How to: develop a character

The tongue-in-cheek, easy-to-follow, how-to guide to developing interesting and fascinating characters.

Elements

Physical

This aspect is often the easiest to describe and will have an impact on all others.

When describing someone or something’s physical aspects we talk about their colors – skin, hair, eyes – or their size -small, tall, short, deep – or their dress/accessory style – flashy, comfortable, baggy, showy.

All these adjectives and many, many more can be used to describe someone’s physical appearance and fashion sense, or lack of the same.

These attributes are considered physical because they speak about the body and what adorns it. The words chosen can convey the writer’s opinion, or the opinion the writer wants the reader to have, as well as describe the character.

Consider these sentences. What do you see?

The wind lifted her glossy black locks to reveal large golden hoop earrings accentuating the bronze of her skin.

And yet, the child’s sparkling brown eyes weren’t concerned with the blue lips, red cheeks, and almost-purple nose; they just showed pleasure at playing in the snow.

His ripped, stained jeans, scraggly hair, and too-large hoodie were smelly and disgusting.

The criminal was a large, bald, tattooed man with multiple large rings on his fingers.

Social - Personal

This aspect of the character is in relation to themselves. They answer some of these questions: what does the character think of themselves? How do they move, hold themselves, walk, talk? How do they act when they are alone?

Similes and metaphors are often used in this context and can add interest to the character.

The choice of words, similes, and metaphors to define these characteristics can change the way a character is perceived by the reader, and even the writer.

These attributes are considered social personal because they talk about HOW the character is and acts in the world. They may also say WHY.

Consider these sentences. What does the character feel/think/do that is personal to them?

His leonine grace was compelling. He glided along as smoothly as a lion, his gentle footfalls barely rippling the grass beneath them.

She was mischievous like a monkey stealing your last candy, grinning as she did so.

He was talkative as a magpie, and silence was his number one enemy. Even alone, he talked out loud to himself.

Sam didn’t need anyone else. Imagination was her best friend; her only friend.

Social - Group

This aspect of the character is in relation to the world around them. It answers the questions: What do they want others to think of them? What do others think of them? How do they act around others and how are they perceived? How do they perceive others’ behaviors/words towards them?

Again, similes and metaphors are useful in describing these types of characteristics.

The choice of words, similes, and metaphors to define these characteristics can change the way a character is perceived by the reader, and even the writer.

These attributes are considered social because they talk about the character’s relation to the world and its relation to them.

Consider these sentences. What does the characters in relation to the main character think/feel/do? What does the main character want from these interactions?

No one would know it to look at her, but her cat’s eyes weren’t natural.

“That was insightful, Gary. It also connects to last week’s discussion.”

He knew that he attracted the gaze with his outrageous wig, and he loved it. Everyone around him was shocked, amused, or, at least in Miss Wiggins’ case, annoyed.

It was slow as a turtle, the way he moved, but it was steady. Still, it drove his friends crazy having to slow down so much.

Personality

All the above come together when describing a personality. Character traits such as laziness or kindness can be expressed through the way a person moves in the world, acts in relation to it and others around them, and shows their individuality through the way they dress.

Yet, we can also simply use an adjective without going further into it. It is up to the writer how much work the reader must do. Does the reader know by inference from other descriptions used throughout the piece or have they been simply told by the writer, or the character themselves, or another character?

Consider these sentences. Which is simply telling the reader a statement of fact? Which is giving information from a different POV?

Peter was an intelligent boy getting straight A’s in school.

“That was a difficult math problem. Great work on figuring it out Sandy. That was very smart.”

Everyone liked those Davies’ children. They were polite, clean, and didn’t play pranks like some others.

I enjoy being kind. It is a mark of high social development.

Whole Picture

These elements can and should be applied to ALL characters, whatever they may be; human, animal, plant, robot, etc.

Descriptions must fit together in terms of absolute possibility across categories. For instance, a couch potato would not be considered athletic. Or a gossipmonger to be taciturn and antisocial.

All descriptions can be written through the character’s personal point of view (POV) or from another character’s point of view (POV).

Some descriptions are developed through the character’s interactions with each other, the reader, the writer, or any combination.

Other ways to add depth to a description are to layer throughout the story, adding depth through different POV. You do not have to include every facet of your character in every description that you give. You can be selective about the information that you give and when you give it in the story.

Some traits may be expressed in specific circumstances or come out only at certain times.

Well-developed characters should enable a visual artist/movie maker to render an image of said character.