue. But keep in mind that it should be taken into account, and plan accordingly.
Most fictional children are astoundingly precocious anyway, so even with a predesigned character, it's easy to just make them a few years older, with no real personality change.




2. Motivation
Like it or not, not everyone's completely selfless and altruistic. Nor psychic. If I came to your house and told you that the world would end soon if you didn't go risk your life on some incredibly dangerous quest, what would you do?
Likely enough, you wouldn't believe me, and certainly not at first, and you might very well not do anything even once you did. No, that's not meant to be remotely offensive. Don't take it that way.

So, why does your character set out to do whatever they need to do? It could be that they were offered large sums of money to attempt something. Or maybe they just got caught up in some disaster. It's a lot easier to decide to risk your life on some stupid adventure if you're already stranded on another planet, for example.

Maybe they tend to be reckless, overconfident, proud, greedy, emo, rebellious, foolhardy, or just plain dumb, and this character flaw enables them to be tricked into doing something.

Maybe someone they care about was killed, hurt, or kidnapped, or something like that, and they're out for revenge.

And who knows, occasionally someone is psychic.

So, figure out exactly what motivates your character to do things, and make sure it's realistic.



3. Personality

So, you know your character's motivation. Now, build on it. Have that motivation become the framework of your character. For example, a character out to avenge someone can't be completely selfish and uncaring. A character who's being paid can't give away their possessions all the time. A character who's reckless and overconfident can't be thoughtful, analytical, and practical. Of course, real people are sometimes contradictory, but let's keep things simple for now.

An important thing to remember is that personality traits should connect to interests, and should occasionally manifest in odd ways.

A good example of this is Jaina Solo from the Star Wars books.
She cares deeply about everyone close to her, and has a relentless dedication to duty. That's what I'll be referring to as the core of her personality.

Apparent contradictions are that she continually attempts to emotionally distance herself from people, and she often does the exact opposite of what she's instructed to do.

But these aren't contradictions at all. She distances herself from people because she doesn't want to be hurt by it if anything happens to them, and vice-versa, and she considers it her duty to do what she feels is right.

To have a believable and realistic character, you need connections like this. The first thing you need is a core personality that works with your character's motivation. Think up 2-3 traits that are the base of everything your character stands for, then think of how it would affect them.

A good way to think about it is to write everything down like this, one for each core trait:

----------------------------------------__Reliance on proven information
----------------------__Hatred of lies__|__Constant honesty
----------------------|----------------|__Strictness about rules
Quicky trusting others-|--Naivete
----------------------|-------------------_Inability to cope with solitude
----------------------|_Love of teamwork_|
------------------------------------------|_Tolerance of crowds

Then, you can figure out what your character's skills are, and work them into the story. This example character would probably work well in an organization, so I might add one to the story for them to be a part of.
Probably, at this point, you have a realistic personality for your character, so I'll leave it at that.



4. Appearance.

Okay, you know who your character is inside, but who are they outside? It's time to figure out your character's physical traits and favorite clothes.

I'll bet that you didn't expect to have to make more connections, did you? Too bad, the fun easy parts haven't started yet.

First, if you did a good job on your character's personality, maybe you can figure out, say, whether they prefer to be inside or outside. Whether they would be fat, anorexically thin, or somewhere in between. Whether they would work out and get lots of exercise, or sit around and read.
Try to think of how their lifestyle would affect their appearance.

Then, figure out how they want to look. An extremely cheerful character probably won't wear black all the time. A paranoid character won't dress in a way that makes them stand out. A careless character might have wrinkled clothes and messy hair. A silly, lighthearted character might be a fashion guru. Your character should dress almost exactly the way they want to, even if you want them to look cool or whatever.

Once you've established everything that can be affected by your character's personality, then you can go ahead and slap hair, skin, and eye colors on them. Make them whatever height you want. Have fun. Just don't make a Martian character look Japanese, or something stupid like that.




5. Peculiarities, quirks, and habits

Okay, by now you should know a fair bit about your character.
But, real people do strange things sometimes. Your character should too.

What do they do when they're nervous? Do they tap their fingers on a table? Smooth their hair? Bite their lip? And isn't there anything they do that just seems really weird, like a tough-guy character liking to eat chocolate chip pancakes with blueberry syrup every morning? And why do they pick their nose when nobody's looking? And what if they're a gambling addict? Or if they have an expensive hobby that they just can't give up?

While hardly any main protagonist has time to be goofing around while they're off saving the world, they all have weird things that they do back at home, right? And everyone has habitual movements, like swinging their feet or crossing their arms.

Adding a few idiosyncratic quirks, bad habits, and odd motions to your characters makes them more real, and it's not complicated, so why not try it?



6. Getting to know your character.

You know who your character is and what they're like by now, right?
But do you feel like you really know them? Most likely, you know what words your best friend will use in a particular situation, how they feel about their parents, where they first lived, etc.

This'll seem incredibly weird to you, but, try answering all of these in your head, see how many you can figure out right away, and what you would have to make up. Pretend that your character's answering the questions themselves, and answer the way they would, if you can. Just play around and get a feel for who they are.


1. Full name, including middle name?
2. Birthday?
3. What kind of sense of humor do they have? Normal, morbid, dry, none, etc.
4. Parent's jobs?
5. Childhood influences?
6. Talents, skills?
7. Weaknesses, vulnerabilities?
8. Introvert or extrovert?
9. Optimist or pessimist?
10. What was their family like?
11. Jobs?
12. Education?
13. Favorite food?
14. Personal hygiene habits?
15. What do they do for fun?
16. Pets?
17. What movies would they like?
18. Most treasured possession?
19. Hangouts?
20. Favorite saying?
21. Rivals and enemies?
22. Reactions to stress?
23. Favorite famous quote?



7. Similarities, or lack thereof

Almost certainly, your main character won't be the only one in your story. And just because the others won't play as big a part doesn't mean they deserve less effort and careful construction. Before you continue, go back to the beginning, and design some of the other characters that you'll need.


Done now? Good. None of those characters are similar, right? They don't have overlapping personality traits? Physical traits? Because while a shared hair color, relatives looking alike, a similar personality trait, or the same nervous motion is okay, anything more, and you might have a problem.

The most important 2-5 protagonists shouldn't share more than two personality traits, two physical traits, and one peculiarity, without a good excuse. You want lots of very different personalities. If two important characters act alike, its dull.



8. Attitude toward other characters.

What? I thought we already did this?
Nope, that was just personality. Your character might behave a certain way by default, but occasionally someone else in the story might bring out the goofball in an otherwise humorless character, be trusted by a paranoid character, or just plain drive your character nuts.

Every character has to have an opinion of every other character. Every character has to act slightly differently around every other character.
Maybe Joe suddenly gets less talkative when Bob's in the room, because he respects Bob and doesn't want to look like an idiot in front of him, for example. Maybe when Bob and Jessica are both there, Joe laughs more than normal. Interactions between different characters are essential.

Start with your main protagonist, the character you've been working on first. Then, for each other character you made in the previous step, write down their opinion of that character, and a slight change in behavior. Remember, as always, make connections, and use complicated logic, not simple logic.

Deciding two characters who act relatively similar should get along isn't really realistic. Two bossy people wouldn't get along well, they'd both try to order the other around. Two cynical people wouldn't get along well, there would be no one to lighten the mood.

Think about how real people you know in real life act around each other, then apply it to your characters. When in doubt, act out a dialogue between characters, out loud.



Mary Sue-isms

Bear in mind that none of these are a definite indicator of anything being right or wrong with a character. Portrayal is more important than anything else, but if you find yourself answering yes to a lot of the questions here, you may want to rethink why your character is that way.

Write down which questions you answer yes to. Nearly everything here should have a purpose within the story. If your character has pink hair and can talk to Pokemon because they're a space alien, or look great and are well liked because they've devoted their life to it, great. If they're a better version of you just because that's cool, that's... not so great. If they have your favorite Pokemon and wear clothes you like, that's not really a problem if it works, but keep an eye out for going too far.

IF you come to the conclusion

Rewrite your story with their name changed to something unrelated. You can change it back when you're finished writing, but don't think of them with that name. In fact, don't think of them as the same character anymore. Don't let yourself associate them with you, or any other characters with anyone you know. Give them some serious problem like a phobia of oxygen or plant life, or no control over their temper at all, or something else significantly debilitating, at least to see how it works. Don't let it be a get-out-of-jail-free card for them. You don't have to keep the problem if they'll still have other faults, but it helps to take a look at them from that perspective. Think of it as only a writing exercise if you want, but take it seriously.

  • Does your character have a name that's deliberately related in some way to a name you use for yourself, or a name you would like to have?
  • Do you view your character as a version or extension of yourself within the story? Does your character usually act the same way you would in the same situation?
  • Does your character have an unnatural or abnormal appearance? For example, strangely colored hair or eyes?
  • Does your character have some kind of special power, like magical abilities or telepathy, that has no basis in the setting and isn't important to the plot?
  • Does your character have talents that aren't justified by their age or experience? For example, a random 10 year old who is a peerless swordsman?
  • Does your character learn something amazing in record time? For example, mastering something in a few days that others had been struggling with for years?
  • Does your character share an unusual trait with you, like a verbal tic, lefthandedness, or a strange habit?
  • Is your character really good-looking, in your opinion?
  • At all times, and for no discernable reason? For example, even after they fought the Giant Drooling Ogre of Gore in a putrid swamp, or despite eating nothing but cupcakes and never taking the time to comb their hair?
  • Does everyone in the story like them, either no matter what they do, or because they're just that great? If being likeable is the center of their personality and they care a lot about other people's opinions, don't count this question.
  • Conversely, does everyone else in the story dislike them unjustly? Are they always misunderstood? Or does everyone dislike them except one loyal friend who will stay by their side no matter what? Don't count this question if they're justifiably disliked for being a jerk.
  • Is your character ever fairly outdone, without it being the result of luck, cheating, a lack of concentration due to a recent tragedy, etc? If it's not something that's in the story, fine, as long as you can easily imagine it happening.
  • Are they in any way cursed, divinely protected, or have someone assigned to watch over them by another character?
  • Are they never genuinely at fault for their mistakes?
  • Do they have any kind of status or job that you would particularly like to have?
  • Are they always morally perfect?
  • Do authority figures treat them differently than would be normal? For example, letting your character off the hook all the time, or punishing them extra? Ignore if this is because of something about the characters (nepotism, teacher's pet, etc) or has a reasonable basis in the story.
  • Is the character treated unfairly by anyone because they're jealous or resentful of how great your character is? Or in denial of their superiority?

Specific to Pokemon fanfics:

  • Does your character capture or befriend multiple shiny or legendary Pokemon? Or choose not to capture such Pokemon for some reason like not wanting to upset the balance of nature, but they would clearly be able to?
  • Are they any kind of hybrid between humans and Pokemon, without this being normal within the setting?
  • If you answered yes to the previous question, is there nothing strange about them besides them having ears, a tail, strange markings, and/or Pokemon-like powers? No odd instincts or identity problems?
  • Do they never lose battles, or is it a rare occurrence when they do, even if they are inexperienced?
  • Is everyone in their family a Trainer, or does their family want to keep them away from Pokemon?
  • Do they have any extremely rare Pokemon right from the start? For example, "Most Pokemon Trainers would choose one of three Pokemon to begin their journey with, but Mary Sue was well prepared with only her companion Mewtwo."
  • Are they a walking PokeDex, despite having done no research?
  • Does the character have several of your favorite Pokemon for no particular reason?
  • Is the character able to talk to Pokemon?


With that said, if you need any help, be sure to shoot me a PM. I'm always happy to help aspiring writers.:)
 
Just what i needed :p

You might wanna add a section on how to describe the characters to the readers during the story. (already sent you a PM about that)

I'd say sticky this! :D
 
Very helpful, oh amd here's a definition for a Mary Sue, so people don't have to go to wikipedia!

Mary Sue: A character that deosn't act like a human being. Basically an unbelevible character, with an uber like personality.

~NZ
 
Negative Zero said:
Mary Sue: A character that deosn't act like a human being. Basically an unbelevible character, with an uber like personality.

~NZ

A.K.A Shippuuden Naruto :D

I've already administered some of these things in my latest fanfic.
 
Good stuff. As one of those aspiring writers, I'll keep this stuff in mind as I create my second story.
 
Back
Top