Creating a Character

Hi everyone! Here is a post on creating a good character! In my Writing Fiction 1 post,  I gave a basic character sheet. Today I thought we’d go over this in more detail.

Every character needs a name.

I’m going to create a female superhero today. I’m thinking I’d like a strong, masculine sounding name. Also, my character needs a name for her alter-ego.  I’m going to name my character Ace.  I’m thinking her name name can actually be a nickname. Depth already! Who calls her by her nickname? Does anyone call her by her actual name? These are questions that you can think about when creating a character of your own.

Name: Jacelyn (Ace) Campbell A.K.A The Hornet

Ace is a superhero, with powers like a bee. Her alter-ego will be called Hornet.  Another question to think about: What drives this character? Why do they do what they do (For good or bad.)? Where are they from, and do they live with anyone? Are they an adult? Do they have a spouse, or a parent living with them? This takes us to age.

Age: Sixteen

Ace is sixteen. She lives with her dad. Her mom was a French artist who got stung by a bee while giving birth. She died, but Ace lived. The bee had affected Ace’s genetics, and Ace was born with superpowers. Ace wants to get a job, so she can have a normal college education. Her dad insists on living a secret life. He is an inventor, and designs high-tech suits and gadgets for his daughter. While Ace lives in an abandoned subway tunnel, her nemesis Cobra grows up in town. Cobra was bitten by a snake, but treats her powers as a curse, rather than a gift. Another good question to ask: Does your character like who they are? What do they want to change or improve? Do they have a nemesis with similar or improved powers?

Birthday: August 31st, 2002

This makes Ace sixteen to this date. The story would presumably take place the year of 2018. Perhaps it is a coming of age story. Maybe Ace wants to get out of the subway and see the world. Maybe she wants her dad to come with her, but he refuses. Good questions with this stage are: Does this character have lots of wisdom? (Older characters might.) Does this character act mature or imature for his/her age?

Height: 5′ 9″

Another thing, Ace is pretty tall. She is athletic and trains everyday. She is strong and nimble, but is weakened when it comes to running. Fortunately, one of Ace’s powers is flight. She can fly for several hours, but has to stop eventually or her powers will start to weaken. Questions to ask: Does this character have any athletic advantages or disadvantages? If your character is a dwarf, (Take Gimle from Lord of the Rings.) he will have a very hard time running. He is strong, though, and that makes up for it. An elf, (Legolas, also from Lord of the Rings.) has much more agility and longer legs. They can run much faster.

Gender: (Optional.) Female

Okay, so you’re probably thinking Why gender? Wouldn’t that be obvious? The truth is, no. What if you have a transgender character, or another sex altogether? Usually men are stronger and taller, so maybe Ace has to train a lot harder. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to make women sound weak! Ace is just as muscular and strong as Superman or Thor. (Maybe more like Wonder Woman, since Ace can’t shoot lasers or down oceans in one gulp.) Think about gender, and provide as much details on your characters as necessary.

Habits: Chews fingernails and pencils when irritated or nervous.

Habits are things characters do unconsciously, like biting a nail, or tugging a braid. These can be major or minor flaws, depending on how serious they are. These habits can be good too, like always using manners, or listening when people talk. Other habits might be talking too loud all the time, or snorting when laughing.

Hobbies: Enjoys reading, tinkering with gadgets, and also likes to do art.

Hobbies are things the character might enjoy doing, such as reading, or playing a musical  instrument.  These really add more depth to your characters. Maybe your character feels awkward in P.E. class, but excels at Math and Language Arts.

Power(s): Flight, stinger.

You’re probably picturing a bee-like stinger. It is not so; my character can actually shoot gold colored lasers from her fingertips. What powers does your character have? Whether it’s super-clumsiness, or shooting lasers from your eyeballs, your character has a strength. They also have a weakness! As hard as it is, you must give them one. Even invincibility is a weakness. Maybe the character never dies, but they might still feel pain. My character Ace suffers from dyslexia. She has a hard time reading, but this doesn’t stop her from trying to read. Reading is the source of imagination for her art. She doesn’t go to school, but her dad teaches her how to read and write, among other things. Where does your character get his/her knowledge?

Friends/Family: Ace’s Dad, Mike; Jeffery; Dr. Onions

Who are the last two people? Well, maybe Jeffery is a human boy who Ace saves. (A love interest?) Maybe Dr. Onions is a loyal dog Ace saves as well. Maybe she found him abandoned in the subway tunnel. Maybe when she went into town for the first time, she found him there. There characters are not protagonists, but they can still have just as much depth. A character profile could be created for any of these characters.

So that’s it! My step-by-step character profile. It’s an important part of writing, because without good characters, there is not a good story!

I hope you enjoyed this post, and I hope it helps with any books you might try to write. The main character is an inspirational person. Maybe they have flaws, but they still try to do the right thing. That’s what makes them so good; so human.

And remember:

Enjoy writing and reading!