by Colene Pefley

Created on: April 28, 2010

Various writers not only have different styles of writing, but different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to developing his/her work of fiction.  Some writers feel very comfortable when it comes to plot structure, while others are more in tune with character development. Many writers do struggle when it comes to creating fully developed, unique fictional characters. There are, however, many techniques and tips that can be applied to help reduce the risk of conceiving thin, clichéd characters.

The first thing to consider when creating a fictional character for a story is to stop thinking about them as “characters” and begin thinking about them as real people. These are people that the reader needs to care about, whether those feelings are positive or negative.  The easiest way to begin creating a distinct character is to ask this new “person” questions. Not only is a physical description important, but an author needs to be able to live inside this character’s mind. Here are a few sample questions that an author may ask his/her character:

 What does he/she like to eat and/or drink?

What is his/her favorite color?  

What is his/her political affiliation, if any?

Where does he/she work?

Who are his/her friends?

Where does he/ she buy groceries?

Does he/she eat out often or cook at home?

Asking a character questions helps the writer become familiarized with him/her and will be very beneficial when it comes to creating a piece of fiction. These details do not need to be part of the story or novel, but having a strong sense of who each character is, as a person, will help the author predict his/her  character’s thoughts and actions. The better the writer knows each character, the more believable that character will be.

Another exercise to help create character, and will help give him/her a distinctive voice, is it to write dialogue for the character. This also does not have to be integrated into the final work of fiction that this character is a part of, but it helps the author to see this character in action. How this character interacts with other characters is extremely important to developing him/her fully. A character’s diction can help the author determine where this person is from, what his/her education level is, along with many other personality characteristics.

Essentially, to create a unique and well-developed character, the author must create a bond with this fictional person. It may take time to get to know each character, but the more an author knows about his/her characters, the more authentic they will be.

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