What makes a good character? Well the heart and liver are pretty important organs so you should…I’ll bet that’s not where you thought this post was going. While I contend those organs are pretty important, that’s probably not what the reader is interested in (my apologies to all the surgeons out there I just offended). Characters are a central piece of just about every story, and they can lift a story beyond the limits of its plot or drag a great story down a few pegs. This is one of those things where most readers will be able to say so and so is a great character, but may not be able to tell you why. So what exactly makes a good character? Truth be told, I don’t know. But I can tell you what I think about character building as a reader and a writer just experienced enough that he feels qualified to give his opinion.
My current work in progress is written from the first person, which presents its own advantages and challenges. For example if I want to characterize someone as a jerk my MC can simply say “That guy is a jerk.” It is his opinion of them, and as we are riding along in his head for the story, it works. On the flip side of that, all we have are the MC’s opinions and views of other characters to go on. If my MC is convinced someone is a jerk, it’s not easy to paint them as sympathetic to the reader without my MC becoming a cold-hearted bastard. In this situation sometimes a character’s actions have to do the talking for them. This holds true with all characters, but even more so when the reader won’t get to hear what they are thinking.
At this point it becomes a game of balancing several elements of interaction; natural interactions (people have a way of talking naturally), plot driven interactions (sometimes a conversation or encounter needs to happen for the sake of the plot), and interactions specifically to shape a character (when you can indulge in a conversation that shows the reader who someone really is or how they think). I could add world building, humor and several other things to this list, but you get the idea. I think the best scenes accomplish several of these at once, but sometimes one will take priority, as it should.
A second way to build character is backstory. Everyone has one. As the writer you should probably know what they are, at least in general terms. The reader however, does not need to know every piece of it for every character. In my earlier writing I felt an almost crippling need to share a character’s backstory so the reader would understand why they are doing what they are doing. It was a noble ideal, but it resulted in far too many diversions from the plot and a lot of space that could have been used in more interesting ways. I try to think of it like getting to know someone in real life. Depending on the setting, you usually see their personality in action first. Then frivolous bits of small talk gradually leading up to more important parts of their life. They don’t come out and tell you their life’s story from the get go.
Finally, some characters are mostly formed in the writer’s head before pen is set to paper. Perhaps they have been taking up real estate in the writer’s brain for so long that they simply know them very well or perhaps they are based on a very clear model. I’ve had a few of those but I more often find that even the characters with the most thought and design behind them will wind up very different once they are actually in the story. This leads me to the counterpoint which is letting characters develop organically rather than having a set image and plan for them. This one is as much a preference of the author as anything else. For me a basic character sketch is enough to start with, then as time goes on they start to feel more organic. They take on mannerisms, opinions and relationships almost on their own (I’m still writing them, but it doesn’t feel like I’m coming up with the material, at least nearly as much). This means they start off on the flat side, but gain depth as they go. And you always have the option of going back and rewriting their earlier scenes to fit their fully developed persona after the fact.
So these are my ramblings on character development. They are not wise words from a guru on the mountain top or lessons from a trained professional (although I do live on a mountain and am technically a professional). There is no cut and dry “right” or “wrong” way to build a character. POV, your narrative style and the context of the story all factor into how characters emerge. These are just some things I have learned along my journey, and I’m sure down the line I will look back and have very different views on some of these things. At which point you will be treated to another blog post on the subject! But seriously, at the end of the day you know what works best for your writing. That may not always be what is easiest or what feels natural, but when you stumble onto something that really works for your writing, you will know it.
Weaving the Wolfsong 