Writing hints for creating and writing intriguing characters with secrets and personalities

Stories are about secrets. We all have them. Secret dreams, fantasies, hopes and sometimes even desires. Occasionally a dream becomes reality and then maybe there are a million reasons for not telling anybody about it.

Think of somebody you know. What is it that describes them most? Is it their job? Is it the way they speak? Are they a stereotype?

Unlikely - we are all individuals with complex personalities and secrets. Tell a few of the secrets about a character and you have their personality!

Perhaps they are defensive inside and therefore always seek to look well dressed. Character reveals itself in their clothes, in the places they go and in the friends they choose.

When your characters are created, carry out the following audit:

Do your characters emerge through dialogue?

Have you chosen the right central character?

Can the readers identify with the characters?

Are there too many characters for the reader to follow easily?

Are main characters too shallow?

Would greater immediacy be created by using first person instead of third person?

Creating a new character is like finding a new friend. Carry your main characters with you and enjoy being with them. Learn their nuances and secrets in your daily life.

Talk to them. Ask them: ‘How do you feel about this situation?’ Consider whether to write to them ‘wish you were here’ when you go on holiday.

Don’t be afraid to make your characters real with boils, bumps, anxieties and dreams. After all, you are an author and they are your creations and if you don’t want their company, why should the reader?

The heart of any good story is memorable characters. Readers love them and the more they like your characters and characterisation, the more they will form a relationship with you and enjoy your stories.

And when you do create the perfect character or characterisation, enjoy them. Greet them as friends, for they will now be with you for always.

Congratulate yourself because your characters through your expert characterisation will now have a life of their own and that is sure to give you and your readers great pleasure.

Then get down to writing about them. Give them their chance to live on the pages of your short stories or novels!

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