K the Vampire Slayer
asked
Jordan Creed:
Do you have any tips for characters that just aren't working out? I have a character and I love his story, his scenes, his looks, his powers, his name, etc, but so far, he's cardboard and just won't seem to come to life. Your characters come to life the moment they're introduced.
Jordan Creed
Thanks for the compliment! I completely understand what you mean. Sometimes, a character's exterior and story seem perfect in every way, yet the character itself remains completely hollow - almost like the character is merely a shell. I've encountered that a few times with my characters, and I've found a couple solutions from my own experience.
For starters, it's easy to think of a character as a list of traits. It can be easy to think of real people that way, too! But what makes a person mysterious, complex, and rich is the fact that someone conscious is present and in possession of those traits. This can be applied to fictional characters, as well. If we look at a character from The Breacher, for instance, like Porter, we can say that Porter is a determined, responsible, loyal, and independent man. He grew up in a hostile environment, learned to fend for himself, and latched onto his first sense of home. He can have a temper or become reclusive, but he is always a devoted friend. This is what Porter is rather than who Porter is. But if I were to have continued seeing him in that two-dimensional way, he would have been instilled on the page as dry and hollow. The way I switch to a three-dimensional view of my characters is by essentially entering their minds. I don't quite think of them as creations but rather as persons - this serves to preserve the nuances and intricacies of the personality. I do not try to invent the depths of the characters; I try to find them. I try to enter their minds and see things from their points of view, similar in practice to how you might attempt to understand a friend's perspective after a conflict. What is it like to BE Seth or Porter or Nathan or Councilor Lawrence? What is it like to experience their lives rather than understand their lives? What is it like to introspect on a childhood like Porter's? Through this method, I can see a character in the same way I would see a friend or family member. In turn, this allows me to capture and portray a more realistic personality. It might not be concrete or practical advice, but I've found this to be the single most important stage when creating a new character for a story.
The next trick I've found to work quite well for characters that the protagonist encounters is to exaggerate their introduction. First impressions matter - a lot! What I always try to do is introduce my characters with a punch, whether that be through direct action (like Desmond) or through a tense interaction (like Keaton). The major elements of the character should be demonstrated quite explicitly in their first reveal. This way, the reader isn't left guessing at their role in the story - the foundation is already established. With Seth, for instance, I tried to make sure the reader immediately understood that he was a friend, perhaps one of the only relatable and caring people in the Breaching of the Walls Department. He demonstrated this by approaching Nathan and actually asking him how he was handling his new situation. I've found that when I introduce a character too subtly, quickly, or plainly, they inevitably deteriorate into shells. Somehow, though, simply revamping their introduction seems to fill them out in their later scenes.
Now, of course, that tip doesn't apply as directly to the protagonist. When it comes to the protagonist, things get a lot more complicated – especially in a first-person narration. I actually had a few difficulties with Nathan in my first drafts. He just wouldn’t seem to “come to life” as you put it. If you want to read more about my hiccups with Nathan, you can see my blog post about him either here on Goodreads or on my website (https://www.jordancreed.com/single-po...). What helped me to pin down my protagonist was my first piece of advice. I had to wriggle my way into his head and seek out the complexities. Some protagonists are easier than others, I think, especially when one has a central flaw like anger, selfishness, fear, etc. But again, if the character you are talking about is the protagonist, I would say that envisioning him as a real person in possession of qualities rather than the qualities themselves will help to flesh him out.
Hope that helps!
For starters, it's easy to think of a character as a list of traits. It can be easy to think of real people that way, too! But what makes a person mysterious, complex, and rich is the fact that someone conscious is present and in possession of those traits. This can be applied to fictional characters, as well. If we look at a character from The Breacher, for instance, like Porter, we can say that Porter is a determined, responsible, loyal, and independent man. He grew up in a hostile environment, learned to fend for himself, and latched onto his first sense of home. He can have a temper or become reclusive, but he is always a devoted friend. This is what Porter is rather than who Porter is. But if I were to have continued seeing him in that two-dimensional way, he would have been instilled on the page as dry and hollow. The way I switch to a three-dimensional view of my characters is by essentially entering their minds. I don't quite think of them as creations but rather as persons - this serves to preserve the nuances and intricacies of the personality. I do not try to invent the depths of the characters; I try to find them. I try to enter their minds and see things from their points of view, similar in practice to how you might attempt to understand a friend's perspective after a conflict. What is it like to BE Seth or Porter or Nathan or Councilor Lawrence? What is it like to experience their lives rather than understand their lives? What is it like to introspect on a childhood like Porter's? Through this method, I can see a character in the same way I would see a friend or family member. In turn, this allows me to capture and portray a more realistic personality. It might not be concrete or practical advice, but I've found this to be the single most important stage when creating a new character for a story.
The next trick I've found to work quite well for characters that the protagonist encounters is to exaggerate their introduction. First impressions matter - a lot! What I always try to do is introduce my characters with a punch, whether that be through direct action (like Desmond) or through a tense interaction (like Keaton). The major elements of the character should be demonstrated quite explicitly in their first reveal. This way, the reader isn't left guessing at their role in the story - the foundation is already established. With Seth, for instance, I tried to make sure the reader immediately understood that he was a friend, perhaps one of the only relatable and caring people in the Breaching of the Walls Department. He demonstrated this by approaching Nathan and actually asking him how he was handling his new situation. I've found that when I introduce a character too subtly, quickly, or plainly, they inevitably deteriorate into shells. Somehow, though, simply revamping their introduction seems to fill them out in their later scenes.
Now, of course, that tip doesn't apply as directly to the protagonist. When it comes to the protagonist, things get a lot more complicated – especially in a first-person narration. I actually had a few difficulties with Nathan in my first drafts. He just wouldn’t seem to “come to life” as you put it. If you want to read more about my hiccups with Nathan, you can see my blog post about him either here on Goodreads or on my website (https://www.jordancreed.com/single-po...). What helped me to pin down my protagonist was my first piece of advice. I had to wriggle my way into his head and seek out the complexities. Some protagonists are easier than others, I think, especially when one has a central flaw like anger, selfishness, fear, etc. But again, if the character you are talking about is the protagonist, I would say that envisioning him as a real person in possession of qualities rather than the qualities themselves will help to flesh him out.
Hope that helps!
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