Creating Characters
One of the things that makes any story great are the characters in it. Good, bad or other, what I've learned is that they can't be wishy-washy. I guess I always knew it, but writing has made me think about them. They have to be strong! Being strong is what makes them special and makes people want to read about and care about them.
That being said, I also know that even the best protagonists/heroes have flaws and the worst antagonists/villains have redeeming features. That makes them both more relatable to the reader. My goal is to create relatable characters that makes the reader say, "I know that guy!" or "I hated that girl in high school!" In either case, they connect with the character. Sounds easy, right?
Or maybe not. We all want our heroes to be perfect and the bad guy to be so bad you hate everything about him, but that's just not reality. And it's hard to put my own prejudices aside to make it happen. I can't speak for other writers, but I suspect I'm not alone.
Where do my characters come from? I'm blessed to have lived a fairly long, broad life to this point. My jobs have included dealing blackjack, managing university events, directing an AmeriCorps National Service program and working in several thrift stores. I've had the chance to do community service at the White House. To meet Maya Angelou and Elie Wiesel. To make people cry over buying a bed they never thought they could give their kid. I am also the youngest of eight kids, with more nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles and cousins than I can count. And friends from a good range of backgrounds. All of these people have the option to be a character. To paraphrase the Miranda Warning- "Anything you do or say can be used in a story."
In my very first book, "American Revolution 2056," the protagonist is a middle-aged mother of two who is a physician assistant. Superman or James Bond, she is not. She was inspired by a friend of mine who is, most of the time, this quiet, unassuming woman who quietly is both really smart and amazing at making things happen.
I was talking with her one day and a thought raced through my mind- what would cause her to take up arms against her own government? Then her kids ran in the room and that answered that...a threat to her kids. Don't mess with the Mama Bear! Especially if the Mama Bear is smarter than you are, that's not going to end well for you.
So I based my protagonist, Jenn Erickson, on her. Plagued by doubt and not wanting to put people, including her kids in danger, she decides she needs to take some drastic action to give her kids a future. Mama Bear! Jenn uses her brains and her ears to channel the abilities of others and lead them. She has found ways to turn her own weaknesses into a strength.
One of her kids is super close to her best friend that Jenn is called "Mama Jenn" and the other mom is "Mama P" (for Penelope). I have some friends whose daughters are that close. As I watched these two young ladies grow up, I was struck by their relationship and how there are kids out there that are that close. Not biological sisters, but about one chromosome from it.
The villains were more challenging. They are based in large part on people I've disliked over my life. Bullies should spell it out for you. I had to change names, of course, for legal reasons, but you can't change their spirit.
The antagonist in AR-56 is Bob Wright, a gazillionaire who took over the family business and exploits his workers along with the growing demand for private security fencing and security systems. In his mind, he believes that giving people jobs, no matter how badly he treats them, is a fatherly thing to do. But in the end, looking out for himself and his family (and his dogs!) are what's important to him. His kids are worse human beings because they're even more spoiled than he was. I know those kids well, they were no problem to write.
Honestly, I had an easier time writing the character of a 16 year old girl than I did the gazillionaire and his family. Through my time I've met a few of those folks and I disliked most of them so much I didn't spend enough time with them to really get to know them. I doubt they're losing sleep over that. I have nieces and friends with kids so I could do that part, but the super-wealthy were more challenging.
I started with one I know as a base then added pieces from a couple others I've met. And did some reading about their lifestyles and stories of their experiences. I hope he's an OK character.
So what's the difference between them? They both are successful at their jobs and want to give their kids a brighter future? They're both flawed in their own ways, they both love dogs and use their brains to look out for their loved ones. That goes to a deeper issue- character motivation. What makes any character or any real person make the life choices they do? Figuring that out in a book is what makes a good character.
Figuring that out in real life will be the basis for a great self-help book!
That being said, I also know that even the best protagonists/heroes have flaws and the worst antagonists/villains have redeeming features. That makes them both more relatable to the reader. My goal is to create relatable characters that makes the reader say, "I know that guy!" or "I hated that girl in high school!" In either case, they connect with the character. Sounds easy, right?
Or maybe not. We all want our heroes to be perfect and the bad guy to be so bad you hate everything about him, but that's just not reality. And it's hard to put my own prejudices aside to make it happen. I can't speak for other writers, but I suspect I'm not alone.
Where do my characters come from? I'm blessed to have lived a fairly long, broad life to this point. My jobs have included dealing blackjack, managing university events, directing an AmeriCorps National Service program and working in several thrift stores. I've had the chance to do community service at the White House. To meet Maya Angelou and Elie Wiesel. To make people cry over buying a bed they never thought they could give their kid. I am also the youngest of eight kids, with more nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles and cousins than I can count. And friends from a good range of backgrounds. All of these people have the option to be a character. To paraphrase the Miranda Warning- "Anything you do or say can be used in a story."
In my very first book, "American Revolution 2056," the protagonist is a middle-aged mother of two who is a physician assistant. Superman or James Bond, she is not. She was inspired by a friend of mine who is, most of the time, this quiet, unassuming woman who quietly is both really smart and amazing at making things happen.
I was talking with her one day and a thought raced through my mind- what would cause her to take up arms against her own government? Then her kids ran in the room and that answered that...a threat to her kids. Don't mess with the Mama Bear! Especially if the Mama Bear is smarter than you are, that's not going to end well for you.
So I based my protagonist, Jenn Erickson, on her. Plagued by doubt and not wanting to put people, including her kids in danger, she decides she needs to take some drastic action to give her kids a future. Mama Bear! Jenn uses her brains and her ears to channel the abilities of others and lead them. She has found ways to turn her own weaknesses into a strength.
One of her kids is super close to her best friend that Jenn is called "Mama Jenn" and the other mom is "Mama P" (for Penelope). I have some friends whose daughters are that close. As I watched these two young ladies grow up, I was struck by their relationship and how there are kids out there that are that close. Not biological sisters, but about one chromosome from it.
The villains were more challenging. They are based in large part on people I've disliked over my life. Bullies should spell it out for you. I had to change names, of course, for legal reasons, but you can't change their spirit.
The antagonist in AR-56 is Bob Wright, a gazillionaire who took over the family business and exploits his workers along with the growing demand for private security fencing and security systems. In his mind, he believes that giving people jobs, no matter how badly he treats them, is a fatherly thing to do. But in the end, looking out for himself and his family (and his dogs!) are what's important to him. His kids are worse human beings because they're even more spoiled than he was. I know those kids well, they were no problem to write.
Honestly, I had an easier time writing the character of a 16 year old girl than I did the gazillionaire and his family. Through my time I've met a few of those folks and I disliked most of them so much I didn't spend enough time with them to really get to know them. I doubt they're losing sleep over that. I have nieces and friends with kids so I could do that part, but the super-wealthy were more challenging.
I started with one I know as a base then added pieces from a couple others I've met. And did some reading about their lifestyles and stories of their experiences. I hope he's an OK character.
So what's the difference between them? They both are successful at their jobs and want to give their kids a brighter future? They're both flawed in their own ways, they both love dogs and use their brains to look out for their loved ones. That goes to a deeper issue- character motivation. What makes any character or any real person make the life choices they do? Figuring that out in a book is what makes a good character.
Figuring that out in real life will be the basis for a great self-help book!
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