How to Create Characters
In Writing Fiction, Janet Burroway notes that characters should be “interesting, believable, and engaging.”
Writers need to make readers feel invested in what characters go through. The two most basic characters in any story are a protagonist and an antagonist. In a nutshell, the protagonist is the main character and usually the most compelling; the antagonist is the one who’s going to be giving the protagonist trouble.
Finding Characters
Someone you know
One common way to build a character is to model him or her on someone you know. This requires changing the real person in several ways, fictionalizing him or her beyond recognition to avoid defamation lawsuits. Change the eye color, hair color, weight, etc.
Your shadow
Another strategy is to reflect on your own shadow. You can spot your shadow when you answer the question: “What person or kind of person bugs you the most?” Describe that person in detail (but not by name) and then add in one or two saving graces to fictionalize him or her.
Images
Drawing or sketching characters can be useful, as can cutting out pictures in magazines or printing out online images. Create a page for each character, so you have a picture source handy.
From real life
Watching people out in public (be discreet) is another way to find character models, as is reading stories in the newspaper or on TV or in social media.
Names & Occupations
Naming characters is essential and can be a lot of fun—choose a name to hint at the character of the character, if you can. For example, look at Dickens' characters: many of them have colorful names that fit their personalities like Bumble and Scrooge. Harry Potter’s Lord Voldemort sounds like a villain just from his name. Google "baby names" to help out here. I find it helpful to keep a list of my character names in alpha order. This method helps to avoid having character names that are too similar. Consider varying the number of syllables for characters’ names.
Giving a character an occupation is important, too. What he or she does for a living or how they pass their days will have a big impact on the plot of your story. Plus, characters need a personal life, family and friends, hobbies, appetites, addictions, etc. Each character needs at least one unusual aspect—a gesture, a physical feature, a verbal expression, etc.
Create a backstory for each character, even if you don’t use it in the story, it will propel the character’s actions. One way to do this is to write a "4 color introduction."
RED: what does he or she desire in life?
BLUE: Plan?
PURPLE: What actions has he/she taken to get where they are at the start of the story?
GREEN: How have these actions turned out so far?
Googling these topics, as well, produces plenty of advice on building characters, each with devotees and critics. However, most writers pick and choose from the plethora of available craft advice. My view is that each writer teaches him or herself how to write. By writing. And getting feedback. And rewriting. Repeat. If you can’t quit, you know you’re a writer.
Practices
Choose two approaches from those noted above. Use these approaches to create one new protagonist, followed by a similar creation for one antagonist who will be causing trouble for your protagonist.
From one of your favorite published writers, investigate how he or she creates characters.. Follow one of their methods to create a second set of protagonist/antagonists.
Start a set of “Character Diaries,” a place to keep all your information on each character.
