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Characterisation is one of the main foundations for writing that appeals to others, especially in the area of fiction. Unless the characters that are essential to the plot are seen to be real, three-dimensional and ones to which the reader can relate and connect, it is unlikely your novel will appeal to a wide audience. Furthermore, each character has to have his or her individual personality. So how does one achieve varied characterisation within a novel? Actually, as this article shows, it is not that difficult.

Not one of us lives in a cocoon. We each spend, to a greater or lesser extent, a significant part of our lives in contact and interaction with other people. This occurs within the close family relationships, social gatherings, and our work environment. Furthermore, we experience casual contact with countless other people simply by going about our daily lives, for example other customers and staff in shops, fellow travellers on journeys we make and a host of other occasions.

Whilst there may be similarities between many of these people, every one will be an unique individual, with certain characteristics that make them different to the next person. Even in the case of rarities of likeness, such as identical twins, differences in character will still be evident.

Fictional characters must reflect these differences in the same way as it does in real life. Every person that appears in your story should have a personality and life of their own that differentiates them from the others. For those who are unsure how to achieve this, there are a number of ways you can improve your ability to achieve the character variety building process.

People watching

Personally, I believe in making notes when researching for a novel, and thus would use this route in characterisation, armed with a pen and pad, but it is up to the individual to determine their own approach.

The first step to understanding characterisation can be achieved through people watching. In any situation where you come into contact with people, whether you are a integral part of that gathering, such as in a family or work environment, or simply a casual observer of others, for example sitting in a cafe watching the world go by, you will see a variety of behavioural patterns expressed in the people around you. Make mental or written notes about these various patterns for use with your fictional characters.

Let us look at a practical example of behavioural patterns. Here you will be sitting at a roadside cafe,

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