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Creating Believable Characters - Printable Version

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Creating Believable Characters - ccoa - 12-06-2008

Creating Believable Characters

Note: this is not intended to supplant Jacen's tutorial. This is a guide for rounding out characters only.

There are as many methods for creating characters as there are authors out there. All of them have strengths and weaknesses, and you should use whatever feels best to you. The following are guidelines only

The more fantastic and unbelievable your setting, the more believable your characters need to be. It is through the characters that we experience and accept the world, and if they themselves cannot be accepted, then the world can not be.

Remember, villains and antagonists should be rounded characters, too! Everyone has motivations for what they do, and very few believe that they themselves are evil. Even Hitler thought he was doing the right thing for the right reasons.

1. Determine if your plot drives your character or your character drives your plot.

This depends on you as a writer. Are you the kind of person who plots out your stories in detail before beginning writing, or are you the type of person who lets a story flow organically from beginning to end?

If your story is already plotted out before you flesh out the character, your character must fit into the plot. If he’s to be a great warrior who vanquished evil for all time and rescues damsels in distress, he’d best be suited, physically and mentally, for heroics. However, if you’re creating your characters first and your plot after, you have more freedom in your character design, and correspondingly less when it comes to the plot.

This isn’t a black and white issue, you will often run into times where your character drives the plot in a new direction despite what you had planned, or where your plot demands you change the character in some way to better suit the story you want to tell. Never be afraid to change your story or characters. They will be stronger for it.

2. Start with a base.

If you’ve already plotted out your story, you know what sort of role the major characters are going to play. If you only have a setting and possibly and outline, here’s your chance to have fun.

Is the character male or female? Where does he or she live at game open? What does he or she do? What is his or her role in the game? What is his or her name? How old is he or she?

Example

3. Start making the basic structure

Now that you have a character, start outlining the basics of their circumstances, relationships, and personality. If you so desire, you can use lists of traits, horoscopes, or existing people as a base. Do keep in mind that these are a framework only, they do not in and of themselves make a fully fleshed out character. Don’t forget flaws! Real people have flaws, and your characters should, too.

Example

4. Going deeper.

Now we really need to flesh out the character’s backstory. Take what you outlined above and do more with it. We also need to outline how a character is going to change throughout the story, if he is.

Example

5. The Interview

Now we really need to get into how this character works. If you’re an artist, this is a good time to draw a concept of your character. If not, search through the internet or other media until you find someone that “looks” like him. Putting a face to your creation will make it easier to visualize him as a real person.

For myself, this section takes the form of an interview, in which I ask the character questions, and they answer. For those with less imagination (or maybe just less insane), just a list of questions and answers to you, the author, is sufficient.

This is your chance to fully flesh out your character, as well as determine if any weak points exist before you move forward with your story. Ask about their past, and let them tell it in their own words. Ask them about their motivations and decisions, and make sure that they make sense and are strong.

Example (warning, some Shades spoilers)

6. The dossier

Collect all of the information, including the image, in a handy location to access again. Whenever your story changes or you’re unsure of what your character should be saying or doing, open it up and reacquaint yourself with him. Then, just ask him: what would you do?

This process can help you keep your characters in character and make them realistic and believable. And more believable characters will help your player truly immerse themselves in your fantasy world.