Summer Camp 2022 - Day 12

Hello everyone!

Today we have something very awesome: a guest article by Emy (aka Serukis), of Etrea fame! A real-life phd in creative writing, she's here to help us write awesome characters. Be sure to check out her world and say thanks :D

by Illahie

Creating Living Characters

Disclaimer: This advice also works for deceased, undead, and other mortally challenged characters.
Think about your favourite character - from a book, a film, a video game, or whatever. What makes them stand out to you? What are the things that resonate with you?
Creating a character is not really a paint-by-numbers, follow-this-formula venture. That being said, there are some things you should think about whenever you bring a new character into being.

Appearance

This is the easy one - what does your character look like? This does not just cover hair, eye, and skin colours, though these are great starting points.
Think about distinguishing features. Does your character have any scars, birthmarks, or tattoos? What kind of hairstyle do they have? Is their hair curly, straight, thin, thick, or are they balding? Do they have facial hair, a missing tooth, or piercings?
Think also about the clothes they wear. What is their overall style? Do they prefer certain colours over others, and are there any colours they would never be seen in? Do they choose their clothes meticulously or do they just throw on whatever is on their floordrobe?
Do they have any accessories? Is there a piece of jewellery they always wear? Do they always keep elastic bands around their wrists? Do they keep safety pins attached to the hem of their shirt? Do they have a cursed hat they can never take off?
Finally, think about their physicality - the way they hold themselves and move. Do they slouch or do they have great posture? Do they bounce when they walk, or do they have a limp? How often do they smile? Do they have any habits or gestures they often do, such as tugging on their hair, tugging on their sleeves, or hugging themselves?
This is not an exhaustive list of questions, but thinking about all these different aspects of a character's appearance can give you clues about the next section - their personality.

Personality

Every character you create needs both strengths and flaws. These flaws need to be actual flaws, however - 'too nice' or 'shy' don't count - or your character can come across as too perfect and unbelievable (and annoying). Examples of actual flaws include being selfish, a lack of empathy, acting without thinking, or throwing others under the bus to save their own skin.
It may be a struggle to give your characters negative traits like these, as most people want their characters to be likeable. Remember that these traits exist on a scale - just because your character is selfish doesn't mean that they will always refuse to share. Character flaws provide opportunity for character growth or for tension and conflict in the stories you tell.
Every character will have inherent biases and prejudices depending on where they have grown up, their life experiences, and their family. Perhaps your character believes in rigid gender roles, or perhaps they believe that poor people are dirty and lazy. Perhaps they hate a certain religion, or people from a certain country. Care should be taken to ensure it is clear these are the character's biases and not the writer's, but done right these biases are great for character development and conflict.
For example, think of Sokka from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Due to his culture he believes that men are the strong ones and that women can't be warriors and must be protected. Throughout the story, his beliefs change as he is exposed to other people and cultures.
Another important aspect of personality to think about is fears. What is your character afraid of? What are their deepest insecurities? This gives them another potential hurdle to overcome - though it's okay if they never do.
The last point I was to cover is one that I never used to think about, but which I now find invaluable. What would your character die for? What do they say they would die for? These might sound like similar questions, but there is often a disparity between what a character believes they would die for and what they actually would die for. A character may think that they would die for their best friend, but if the moment occurred, would they do it?

Relationships

Relationships might not be the first thing you think about when it comes to character creation. However, the connections your character has forged with others says a lot about them as a person, and can even have a major influence on their personality.
Think about the circumstances of a character's birth. Who raised them and taught them their core values? Did they grow up with others or were they an only child? Did they have a stable childhood or not? What is their relationship like now with their biological family, or the people that brought them up?
It's not just family that is important (blood or otherwise). Friends and enemies can have a lasting impact on a character. Who does your character consider their best friend? Who else are they close to? Do they have lots of acquaintances and few friends? Have they had many friends throughout their lives or the same friend since childhood? Who do they consider an enemy? Why do they dislike each other?
And then there is a character's love life. Firstly, do they have one? Not all characters need a love interest in order to be interesting, and some might not even be interested in that at all. Do they prefer men, women, or the whole spectrum of genders? Do they believe sex is a casual thing or something to be done only with their one true love? Who was their first kiss? Who do they have a crush on?
Relationships can be a lot of work to flesh out when creating a character, but if you take the time to do the work you will learn a lot about the type of person your character is. It will also open up a lot of potential stories and dramas, as well as give you lots more characters to create!

Diversity

Diversity is a topic I could write a whole book about, but for now I will just cover the basics.
It is important to have representation in fiction. Imagine engaging in a world where there is never anyone like you. It would feel pretty lonely, wouldn't it? By bringing diversity into our fiction, we are opening up these worlds to more people.
One of the most important things to remember: race, sexuality, gender, disability, neurodivergence, or anything else is not a replacement for a personality. These are facts about a character like hair and eye colour, not personality traits. Of course, they inform the way a character sees and experiences the world, and therefore will have an influence on their personality, but they will not define them.
Secondly, be careful with stereotypes. I'm not going to say to avoid them completely, because stereotypes are that way for a reason, but do not lump them all on one character. A character that is purely stereotypes is flat and unbelievable.
Also, be very careful which stereotypes you use. Some are harmful, untrue, and should be avoided, such as 'gay people are predators', whereas some are fine to use in moderation, such as 'lesbians have short hair'. Not every character will fit the stereotypes.
If you are unsure about portraying a character correctly, talk to those who have these life experiences, but remember that no one is obliged to answer your questions. If you do ask questions, be respectful and considerate - eg. don't ask a person with a disability how they have sex unless you already have the kind of relationship where that question would be okay.
Above all, remember that all characters are human (or not human, but you know what I mean). Make these things just one facet of the character and not the point of the character, and you will be off to a good start.