Alrighty, I've decided to put together a small series focusing on creating characters. I'm not going to label these posts as a writing tips, because really this is going to be a compilation of many tips and advice all related to a single topic. I'll save the numbered tips for the one-liners!
Now, the reason I've chosen to give characterization so much attention is because your characters are the heart and soul of your work. You may or may not know this, but over the years the literary world has silently shifted its focus from plot-driven stories to character-driven ones. This isn't to say that plot isn't important anymore. That isn't the case at all. The plot is still very important to the overall package, but the industry as a whole has decided that readers are more apt to get hooked by a character than by a plot-line. And when you think about it, it makes sense. When was the last time you tried to get the number of some expertly crafted conflict and resolution at a bar? I'll admit, the first time I was told this, I got a little upset. I didn't want to believe it either. I've always been enamored by epics like Beowulf and The Lord of The Rings and other stories of that nature. Those types of stories are heavily plot driven, and while the characters are believable, for the most part, they're also fairly thin. You just don't connect with Gimli on a deep emotional level. As much as you want to, you really can't relate.
Now, in contrast, let's look at a series that has had tremendous success recently. Despite it's clear lack of any kind of deep and profound plot, Twilight has managed to become one of the most successful series of our time. Sure, a lot of that can be attributed to the marketing juggernaut that stood behind it and forced it into the skull of every preteen girl that owned a TV or a computer. But think about it for a second. What made the publishers realize that they had a goldmine on their hands? Lord knows it wasn't the skillful prose! The answer is really very simple. The book has deep, three-dimensional characters that junior high girls can relate to very easily.
But enough about that wretched atrocity. The point I was making with it was that characters do today what long-winded prose and epic storylines did in the past. They attract readers.
So this series is going to focus very closely on the subtleties involved in creating the perfect character for your story. Today's post in particular is going to start at a high level, then in the coming posts we're going to narrow our scope quite a bit.
Before we can start crafting our characters, first we have to understand how to categorize them so we know what we're shooting for. In the title I referred to having more D's. You want D's. D's are good. Your goal is for your most important characters to have 3 of them! Let me break it down.
First, we have 1D or one dimensional characters. These characters are your fodder. They are vague scribblings designed more as placeholders than people. They typically have only one purpose in your story. They may possess a single trait or represent just one characteristic. They don't have any history or bearing on the overall story. These are the characters that your Fantasy hero kills in droves or meets at the inn to get some information. They don't learn. They don't grow. They don't really do much of anything. Think of them as the extras in a movie. If your protagonist falls into this category, you're doing it wrong! Now, in their defense, they are still a necessary part of a good story. One dimensional characters, while not having any depth themselves, can add depth to other characters or full scenes through their relatively limited actions. They populate the world of your story, so they're important to some degree no matter what. But my one word of warning about them is this -- if you put a one dimensional character in your story, he better be there for a reason. If you can cut him from a scene and the reader will have the same experience without him, then you don't need him there to begin with. At that point, it'll more of a distraction than anything else.
Next we have two dimensional characters. A character that is two dimensional is a character that actually has a life of its own. This character has a history. It has a personality. It has quirks. It communicates. In just about every way, it's a full-fledged character! Except for one... the two dimensional character doesn't grow. The two dimensional character has experiences, but it doesn't learn from them. It simply experiences them. Two dimensional characters are usually the companions or sidekicks of your story's protagonist. They interact with the protagonist in meaningful ways, but in the end, they're just not whole yet. If your main character falls into this category, you're on the right track, but you still have a little way left to go before you've perfected them.
Lastly, as I'm sure you guessed, is the three dimensional character. This character has some serious D's! Really, there isn't much else to say that wasn't already said in the two dimensional section. If you take all the qualities of your two dimensional character and then give them the ability to be affected on a real human level by the situations that are presented to them, then you have a three dimensional character. Your readers will be able to connect with this character better than any other, because their emotions are realistic, and their reactions are believable. For example, if your main character gets drunk one night and causes a car accident that takes the life of a little girl then gets out of the car and hits on the girl's mom because "Hey, that's his quirk. He's flirty!" then you have yourself, not only a two dimensional character, but also a serious lack of writing skills! Now, if in that same scenario, the character is deeply affected emotionally, spirals into alcoholism and depression and hates himself for what he did, then you have a believable three dimensional character on your hands, and also the setup for a great personal redemption story! You have my permission to use that. Enjoy! :)
So to sum up for Part 1 of this series, creating three dimensional believable characters that target your audience is one of the single most important things you can do when planning your story. The caveat to this, however, is that not every character needs to be three dimensional. There are places for 2D and 1D characters. Just make sure that when you decide to use them, you use them effectively, not just because you think it would be cool if your main character met a three-legged hooker on the street. I can tell you right now... it isn't cool. Three-legged hookers are never cool. Don't do it.
Now, check back soon to see the next part of this series where I'll focus a bit more closely on the aspects of planning out your characters and putting them together in a way that best suits your story and your audience.
As always, thanks for stopping by. If you enjoyed this post and want to see more like it, please subscribe to this blog and Follow me. Comments are always welcome, as are 5 star reviews. And please, share this blog with all your friends. The more the merrier!
Until next time!
Curtis Galluzzo
"Nerdy is the new sexy!"
P.S. Don't forget to check out my other blog at http://secondworldfantasy.blogspot.com
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