Re-post: Giving Birth to Your Characters

While some authors like to plot their stories in detail, there are others who think of a very basic premise, invent the players and then let their characters write their own stories. At least that is my method.


As a former drama student I learned about the Stanislavski Method of acting, (from Wikipedia) “a technique in which actors try to engender in themselves the thoughts and emotions of their characters in an effort to create lifelike performances”. By giving my major characters a complete history, I allow them to react to each other and to the situations I throw them into by using the memories, feelings and attitudes they “grew up with”.


There are certain stereotypes we have grown accustomed to, such as children of divorced parents are more wary about marriage, or if you are bitten by a dog as a young child you may grow up with a fear of dogs. Think of your own experiences both good and bad and how that affects your present day likes and dislikes. If you ever told a close friend a secret and had them betray you by spreading it around, did you become less trusting of everyone around you? If you fell into a poison ivy patch as a child on a hike, do you worry about the foliage around you when you are in the park?


Try to create four or five basic characters that can interact with each other (unless you are writing paranormal or fantasy, they will probably all be of the same time period and locale) – give them each a detailed history including school and favorite subjects, family, economic circumstances growing up, social influences (neighborhood, politics, etc) and a few “experiences” (good and bad) that would stand out in their memories. I often will use an index card for each character listing these types of specifics. Include any other details that might be important to your character (jobs, romances, heath, etc).


Most of this information will NEVER be shared with your readers, but knowing what went into your character’s development will make it easier to decide how they will each react to any situations you might throw at them. Now think of a basic premise to begin your story, this might be something you saw and played “what if” (perhaps you witnessed an argument on the street, or saw a couple “necking” in a dark car…) and get a general understanding of WHERE you want the story to go; if you are writing romance you want the story to go to a Happily Ever After ending. Letting your characters react from their personal histories will also help to keep them consistent in the story.


Now just let your characters react. In my novel Bartlett’s Rule, Paige was a rape survivor – Lon didn’t know about it until after she freaked out on him thinking she had lost control during a sexual encounter between them. There were other factors in her childhood that never came out in the book and some that came out towards the end of the story; yet everything that happened to Paige while she grew up made her react to situations around her in a unique way. In my novel His Lucky Charm, the fact that Caitlyn was orphaned suddenly at a young and impressionable age made her very fearful of losing people around her. It was the individual history of each of these two young ladies that “set the stage” and sometimes altered outcomes in the book.


Writing exercise: Take two of the characters you invented and let them argue with each other about money (possibly the loss or theft of money); make sure that you let their histories color their words and attitudes. Take another two characters and let them give love advice to a third character.


Writing prompt: List five reasons you have chosen the profession you are in? List five qualities you like or would want in a love interest partner and list why each quality matters. (hint: you will find that many of your experiences have influenced who you are today)

Challenge Assignment: Interview one (or more) of the main characters in your most recent WIP or published book. Ask your character soul-searching questions, learn all you can about his/her childhood, good and bad memories, relationships and current self-esteem. When you are finished with your interview write a detailed report or case study of this character. MAKE SURE THE CHARACTER ANSWERS THE QUESTIONS, NOT THE AUTHOR.