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Need character development?

Every writer has been there. That point when you have gotten half way through your story and you realize, you don’t really know who your character is. You really don’t know why your character happens to be in this particular story. What quality, or lack of quality, makes this character appear in this situation? And why would this character fit in with the rest of the characters?

Take some advice from a professional

Dr. Maxine E. Thompson is the owner of Black Butterfly Press and is a Radio Talk Show Host, ebook and ezine writer, and literary agent. When discussing character development she recommends,

You should create strong characters who will hold a reader’s interest for 300-400 pages, whether the character is a good person or a bad person. Who the character is will determine what he wants. Make your character act in a courageous way that readers will admire. Test your character. Will he steal $50 if he finds it lying around?

How to Build Your character’s Personality from Dr. Maxine E. Thompson

Here are some questions Maxine proposes you ask yourself when beginning to develop the character for your next short story:

1. If your character applied for a job, what would they put on the application?
2. What is your character’s religious background?
3. How does your character’s physical appearance affect his self-esteem?
4. What are some of your character’s mannerisms?
5. Is your character urban bred or country bred?
6. What is your character’s social or economic class?
7. How many family members are there and what birth order was she born in?
8. Where does she live?
9. What kind of work skills does she have and how does this affect her role in the story?
10. How is your character different from others and how does that affect the story?
11. Is your character married or single? Any children?
12. Any physical handicaps? Speech impediments?
13. What makes your character an outsider from the norm in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, or ability?
14. In what ways is your character conflicted?
15. What is your character’s deepest secret?
16. Outline your major scenes and use index cards for each character.
17. Ask yourself, what is the worse thing that can happen to my character?
18. How can it get even worse?
19. Who is going to solve this problem? Your hero or heroine or a helper? (Preferably your protagonist will work out his own problem.)

Need some exercise?

Here are seven exercises for character development provided by author Sandra Miller:

• Your main character has invited you to lunch. Where does he/she meet you? What is ordered? What do you talk about? (This exercise helps you to learn more about your character through food preference–which can actually be useful in your story–and through casual conversation)
• Your protagonist and antagonist are each required to write a letter of introduction for your reader, describing themselves, their goals and motivations, and you. (This exercise gives you valuable insight into the way your characters think about and describe themselves)
• It’s a Sunday afternoon and your character’s responsibilities are complete. What does he/she do to relax for the rest of the day? (This exercise gives you a deeper knowledge of your character through hobbies/leisure time activities.)
• Your protagonist and antagonist each write a letter to a friend or family member (or you!) about the other. (This exercise helps you gain insight into how your characters view their opposition)
• our two main characters have to change a flat tire, in the rain. (This exercise helps you to learn more about your characters through handling adversity–which can be very telling!)
• Your main character invites you to his/her place for dinner. What sort of home does he/she have? How is it furnished? Any family, roommates, pets? What is served? (This exercise gives you insight via detailed description of your character’s home environment– which can be useful in your story–family, food preference, and any other details you work into it.)
• Your main character decides to put up a personal homepage. How does he/she go about it? Does he/she have the skills to start building one, or will assistance be necessary? What sort of information will he/she want on it? (This exercise helps give you a feel for how comfortable your character is with the technology that is becoming more prevalent in our lives. It also gives you insight into how your character sees themselves, through how they would like a total stranger to perceive them.)

Want more: Go for a drive

Take a drive with a friend or family member (if it’s safe of course, we don’t want you killing yourself on this one). Make sure to open your eyes and ears. Watch how they act, maybe they are a road rage type who tries to run a fellow driver out of a traffic circle and juts their hand out giving them the bird. Maybe they are one of those granny types who brakes completely before turning right.

What are they listening to?
Did they play a cd? The radio? Maybe nothing? Do they flip through the songs only listening to the first 45 seconds? Or are they the repeater, who plays the same song over and over, belting out lyrics they made up themselves? Are you driving with an ex big-hair band groupie or a classical music appreciator?

Who are they?
All of these things make that person who they are. And all of these things should be present when you introduce your next character. No, you’re not going to tell your reader,

Joe likes to where Spandex and play air guitar in his dorm room.

Although that’s pretty funny, your reader will already get the sense of who this person is if you yourself have already fleshed this out, whether you include it in your story or not. That way, if you want a scene where Joe is sporting his leotard, your reader wouldn’t be surprised.

Really it’s all about being observant

Get out there and watch people so you can understand them and better develop your characters for your short stories.

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