by R.L. Lake

Created on: September 03, 2009

Memorable characters are the foundation any good story or novel is built on. The best novels feature characters who are multidimensional, believable, and relatable. They often take on a life of their own and they continue to live on in the minds of readers long after the story ends. By creating memorable characters, you give your readers a reason to turn the page.

When you're developing your characters, it's best to start with the basics. First off, you need to consider their general appearance. When you envision your character, what does he or she look like? Are they tall or short, young or old? Do they have long blond hair or a blue Mohawk? Are their eyes blue or brown, do they wear braces or have pierced ears? Once you have at least a general idea of what they look like, get more specific. Try to imagine what their face looks like when they cry or how their mouth turns up when they smile. Imagine them walking down the street. Do they stand up straight or slump their shoulders? Do they have any scars or a limp? Try to imagine them in as much detail as possible.

Now that you have a clear physical picture of the character in your head, then you can begin exploring their personality. Does your character have any traits or quirks that are unique to them? Where do they work and what do they do for fun? Do they have any compulsions or bad habits? Do they tend to be angry or depressed or are they generally satisfied with life? Do they lie in bed on Sunday afternoons watching old French films? What would they do throughout the course of an average day? These are the kinds of things you should be thinking about in order to get a clear picture of how your character views themselves. You're trying to get a feel for their inner monologue, your character's voice.

Once you've got an idea of how your character sees themselves, you'll want to decide how the rest of the world sees them. What kind of relationships do they have with the people around them? What kind of work do they do? What was their childhood like? Do they have a boyfriend/girlfriend? How do they react to the people around them? What is their general attitude towards the world and how it's treated them? You want your readers to be able to picture your character in situations that they themselves might encounter. You also want their reactions to those situations to be something a reader might identify with.

When bringing fictional characters to life, it's important to keep in mind who your audience is and how they will relate to your character. Some characters are so over the top that they simply can't be forgotten but oftentimes, it's the more realistic characters that readers will identify with. By knowing your characters inside and out, you enable them to leap off the page and tell their story to the world.

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