by Jennifer Lane

Created on: April 22, 2008

Character development can be the most interesting and the most difficult aspect of creative writing, but without compelling, realistic personalities, your story will fall flat. Here are some tips and tricks on how to really bring your characters to life.

1. Start with a face. If you are having difficulties picturing what your character looks like, you can turn to stock images for help. Websites like GettyOne.com and StockPhoto.com are excellent resources. GettyOne in particular has an excellent search option that will allow you to narrow down your results. A lot can be inspired by looking at a face.

2. Come up with answers to the most basic questions: How old is your character? What does your character do for a living/What does your character study? What is your character's daily schedule? Does your character have any siblings? If so, how many and of what gender? Is the character's mother and/or father still alive? Is the character involved in a romantic relationship? Who is this character's best friend? What is the character's favorite hobby? What are their vices, their pet-peeves? You can even go so far as to determine their favorite music, books, movies, etc.

3. Imbue your character with traits and idiosyncrasies present in close friends and family. The details are what will make a dynamic character, so steal little bits and pieces from your nearest and dearest to create a believable character collage. Maybe someone you know only whistles Christmas tunes, and someone else has a tendency to scratch compulsively at the back or their necks, and someone else has the tendency to use the word "like" to excess and maybe your character should as well.

4. Dialog with your character. One of the most successful spontaneous writing exercises that I have ever come across is one wherein you chat casually with your character, acknowledging both that you are the writer and you have created the person to whom you are speaking. Write quickly, do not stop to think about whether or not something sounds right. You will surprise yourself by how quickly a character can form after an exercise like this.

5. Write journal entries as your character in order to delineate their inner life from how they present themselves to others. Or, alternatively, have them write letters to someone else appearing in your story/play/novel, etc.

6. Use the internet as a resource! Storybase.net is an excellent web site that will allow you to start forming your characters, as well as assisting in plot and conflict points. Additionally, if you Google "Character Development" or "Writing Exercises" you will open up a whole world of options.

Your characters are your audience's window into the story you are telling, the things to which they can relate and empathize. Creating dynamic, realistic, interesting people is the key to successful writing.

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