The Catholic Writers Guild

“A writer without interest or sympathy for the foibles of his fellow man is not conceivable as a writer.” – Joseph Conrad

We have been developing our character for the last two weeks. We have created an appearance – whether she is tall or short, whether he is bald or bearded. Last week we gave our character personality. We decided whether he is honest or whether she is a coward. How the character looks and how they think should be coming clearer to you. You should be able to picture him or her, and now imagine them moving and acting. The question is: Where are they moving and who are they moving around? The environment of your character flavors who he is as much as your environment defines you and the people in your life. In the novel My Father’s House which I am currently writing, I have a character who is a want-to-be detective. He has very real and unique characteristics that lend to the plot. However, much to my surprise as I started to write the story, his wife and pet became a much more important part of his character then I expected.  The introduction of these two characters – his wife Millie and her dog Spritz – lend humor to my investigator  Puddin’ Pat. He has a contentious relationship with his wife Millie’s small dog. It highlights the disrespect that Puddin’ finds in each aspect of his life. It is all about your character! He makes the story. My detective’s relationship with his wife and her dog made him well-rounded and added to his backstory. It is important to give your character a setting, family, job, ambitions, dreams, and history. Create a complete character. You may be surprised what pops up in your story. Here are some things to think about.

Where does your character live? Is he an American and if so, what part of the country does he come from? Was he raised in this area or transplanted there? What time period did he grow up in? Does his region or time period affect his dialogue or way of speech? Can we tell where he is from without you specifically telling us? Is she a street-wise city person or a farmer? Are they from the west coast or the mid-west?  Did they grow up in a ghetto or a mansion? If they are not American, what country are they from? How does the history and culture of that upbringing make them different? If you are a sci-fi writer, what planet or galaxy are they from. How did the world they come from affect them?

What are your character’s relationships like? Is your character married, or single? Why are they single? Are they divorced, divorced several times? Think of Jesse Stone in the famous detective series. His relationship with his ex-wife flavors all his current relationships. Hence, he turns to his dog and the bottle for comfort. How about your character ? Are they looking for a partner? Are they afraid of a serious relationship? Are they straight or gay? Are they struggling to get over a lost love, or a dead spouse? How about parents? siblings? are they close or distant? Do they have children? If so, sons or daughters? What are their relationships with their children. Are they natural children, adopted, or step-children? How about friends? Do they have a lot of friends or maybe they have no friends? Why? Do they have a best friend? Do they spend a lot of time with family and friends? Do they turn to their family and friends for advice or comfort. Or are they more likely to turn to co-workers for companionship? Your character’s relationships or lack of relationships with others can give your reader a real sense of who they are.

Does your character have a pet? If so, what kind of pet? Is it a dog? What kind of dog? A Labrador retriever gives a completely different picture of your character than a pit bull. Or perhaps your character has an unnatural fear of dogs, how can this play into the story? Is you character a cat person? Or are they allergic to cats? Does your character spend hours playing with his aquarium, or does he love to ride horses on the weekends. A person’s relationship with the other creatures who share this planet can say a lot about who he is.

Does your character have a unique passion? Does he spend every free moment attending the opera or hard rock concerts. How might this play into your plot? Does he frequent hot dog stands like Matlock or go out for gourmet meals every chance he gets? Or perhaps your character longs for the ethnic foods of his past. There is a whole genre called ‘Southern fiction’ that pulls from the culture, food, and interests of the south. What are the regional passions that you are familiar with. Perhaps you can spark a new kind of regional fiction with your character.

We can go on and on about how to create your character’s backstory. Was he loved as a child or abused and neglected? Was he an only child or the baby of ten other children? Did he have a traumatic experience that he never got over. Think of the people you know. Everything that happens to a person changes them. Don’t cheat your reader. Make a complete profile of your character. You may not use all the facts but you need them. When you understand your character completely you will be able to present him to your readers and make them care about him.

“So we all know the cliché characters: the Irish cop, the prostitute with a heart of gold, the writer with a drinking problem, and so forth. Clichés often exist for a reason, of course, and sometimes it’s okay to use a tried and true character. But not always. Populate your stories with only stock characters and there won’t be any reason to read your tales over anyone else’s.” –  Claire Hart

Karen Boyce

Karen Kelly Boyce lives on a farm in N.J. with her retired husband. She is a mother and grandmother. She is the author of “The Sisters of the Last Straw” series published by Tan Books. You can see her work and learn more about her on her website: www,kkboyce.com