Character Must Haves
post by Michelle Griep
What's more important . . . plot or character? Yeah, that's a loaded question. The answer is they're both important. But today here at Writer Off the Leash, I'm focusing on characters. To make a really great character, meaning one that sticks in a reader's mind for a long time after they shut the book, you need to have a few essential elements.
7 Character Must Haves
1. Conflict
Is your character feeling like life is all rainbows and happiness and their pants aren't digging in at the waist? Too bad. You've got to mess it up all up for him. Make it rain. Break his happy bones. Give him a weight gain of five hundred pounds.
2. Desire
What does your character want? He's got to want something. A burp to ease his heartburn. A new Porsche. Maybe some Smart Wool socks because his toes are cold. What's his goal and what's motivating him to get there?
3. Confusion
Misdirect your character and you misdirect the reader. That's a good thing. As long as you're keeping your character guessing, you're keeping your reader guessing as well. Just make sure to tie things up by the end of the story and make everything clear.
4. Credibility
Your character has to deserve his losses and earn his victories. Coincidence won't cut it--or your reader will slice you to pieces with a one-star review (a throwing ninja star).
5. Flaws
Nobody loves a perfect character. They're annoying. Every character needs to have some kind of flaw, even if it's just a zit on the end of their chin. Okay, that's annoying too. Don't use that flaw. Make up a better one.
6. Cluelessness
Don't make your characters all knowing, unless your character is God, and that seems kind of heretical. The point is that it's fun for the reader to know something the character doesn't. Makes the reader feel all superior and hey-look-at-me-I'm-brilliant.
7. Success
Every now and then your character needs to be successful. Yeah, you're supposed to be upping the stakes, leading to a blood-gory climax, but along the way the reader needs a break. Put little park benches of wins for your character to give the reader a rest from the action.
Next time you're working on an epic, make sure to include these traits in your main characters.
7 Character Must Haves
1. Conflict
Is your character feeling like life is all rainbows and happiness and their pants aren't digging in at the waist? Too bad. You've got to mess it up all up for him. Make it rain. Break his happy bones. Give him a weight gain of five hundred pounds.
2. Desire
What does your character want? He's got to want something. A burp to ease his heartburn. A new Porsche. Maybe some Smart Wool socks because his toes are cold. What's his goal and what's motivating him to get there?
3. Confusion
Misdirect your character and you misdirect the reader. That's a good thing. As long as you're keeping your character guessing, you're keeping your reader guessing as well. Just make sure to tie things up by the end of the story and make everything clear.
4. Credibility
Your character has to deserve his losses and earn his victories. Coincidence won't cut it--or your reader will slice you to pieces with a one-star review (a throwing ninja star).
5. Flaws
Nobody loves a perfect character. They're annoying. Every character needs to have some kind of flaw, even if it's just a zit on the end of their chin. Okay, that's annoying too. Don't use that flaw. Make up a better one.
6. Cluelessness
Don't make your characters all knowing, unless your character is God, and that seems kind of heretical. The point is that it's fun for the reader to know something the character doesn't. Makes the reader feel all superior and hey-look-at-me-I'm-brilliant.
7. Success
Every now and then your character needs to be successful. Yeah, you're supposed to be upping the stakes, leading to a blood-gory climax, but along the way the reader needs a break. Put little park benches of wins for your character to give the reader a rest from the action.
Next time you're working on an epic, make sure to include these traits in your main characters.