by Elton Gahr

Created on: May 24, 2009

As you write it is often easy to get into ruts and one of the easiest to fall into is that of characterization. It is entirely possible to create a good story with a character that no one will remember but that story will never be great, and so how do you create characters that are truly distinct from each other with believable personalities.

The first thing that you should consider is the character's point in the story. Not all stories need a character that is made specifically for them but when you find one that does you will discover that the character is almost always different from other characters you have made.

If your story doesn't define the character then you can consider how the character may define the story. This also does not always happen but it is far easier to create this situation. If you are writing a romance then consider the difference between a character who easily commits and one who has trouble committing. This may not change the outcome of your story or be necessary but it will create interesting twists.

That is because one of the easiest ways to make your characters different is to give them flaws. More than strengths flaws are what create variation in a character because while a strength only gives you one point of interest a flaw gives you two. You not only know the personality of the character thanks to that flaw, as you do with a strength, but you have a chance to make the character grow when you give it a flaw.

Creating growth is vital to creating varied characters. No matter how many flaws or quirks you may give a character he will often seem flat if you have him remain static throughout the story. Movement catches the eye and character movement catches the mind's eyes. One change in a character's personality can often create more personality than a dozen quirks.

Give them opinions that are the opposite of yours. Often the problem with characters becoming too similar is because they are all versions of you. One of the easiest ways to fix this is to give the hero of your story an opinion that you consider wrong. This may be a flaw, or simply an opinion but it can serve as a point of divergence between you and the character to allow them to become more separate.

No matter how much effort you put into it sometimes a character will simply feel like something you have done before. When this happens it can be time to examine the story. A similar character in a new story can show whole news sides to their character and make them feel like someone completely different. If this can't happen in your work then perhaps you need to consider if your story is the problem and not the character.

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