NOTE: as people make comments about important things to know about his or her characters, this will be updated.

Just like every good story needs a good plot, every story also needs good characters. Because if you were to read something with great language, a wonderful plot, and lackluster characters, chances are that you wouldn’t get very far before searching for something better.

So. that’s nice and all… but how are good characters created?

There’s no solid way to make a character. True, I could sit here and say, they have to be interesting, they have to have flaws and strengths, and yadda yadda yah. Which probably won’t get anyone very far. So, the only sound advice I can give is to know your characters.

It’s true. You invent a character. You write them. Perhaps it’s just me, but personally? I don’t plan all the things my characters do. I get into their heads, and just play along inside them. What would this boy do in this situation? I, personally, would run screaming in the other direction, but I’m not writing about me. I’m showing the story of a certain person, whether they exist or not.

So how to know your character?

Make a character page somewhere on your computer. Have a basic list of things that you’d want to know about them. Answer it. And then use it to help your story achieve greater depth.

1) What is your character’s name?

- Names reveal a lot about a character. Perhaps a beautiful person may be named Rose. A hot guy would be named Damien (sound familiar?). If you browse through stories, you’ll notice a lot of them are, well, the same. Perhaps you want a stereotypical name. If not, find one with meaning to deepen your character. (see McQuinn’s review for a good link)

2) What is your character’s background?

- Not to give a psychology 101 here, but surely you’re heard that people are a product of their environment. Perhaps you may not agree, but where people came from will help determine your character. You have an ambitious character? Is that ambition a part of the story? Then why are they ambitious? Strict parents? A role model? A bad childhood? Everyone came from somewhere. Write a nice little biography.

3) What are your character’s goals?

- Well. I suppose this leaks into the plot. So make a nice little list. What does your character want in life? How far would they go to get it? This is important because there’s a large chance that your story is about your character trying to achieve something. Make it strong.

4) What are your characters traits?

- Physical traits. How they look often influences past experiences, self-esteem issues, which lead to current actions as well as goals.

- Pros and cons. Strengths and weaknesses. Where your character is good, and where they are just plain messed up. Don’t make your character perfect. Because no one is. We all have out moments where we just mess up everything. It’s human. Your characters are human. And if they aren’t, they must have some human traits. If not, well, that’s quite interesting. So:

i. What are your character’s strengths? How does this help his or her interaction with other characters? How does it limit it? How does this help him or her reach his or her goals?

ii. What are your character’s weaknesses? Why do they exist? How does it hinder them? How does this affect other characters? How does it affect desired achievements?

5) Where do they live?

- Yes. It does matter if someone lives in a small town versus a city. Towns are smaller, often close knit (but feel free to argue that). People know each other more. Cities offer anonymity, more hecticness (which isn’t a word, I think, but it does prove my point, no?).

- This also ties in with backgrounds and goals, perhaps, but why does your character live there? Models may hit the big cities hoping for fame. Emotionally scarred people may move to a small town to get room to breathe.

6) Interaction.

- This is so very important. How does your character treat his or her parents? Friends? Children? Strangers? A homeless person? A movie star? Coworkers? Bosses? Employees? This list can go on and on… how he or she treat people would explain his or her personality. Perhaps you might tell your readers that your character is one heck of a expletive. Don’t tell us. Have him or her kick a poor, defenseless puppy begging for some food. It’ll get the idea across very strongly. Just don’t try to endear the readers to him or her very soon after that.

7) Job/Occupation.

- Perhaps this should go under goals, but since many points overlap, I’ll have it on it’s own. Assuming that the character works, what he or she does is very important to what he or she wants in life. A lawyer? Is this because he or she wants to make good money? Because of a need to protect the innocent? If so, is this because of a strong sense of moral right and wrong, or because of a time in the past he or she feels compelled to make up for?

- Of course, it could be that your character is a secretary. Does he or she want to climb ranks? Is he or she an organized person?

- Of course, it could just be that your character is in a job because he or she needs the money and hates his or her job. Use that. Why do they hate it? Does he or she do anything about them? Or doe he or she just roll with it?

8) Secrets/personal crisis.

- What deep dark secrets does your character hold, if any? Why are they relevant to the story? How do they affect your character?

9) Values.

- This could pertain to religion. It can also go farther. What does your character cherish? What beliefs do they have of life? Maybe your character could believe in abstinence until marriage. Perhaps your character can believe that the law is faultless (which can create problems if he or she finds themselves on the wrong side of it.). Does family come before personal happiness?

- Social values. I.e. Wealth and nationality. How does your character view such differences?

10) Personal tone.

- No one sounds the same. If all your characters have the same tone, the same vocabulary, the same speech pattern, it’s going to blend and blur. Characters can speak in a refined way, which gives the impression of intelligence. Others have limited vocabulary, which hints at stupidity. Certain terms can establish an idea of environment (foreign, rich, ghetto) as well as how much the character values his or her impressions on other people.

11) Hobbies/Habits.

- Every person has a personality. Every person has an action or trait that represents it. A methodical, calculating person may dress sloppily but organizes ruthlessly. A fun-loving person who goes with the flow will throw clothing over any available surface in his or her room.

- Then there are more personal details. Perhaps your character always wears the color red somewhere because he or she believes it brings good luck. Perhaps he or she often buttons up his or her shirt wrong. A girl might have the nervous habit of tapping her fingers or playing with a lock of hair. A man might shift uncomfortably, bit his lip, or squint when he thinks hard. Your character could sing ‘Baby Got Back’ at the top of his or her lungs when drunk. Give your character a unique trait that he or she will be remembered by.