How to Create great characters for stories and such

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By Heroesrox
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You'll learn in this article how to create characters for stories, scripts and such.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

LOTS of paper, some good pens that you DON'T hate, and a creative mind.

Step 1

Get into a creative mood. For most people that I know, creating characters is their least favorite thing to do when they write. It has become my most favorite thing and hopefully it will be your as well, soon enough.
Step 2

Think....think...think...It's not that hard. If you want a main character that is...let's say, a young and mischievious guy who says what's on his mind, then get into that character yourself. FEEL the character. Pretend you are him.
Step 3

What would you like to be called, you mischievious boy, you? Name your character. Names aren't that hard. Damien would be a good name for a mischievious dude.
Step 4

How do you look? What does the name Damien make you think of? For me, it's an averagely tall guy with short black hair, dark eyes and a dark goatee. Maybe he has Italian heritage... I dunno....
Step 5

Where are you from?

Pick a place. This is not hard at all eaither. You just have to be creative. Unless you want to spend loads of time researching a place so that you know details of it, pick a place that you are familiar with. Let's say that Damien lives in Tennessee. Chances are, you've been to Nashville, so let's say that Damien is from there.
Step 6

Recap!

Name: Damien

Personality: mischievious, outspoken

Look: dark features

Hails from: Nashville
Step 7

BACKSTORY!

A character has to have a backstory. Let's say that Damien is sixteen. He works at a local ice cream shop to help his single mother pay bills. He's strong willed and loves life more than anything. Damien has many friends who he loves to be around. Ya know, something like that. Base your character off of you if you wish....
Step 8

Give him something to do. No one wants to read a book about a boy's life in Nashville. Give him a good foe. Think of someone you despise and twist them into something dark and sinister. Give them an ominous name as well. We'll say that Damien knows a guy named Victor. Victor is a thief. He steals money and things from his neighbors all of the time and Damien knows this.....What should he do?
Step 9

HE SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Make him go on a little adventure. Let him see the world. Make him discover that Victor plans on stealing something big...I dunno...maybe the Declaration of Independence or something...It's your book, so get CREATIVE!
Step 10

HAVE FUN! I cannot stress this enough. If it feels like a chore every time you sit down to write, then you do not need to be writing. Bake a pie or something....

Well, good luck to you all. Hope ya create awesome characters and write NOVELS for me to read!

Comments

slphilbrick said

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on 11/16/2008 It's definitely about expanding the imagination !5*

on 11/12/2008 Love it thanks, I was just reading exerpts of the 101 tips of the great screen writers or something (on amamazon) and they were saying to put yourself in the story and be that person. And, I guess that is why I was having trouble with character development because... I hadn't looked at it that way. Thanks for the tips, they are truly wonderful.