Some writers start a book without knowing any of the details, and others have a meticulous outline of the story before they sit down to write. I fall somewhere in the middle. For my characters, I like to have some details preplanned. My reasoning for this is twofold. One, I can keep them consistent and not have to do a lot of character rewriting after I finish the first draft. Two, people are drawn to what they like and I don’t want my characters to be cookie cutter copies of my likes.
If I develop characters in the moment, I lack the diversity I could have if I planned it out first. I don’t want all blonde men or only sarcastic women. I definitely don’t want all my characters to bite their lip when they concentrate. By planning a few things out before writing, you can make sure your character list is diversified and make sure each reader will find someone they can relate to in the book.
Name
Yes, I know it’s obvious you have to name your characters, but it’s not a simple task. If you only pick names you can think of on the spot, you’re not going to have a good variety. Go to a baby name book or a name generator online, and you’ll see just how different names should be in your story. Also, make sure you give each character a full name. You may never use their middle or last names, but it’s good to know in case you need it.
Be mindful of the genre for your book. If you are writing fantasy or science fiction, you may want more peculiar names. If you are writing historical fiction, you’ll need to research what names were common in that era. Just be mindful of what expectations come with your genre and meet them.
Lastly, it’s important to make sure your main characters’ names are distinct. As a general rule, authors don’t name their main characters names that start with the same letter. Start some with vowels and others with consonants. Vary the number of syllables and the rhythm of each name. Readers have to remember a whole cast of people for each new story, and it’s our job to make it easy on them to remember.
Physical Appearance
The first thing you notice about people is their appearances. Don’t think just because you’re writing a book that it isn’t important. Your readers will picture your characters in their heads, and you need to give them some guidance. If you want help picturing them, base the character on a picture. If you need a middle age woman, google middle age women and look at the image results. Find one that fits your ideal character, and use it to build more details. You don’t have to use the person in the picture exactly, but it helps to have a visual sometimes. Below is a list of the main things you should know for each character.
- Age
- Height
- Build
- Skin color
- Eye Color
- Hair Color, Length, and Style
- Distinguishing Feature
The last one is very important. You should never recount exactly how a character looks, but, instead, give hints along the way. When you introduce a character, give one or two details about her appearance but don’t dwell on it. Let the reader form an image. However, you need the character to stick out in the reader’s mind, and that is why we give them distinguishing features. Let one have a hooked nose, a scar, or uncontrollable hair. Just make it memorable.
Background
Each character should have a backstory, but you’ll never regale the reader with it. Instead, let their pasts shape how they act in the present, and your readers will eventually understand without you outright telling them. I try to develop 5 main facts about each character’s childhood.
- Family Unit
- Parents’ Occupations
- Economic Status
- Education
- Turning Points
Though it’s tedious to make up histories for each character and then not put it in your story, it really does help make your character feel more realistic. If you know Susan came from a family that had seven kids in a two bedroom house, then you won’t have her describe her studio apartment as simple or rundown. She’ll call it a palace and appreciate it more than the average middle class citizen. Similarly, if you know that Susan’s mother is a seamstress, Susan may have a knack for sewing that could be used in your story. However, if a turning point in her childhood was when her mother killed her father in a drunken rage with sewing scissors, Susan may suppress her sewing skill for fear of becoming like her mother. You don’t have to tell the reader all of this unless it is needed for the story, but it will help you know how Susan should act.
Defining Traits
This category is the parts of a person’s current life that define who she is in the world. When you think about people, you will use these things to describe them. Give it a try. Describe, without referencing physical features, a person you know. Did what you list fall into these categories?
- Occupation
- Religion
- Personality
- Hobbies
- Habits
- Mannerisms
Often, people use occupation, personality, and religion to define people. For instance, Susan is a soft spoken, funny nurse. This gives you an idea of who she is as a person. Things like hobbies, habits, and mannerisms are things that remind you of someone. For instance, a guitar may remind you of your cousin whose hobby is to play one. Or, if someone twirls a ring on his finger, it may remind you of a friend you had in college who did that when he was nervous. These are all things that you learn to associate with someone. Your readers will do the same thing with your characters.
Most Important Questions
There are two questions that you must ask about each of your characters. Without theses answers, you can’t write a consistent and realistic character.
- What do they want?
- What do they fear the most?
The answers will shape how they talk, act, and react to events. If Susan wants to be well respected above all else, she won’t do things that are morally in the gray area. On the other hand, if Susan’s greatest fear is being insignificant, she may go out of her way to achieve things her community values. This could set up a great internal conflict. For example, her boss could ask her to cross a moral line and threaten to not promote her if she doesn’t comply. Desires and fears are what drive people, and you need to know them for each character to write a compelling story.
Final Thoughts
This is all the initial characterization I do for my stories. Some writers like to do in-depth “interviews” with their characters to find out their favorite food, celebrity crush, and so on. I’m not one of them. If, as I’m writing, I need them to have an aversion to onions, then I’ll stop and write it down on their character sheet for future use as well—but I don’t figure it out first. For me, there is a point when characterization becomes a distraction from starting to write and not a benefit. I just want my characters developed enough to let me start writing, and then I shape them more as I go.
Thanks for reading!
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