How Do You Create A Fictional Character?
Characters are one of the most important components of good fiction. Create compelling characters and your readers will follow them almost anywhere. Here are some helpful tips. Create a mental picture in your head. Don’t focus on what your character will look like but how he will act in certain situations—how he will sound—what his basic personality will be. Write out a brief character sketch, including a brief physical description, relevant background, personality, fears and motivations—anything you would be including in the story. Make sure to keep it handy so you can refer to it—this helps eliminate any continuity errors. Give your character flaws. People like a character they can identify with. People are imperfect and your character should be as well. No one can identify with a completely flawless character or a one-dimensional stereotype. Show, don’t tell. Don’t tell us that a character is nice, mean, funny, happy or sad. Instead, use dialog and situations to show what a
