How to Create Dynamic Fictional Characters

Characters form the backbone of any fictional story. You may have a killer plot, but the best plot in the world can't make up for weak characterization or poor character development. Your characters are the vehicles through which your plot will be carried out, so be sure that they are up to the task.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Name your character. Be sure to pick a name that fits the genre of your story and represents your character. You may find a baby name book or website useful for this, especially as such resources typically give name meanings.
   
   If you will be shortening your character's name more often than not, keep in mind what their shortened name or nickname will be. Also pay attention to their initials, especially if they will be going by their initials. You don't want your character's initials to spell out something offensive or be associated with an acronym (unless you want people to associate your character with it).

2. Give your character a brief physical description. Decide on other external qualities such as professions as well. Using a resource such as a book that describes certain professions, the professions' requirements and the typical personality type that pursues those professions may help here.

3. Decide your character's defining attributes. Give your character strengths as well as weaknesses. Making a "perfect" character sounds like a good idea, but in reality the character will turn out to be boring to read about and not be very realistic. All people have good and bad parts to them; your characters should be the same way. Balance it out.

4. Give your character an internal (personal) goal and an external goal. Decide what motivates them to achieve each goal, such as money, love, or obligation. Ask yourself what they have to do to achieve that goal. What kind of sacrifices will they have to make, and are they willing to make them?

5. Develop relationships for your characters. Give them friends as well as enemies, and love interests if applicable. Make each relationship distinctive.

6. Create conflict for your character. Don't let them reach their goal right away. What are these conflicts, and how does your character deal with them? Do they overcome them or not? Your character should continue to encounter new conflicts, with ultimate success or failure occurring at the end of your story.

7. Add an "epiphany" moment for your character. This is a personal/internal turning point for your character and the point at which they begin to go after their goal from a different angle, or more successfully. They may even completely change their goal (turning from good to evil, for example).

8. Know your character inside and out. Know how they will react to different types of situations. Know the manner in which they talk and things they would not say. This helps make your character feel more natural and well developed.

Tips & Warnings

• Use "about me" type exercises or lists for ideas on what information you should know about your character. This will help you flesh out your character and better understand how he will react to situations.
• Don't make your characters all the same. Have them speak differently, possess differing character traits and strengths, and have different motivations.
• Don't get so attached to your characters that you are unable to make bad things happen to them. Your character must struggle for your story to be interesting, and for them to grow as a character.

[cygnetbrown]

on 10/8/2009 I've found that the better I know my characters, the more alive they are on the page. Great advice for creating dynamic fictional characters.

[mythcreation]

on 8/1/2009 I've seen this information a dozen times... Acceptable, but no new thought.

[Renee1771]

on 5/8/2008 awesome article! I've been wanting to write my book, but been struggling with making my characters how I want them to be. This article gave me ideas for how to develop my charaters and not always make them :perfect" Thanks!

[paulakparker]

on 2/22/2008 This is a great article. So many new writers want to create characters that are stereotypical and have no depth. They won't if they follow your advice.

[paulakparker]

on 2/22/2008 This is great advice. So many new writers want to write stereotypical characters without any depth.