by Caroline Ross

Created on: October 08, 2007

Whether you are writing flash fiction, short stories, novellas, the great American novel, young adult fiction, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, romance, or historical fiction; you want your characters to be varied and recognizable. When a reader is reading a new book, he or she wants to be able to quickly identify a character. The reader wants the characters to have depth and believability, and they want to be able to identify with some, while recognizing others as people they know.

Therefore, you as an author have a very big job ahead of you. Here, in this forum, I am going to give you seven tips to ensure that you are creating varied
characterizations.

First. What does the character look like? How does he or she dress? We all know that looks and style are important in our society, likewise they are equally important to your character. I encourage you to write a thorough description of each character, even if it does not make it into your story in its entirety. Also, if you can draw, draw a picture of this character. Every little bit helps, to make sure that you, as the writer, have a solid understanding of how the character looks. The more you know, the more your readers will know.

Second. Pay very close attention when you first introduce a character. The more detail you give here, the easier it will be for the reader to recognize the character in the future. However, you do still have the right to hold back some information until key moments in the story. The bottom line is, you shouldn't just say, "Carrie walked into the bar and sat," and leave it at that, if this is the first time you have introduced Carrie to your readers.

Third. Your characters' names and nicknames are very important. A name says a lot about a person, so don't be flippant about choosing a name for a new character. Having a baby name book on hand, may be a very good idea, if you do a lot of writing. How your characters refer to each other is very important. What nicknames do they use? How does your character react to being called something other than his or her name? Some people like nicknames, because it makes them feel accepted and loved. Others only want to be called by their given name. Ultimately, a nickname gives a sense of familiarity. So, it is a given, that every one in your story will relate to Carrie differently, depending on how well they know her, and in what forum. Some may call her by her last name only, others may call her Care, Caro, or Sticky Bottom. Pay close attention

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>