How To Craft Realistic Characters

Writing a new character is sort of like cooking. Everything's going well as you add all the ingredients and do all the fancy stirring with your fancy utensils, but you don't truly realize something is wrong until you turn off the fire and taste it. It's a mess. Well, at least, that's how my ventures in the kitchen usually go.

But, a lot goes into crafting realistic characters and it's easy to believe you're on the right track the whole time until you've finished the entire first draft. That's why it's so important to constantly remind ourselves of certain things as we write. Sure, it's fun and the story is just flowing like a never-ending river, but you'll regret it a lot more when you have to edit. So, start building that dam because from the get-go we need to try as best as possible to make sure our characters are alive. Real enough to touch. That's why, today I'll be giving some of the best tips and resources I've stumbled across while writing my own characters.

But just one second! If you're new to my blog, welcome! I do posts like this all the time and if you like what you read, feel free to subscribe so you can get notified every time I drop a new post! To my constant readers, you guys already know how much I love you! Oh, and don't forget to tap that little heart icon so I can feel extra special! Alright, now that that's out of the way, this is: What Your Characters Lack.

1. Dissolve Stereotypes

We know them. We hate (love) them. They're everywhere. Stereotypes. Nowadays, stereotypes and their slight variants are becoming more and more apparent. They're recycled in our blockbuster films so rapidly that the similarities are insanely recognizable and comparing them is almost second nature *cue Superman vs Captain America comments*. But if movies are bad, books are the worst. I think because readers tend to pay so much more attention to detail the call-out for 'stereotyping' is a much bigger sin. So how do we avoid that?

Well, when crafting your characters make them unlike anything you've ever read or seen. Give them their own unique traits and combine personalities traits you've never seen combined. Because, truth is, that's exactly what real life persons are like. When you meet someone, they're almost never like someone you've previously met and before meeting them, you didn't expect anyone to be like that. Do that for your characters. When you readers meet them, make them unlike any character they've every met.

If you want to go a step further, there's this youtube channel that I love to watch called Overly Sarcastic Productions. They're not just hilarious, but also incredibly insightful. They have a series called Trope Talk and I've linked one of my favourite videos below. I highly encourage you guys to watch it.

2. Know them inside out

This one is pretty self-explanatory but don't overlook it. In order for your character to have life, you need to treat them like real people. Know their favourite food, their favourite colour, where they like to eat, which side of the bed they sleep on, if they're capable of murder, why they always forget to close the door when they enter a room, anything and every thing. It sounds ridiculous and unnecessary but I promise you, it helps. Even if none of these traits contribute a damn thing to your story, just you subconsciously knowing them will shine through their personality as you write them. It gives your characters dimension. So, in your head they'll seem more realer to you and that will without a doubt translate on paper. Here's a few links to some character questionnaire's to get you started (they're long, but worth it)!

The Ultimate Character Questionnaire

Write World Character Questionnaire

*Tip: Fill them in day by day, then when they're done copy and past them into your manuscript document. That way, if you're stuck you can refer back to it to get a better sense of your character's intentions.

3. Give them Purpose

This is dual-folded. We have to give our character's their own purpose in terms of, their goals, dreams aspirations, hopes etc. But we also need to give them a purpose in the story. Why are they there? Could the story continue without them? What should the reader take away from this character. Being cognizant of these questions will help to guide you in the writing process and ensure that our characters aren't just convenient plot devices we'e created to keep the plot going. Or, even worse, a mirror of another character. So, give them ambitions and give them reason to exist in your story.

Conclusion

That's all for this week, readers! Though I have plenty more tips to share my migraine is really out here trying to kill me. But, if you want a part 2 then let me know in the comments below and give this post a little heart (it's right there, it won't hurt, just click it). To read more stuff from me be sure to follow me on Wattpad and Medium! To keep up with me on social media, follow me on Twitter and Instagram where I occasionally rant, share music and discuss the pains of being a creator. Oh, also, I share sneak peeks of my novel and new blog posts at times too, if you're into that. Have a great weekend, readers!

I'll see you guys again next week with a brand new post! Oh, and if there's anything you'd like me to cover on this blog comment your ideas below! Ok bye, readers, have a productive week!