Writing Tip: How to Make a Story Character

Most people don’t read a story because they find the plot intriguing, or because the twists just don’t end. Most people read because they can relate to a character. They see themselves, which is why they want the character to succeed, which leads them to keep turning the page to see what happens next.

For example, if you have a character that is going through a divorce and the story is about him finding his inner peace and moving on, wouldn’t a reader who is undergoing the same thing want him to succeed because he can see himself in the character? The reader would feel a sense of peace when the character feels a sense of peace, the reader will feel hope when the character feels hope. The reader will think, “If this person can get through it, then maybe I can, too.”

This is why the Twilight series is so successful, Stephanie Meyer has found a nice niche with young girls who are in-love with seemingly perfect boys but sees no hope in them ever being together. First, she makes Bella’s description as vague as possible so that many readers will see themselves as Bella, and then she makes Edward fall madly in love with her. Therefore, if readers see that Bella, who they have already associated themselves with, can make Edward, a hunk by any standards, fall in love with him, then maybe there is hope for them of finding the same love.

So, how do you create a story character? Here’s one way: 

Step 1: Observe the People around You

There are a lot of people you can base your story from. Look at your siblings and friends, even pets or inanimate objects. Look at the world from their point of view. Give them new lives in your own created universe. Give them goals and rivals. Give them conflict. Share their joys and pains. Make them real.

Step 2: Observe Yourself

Often, we have conflicting characters within ourselves. As proof, let’s say you have a decision to make: to pull the life support plug off of your friend or not. Ask yourself: why don’t you want to pull the plug? Because you still hope that your friend will wake up? You can create a character that holds on to hope, even against insurmountable odds. 

On the other hand, why do you want to pull the plug, because the cost of hospital bills is getting out of hand? You can make a character that is not afraid to do the difficult decisions when he has to.

We are faced with many decisions every day, and many times there are many different voices in our head that tells us what to do. Give these voices bodies, and make them the basis of your characters.

Step 3: Write Them Down

Once you have your characters, write them down. Write their names, their families, their hobbies, favorite colors, etc. on your journal. When you need a character for your story, you can simply look at your journal and decide which one to use best.