The Writing Process discussion

A writer has to have characters. This might be the only part of a novel where overdoing is never too much. No story has been refused or rejected because their characters are too credible, too passionate, too well written, too well described, too well rounded.

Characters creation is among the most difficult things when writing. Or, to say in other words, characters creation is the most difficult thing when writing. :)

How do we manage to be one (writer) and many (characters) at the same time? Good characters the readers can identify and confront with makes for good books. What is your secret for good characterization? How to create fiction characters who are believable—not like cardboard cut-outs, or caricatures—how to create them so they will engage your readers?

Readers need to know characters a bite at the time, they have to grow on them, not be revealed all at ones. Sometimes other characters may reveal with their actions or their saying, about another character in the story. Things that are not explicitly said may create those ah-ha moments in readers' minds, even unnoticed ones.

Some writers know everything about their character before they start, create them even before writing the story; others like the character to surprise them and discover them—to self and to readers—as the story advances.

How do you work with characters?

Dialogue and characters are intimately intertwined. The dialogue reveals the character, and the character determines the dialogue.

Dialogue is a wonderful way to show characterization, and also the relationships between your characters. Not only what people say, but the way they say it, gives the reader quality information about your character.

This thread is what made me join this group. After reading this thread, I set up for myself a separate file for each of my characters. I then began to collect all the information on them that was floating around in my head. From their looks to their likes and dislikes and on and on. Not all that information will find its way into the story, but I have a complete person that I know intimately now and that has been a HUGE help for me, especially with the dialog. Now I know the character well enough to know what he/she is "really" going to say.
Character development is probably my favorite thing about reading. So to be able to write it correctly is VERY important to me.

Jamie wrote: "This thread is what made me join this group. After reading this thread, I set up for myself a separate file for each of my characters. I then began to collect all the information on them that was f..."

I agree with you, Jamie. If the characters does not evolve first in the writer's mind as real and as 'concrete' as his friends, in the story the readers will only see paper-thin versions or cardboard flat silhouettes.

Probably *most* of what makes a character description in your chart will not make into the story, so that the reader will be able to 'make his own' with the details that will show in the plot, but the process you describe will allow to show even nuances of the character's character. :)