How to Create a Full Character in Fiction

A lot of times we create characters for a story because we simply need them to move the story along, but it is also important to make a character real and 3D. Here are some ways to make your character a "full character."

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pen or pencil
• Paper
• Imagination
• Time

1. If you are working on a story, and possibly already have a character in mind, write this name and the information so far about them on a sheet of paper.

2. If you don't already have a character think about the story you are working on or make one up for the use of this exercise.

3. Give your character a first, middle and last name. Write down where they got this name from ad why.

4. Write down some colors you think of when you hear this person's name. Write them down. You can use these colors for their eyes, lips, clothes or place of residence.

5. Now, think about their family, what family do they have and what happened to the others?

6. Write down a list of food they like and dislike, what they are good at and what their flaws are. Do they have an allergy, a tattoo, a temper, or are they too shy?

7. Give them a memory, an emotional cling to something, a fragrance. Give your character a background story or event which marks them good or bad.

8. Link them to their family through situations. Maybe they eat, work, run or drive together.

9. Now your character is fleshed out. We don't just see Timmy, a school student in Mrs. Harris' 2nd grade class; we see a kid who has a family, a best friend, an allergy, a tick that makes him cut into his desk, and freckles on his face that form a constellation. He likes pizza because his dad used to teach him how to make it from scratch before he died, and he hates beets because of the texture. When he eats them his nose scrunches up and his eyes look downward to the plate he is about to spit the beets on.

10. All of this information doesn't need to appear in the story, especially not in the same place, but it helps for you to think about your character as a real being and so create more real situations. It is also good to use some of this information within your story trough situations or other characters.

[Patri50]

on 1/26/2008 Good advice thanks.