Writing Convincing Characters
Here are three tips that have helped me to shape my characters in fiction.
1. Draw From Real-Life Inspiration
I remember being given this advice as a kid, but I have found it much easier to do as an adult. The more people you meet and experiences you have, the more content you will have to draw from when you are crafting your world on the page. Real people are QUIRKY. They are messy and hilarious and interesting and terrible. Use specific details that you notice in the people you see and interact with to infuse your own characters with life. These details could be anything from habits to physical traits to interesting things they’ve said out loud. The real-world is a mine shaft of valuable possibilities! Go explore!
“Real people are QUIRKY. They are messy and hilarious and interesting and terrible.”
2. Let Them Surprise You
There is nothing quite as exciting for a writer as that moment when a character well and truly takes you by surprise. You are writing away at your computer, the keys clickety-clacking, and then a new idea that you didn’t see coming suddenly springs into your head, demanding to be written. Maybe your character says something unexpected. Maybe their reaction is the opposite of what you would have thought. Maybe they do something you had never considered them doing.
If you’ve never experienced this, it might seem like an abstract phenomenon. How do you get your characters to surprise you?
I think the key here is to have a plan going in, but leave room to be creative IN THE MOMENT. Allow yourself to discover what your characters are saying AS you write the scene. Let yourself get swept up in the moment of the story. The biggest thing is to LISTEN TO YOUR GUT. If you thought your character was going to draw his sword and shout a challenge, but now as you’re writing, you can just feel that he is standing frozen and pale on the side, his hand hovering uselessly over the hilt of his sword… WRITE THAT! Now you have a delightful mystery to solve as your character’s creator: What is causing him to freeze in this moment? What is he afraid of? And what delightful layers of complexity does that add to who he is?
In the end, you need to be true to your characters and their journey. The best way I can describe it really is a gut feeling. You have to tune in to what feels right. Another way to think about it is: what feels peaceful when you are writing your characters? If you are forcing them to be something they’re not, you PROBABLY KNOW DEEP DOWN that it’s not right. The writing might come harder. You might physically feel tension in your shoulders, your breath, etc. Learn to take your hands of the keys, pause for a moment, and tune in to the truth of your characters.
Note: This doesn’t mean that your characters themselves will be peaceful. They might be twisted, confusing, chaotic people. But as the author, you should have a sense that this who they are at this moment in your story.
I recently described my feeling towards my characters in a text to my mom: It’s weird because they feel like real people to me, so I don’t want to write something that doesn’t actually happen to them…
You don’t have to understand your characters from page one. You are free to learn who they are as you write their story down. So, write what actually happens to them. Write who they actually are in the midst of it all.
“They might be twisted, confusing, chaotic people. But as the author, you should have a sense that this who they are at this moment in your story.”
3. Do Your Research
This part can be overwhelming, especially if you are writing about a character you know very little about. One of my latest projects involves a CSI, a man recovering from a TBI, a boy obsessed with making ships in bottles, the Italian mob, and a flight attendant who is forced to land a plane.
Needless to say, I don’t know the first thing about landing airplanes, recovering from gunshot wounds to the brain, or analyzing crime scene data, LET ALONE the hierarchy of the Italian freaking mob. Does that mean I shouldn’t write the book? I don’t think so. What it DOES mean is that I am going to have to do some careful research in order to honor the different careers and situations that I want to weave into the story.
So, where to begin? I recommend finding relevant books that will offer insight into your character’s unique situation. See if you can track down professionals who will answer your questions about the career path, medical situation, etc. that your character is experiencing. By all means, look up articles online – just be careful that you are cross-referencing your sources and being critical about which websites you’re using. Anyone can post anything on the internet, so check your sources to make sure they are legit.
And have fun! I once mapped out the first-year courses that my protagonist would take in her Journalism degree at NYU, and it felt like I was helping my own kid research her education. Enjoy learning about different types of people and life paths that you might never have looked into before!
So, to end…
Observe and draw inspiration from the real people around you. They are ALL the main characters in their own stories, after all.
Let your characters have a mind of their own. If you have a gut-feeling about them - even if it doesn’t totally match your plan - write it down and see what happens.
Do your research!
And remember: Characters are the heart and soul of your work as an author. Respect them. Enjoy them. And tell their stories truthfully.
“Characters are the heart and soul of your work as an author. Respect them. Enjoy them. And tell their stories truthfully.”