What Are Your Characters Thankful For?

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

 
It's not all about the bad stuff.

 
I'm the first person to heap trouble and pain upon my characters (bwahaha), but even I know there's a limit to how much you can dump on a poor soul before they just give up. And we need our characters—especially our protagonists—to keep going when things are at their worst.

When we create our story people, we typically focus more on their problems, flaws, and the things that make them unhappy, because that’s where the best conflicts and plotting opportunities come from. But it’s also important to consider what will make our characters willing to go through all those horrible things we throw in their paths.

Which is totally what they care about and what's important in their lives.

A Step-By-Step Plan to Create Compelling Characters

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Strong characters are vital to a strong story, so don't scrimp on their development.

Developing characters is one of those things where everyone has their own method (which is totally fine). But it also often takes a writer multiple tries to find that perfect process that works for you. No matter what you might read out there, there's no right or wrong way to do it.

Some folks love to interview their characters, others make lists of key traits, some fill out pre-designed forms with a variety of details, and even find photos online of what they look like (I find this photo bit particularly useful).

One friend of mine creates collages that represent that character, letting her mind find images that feel right to her, then thinks about the kind of person who'd create that collage. Another friend dives deep into the emotional states of the characters and needs to understand how they tick before she can do much with them. And me? I only know the bare bones going in.

How to Create a Strong Mentor Character

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Mentors are a great tool for telling your protagonist what to do, without telling you protagonist what to do.

The Mentor is one of the more common character archetypes in storytelling, because protagonists need someone to talk to and guide them as they struggle through the plot. The Mentor offers insight, wisdom, and even tools to solve the protagonist’s problems in the novel and helps them grow as the story unfolds.

While often portrayed as the "wise old man" type, the Mentor can be any age, sex, or race (or even species).

• Yoda mentors Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back
• Polgara mentors Garion in The Belgariad series
• Charlotte mentors Wilbur in Charlotte's Web

The Mentor can even be the love interest, such as Like Wilson's character, Emmett, who both helps and eventually falls for Reese Witherspoon's Elle in Legally Blonde.

A Layered Method for Creating Consistent Characters

By Ann Harth, @Annharth 

Part of the How They Do It Series

JH: A great character has more to them that just a few obvious traits. Ann Harth shares a layered approached to creating compelling characters readers will love.

Developing believable characters is one of the most important components of writing fiction. One technique for creating three-dimensional, consistent characters is to know them as well as you know yourself – even before you start writing.

If you struggle with creating characters, it may help to think of developing a character layer by layer. Here is one simple, 8-layer method for developing a realistic character.

Layer 1. Create a still image.

Start by creating a sketchy character file that includes only physical attributes. Have a clear picture of your character in mind:

• Hair color, length and texture
• Eye color, shape and size
• Skin tone - fair, dark, clear, spotty, splotchy
• Height and build

5 Questions to Turn a Character from Flat to Fabulous

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Sometimes we just need a little help to create a memorable character.

Some writers develop incredibly detailed characters before they ever start a story.

I am not one of those writers.

I do the bare minimum necessary to create a character, then I throw them into my story and see what they do. By the time I’ve written the first draft, I know who they are and can revise accordingly.

Although I’ve written this way for decades, I’m not sure I’d recommend it. It’s an interesting tactic, but it has left me with a lot of revising I wouldn’t have needed if I’d done a bit more character work before I started writing.

Lately, I’ve wondered if I should change my process, or at the very least, add another layer of character creation at the start. Because I’ve always said that characters drive the plot, and I’m a plot-driven writer, so my process is missing a critical aspect when I think about it from that perspective.

6 Steps to Creating a Great Character

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Creating a compelling character doesn’t have to take a lot of time.

For some writers, characters pop into being fully formed like Athena from Zeus’s forehead. For others, creating a character is a bit more laborious, filled with uncertainty about where to start or what’s needed before they can start writing. Maybe the novel idea is more plot focused, or more about exploring an idea than a deep character journey, and those writers want to dive in and get started without hours of character development.

I've always been a pantsers when it came to characters, and I don't do a lot of work on them before I throw them into my novels (I figure out who they are as a I write them). So I'm always trying to come up with tricks to help me take a shortcut for that first draft.

And this is one of my favorites, because it's so easy, and also fun.

No matter where you fall on the depth-of-character-creation scale, here's a fun little game that's also quite useful to create a character's personality.

Character Creation Made Easy-ish

By Jacqueline Myers 

Part of The How They Do It Series 

JH: Figuring out who your characters are is often harder than figuring out your plot. Jacqueline Myers shares tips on how to create characters with ease.

Jacqueline is currently happily at work on her second mystery series (under the pen name, Gilian Baker) while sharing what she's learned with other writers. Using the synergy of personality theory and brain science, Jacqueline coaches writers using a proprietary methodology that helps them overcome their debilitating creative blocks so they can write un-put-down-able books.

If you are struggling, she'd love to see how she can support you! Schedule your free story strategy session here. You can also email her at jacqueline@intuitivewritingcoach.com.

Grab her first cozy mystery, Blogging is Murder, for FREE here. 

Take it away Jacqueline…

Create a Powerful Story Cast: A Master List of Character-Building Resources

By Angela Ackerman, @AngelaAckerman

Part of The How They Do It Series 

JH: Developing a novel takes so much brainpower, it's nice to find some tools to lessen the load on our creativity.  Angela Ackerman shares some great resources and tools for building and developing your characters.

Angela Ackerman is a writing coach, international speaker, and co-author of the bestselling book, The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression and its many sequels. Available in eight languages, her guides are sourced by US universities, recommended by agents and editors, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, and psychologists around the world. To date, this book collection has sold well over half a million copies.

Angela is also the co-founder of the popular site Writers Helping Writers, as well as One Stop for Writers, a portal to game-changing tools and resources that enable writers to craft powerful fiction.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Take it away Angela...

The Secret to Writing Fascinating Villains

By Laurence MacNaughton, @LMacNaughton

Part of the How They Do It Series

JH: Bad guys have always been my favorite, and there's something delicious about a great villain. Laurence MacNaughton takes his monthly spot at the podium today to share the secret to writing great villains.

What makes a villain fascinating?

It's not just about scaring the pants off the reader. The most terrifying thing a villain can do in a story isn't killing the hero or blowing up the world -- it's making their twisted viewpoint seem morally right, and making the hero seem wrong.

Because if the villain’s outlook starts to make sense, and the hero seems to have things backwards, then for just a moment, the reader has to wonder: Have I been rooting for the wrong side all along?

Why Your Character (and You) Should be an Expert in Something

By Alyssa Hollingsworth

Part of the How They Do It Series

JH: Readers remember (and usually like) characters who are good at things, so it’s worth taking the time to discover where your protagonist had mad skills. Alyssa Hollingsworth visits the lecture hall today to share tips and thoughts on making you and your character and expert.

Alyssa was born in small-town Milton, Florida, but life as a roving military kid soon mellowed her (unintelligibly strong) Southern accent. Wanderlust is in her blood, and she's always waiting for the wind to change. Stories remain her constant.

She got her BA in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from Berry College and my MA with honors in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University. She’ll happily talk your ear off about either of these programs — they both rocked!

The Eleventh Trade was her debut novel with Roaring Brook/Macmillan (U.S.) and Piccadilly Press (U.K.), as well as a handful of other foreign publishers. Her second book The Invisible Boy comes out Summer 2020.

Website | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

Take it away Alyssa…

Five Ways to Create a Memorable (and Distinguishable) Cast of Characters

By Sarah McGuire, @fireplusalgebra

Part of The How They Do It Series

JH: Creating unique characters readers can easily tell apart is a handy skill for any writer. Please help me welcome Sarah McGuire to the lecture hall today, with her great tips on creating memorable characters.

Sarah McGuire is a nomadic math teacher who sailed around the world aboard a floating college campus. She writes fairy tales and would be just fine if one day she opened a wardrobe and stumbled into another world. Coffee and chocolate are her rocket fuel. She wishes Florida had mountains, but she lives there anyways with her husband (who wrote this bio in less than three minutes!) and their family.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter |

Take it away Sarah…

Create Characters in 60 Seconds

By Laurence MacNaughton, @LMacNaughton  

Part of the How They Do It Series (Contributing Author)

JH: Stories need characters, but we don't always have time to spend all day on them. Here's a fantastic way to build a character on the fly.

When you create great characters, they walk onto the page and make your story unforgettable. They can bring every scene to life. But creating characters takes tons of time and effort, doesn’t it?

Not necessarily.

I’m here to show you how you can create an impressively good character in 60 seconds or less. Sound impossible? Here's the secret.

You don't need to write ten pages of backstory to make a great character. All you need is four short sentences.

The Practical Guide to Using Character Archetypes in Your Novel

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Character archetypes are a useful tool in creating characters for a novel.

At some point in your writing journey, you’ve probably come across the term archetype. This has no doubt led you to articles quoting Carl Jung (the father of psychology) and his twelve character types. Pursuing that further, led to multiple articles about the variations of those and the common archetypes used in fiction.

And then your head likely started spinning and you wondered how the heck any of that was going to help you write a better novel.

Personally, I think there’s a difference between Jungian archetypes and fictional archetypes. Jung’s focus was on defining the human psyche, not telling a grand tale, so his list tends be more thematic in nature. Which is great if you’re writing literary fiction with Deep and Meaningful Themes, but not so great for the rest of us.

What Type of Violent Offender Is Your Villain?

By Bonnie Randall 

Part of the How They Do It Series (Contributing Author)

Within my work with Violent Threat Risk Assessment, I share characteristics of the four most dominant violent offenders; what motivates them, what personality traits each has, their inherent goals, and how they are most likely to react if / when they are caught.

The four types of offenders are easily identifiable in fiction, film, and real life once you know what you are looking for. And, in turn, villains are much easier to create when you have the recipe of characteristics that create the perfect storm that forms The Violent Offender.

So, without further ado, let’s examine the four types of violent offenders, starting with:

Three Ways One Stop for Writers’ Character Builder Tool Will Help Writers

By Angela Ackerman, @AngelaAckerman

Part of The Writer’s Life Series

JH: Writers are almost always looking for useful tools to help them develop their stories, and today, Angela Ackerman visits the lecture hall to share her new character-building tool. Please give her a warm welcome.

Angela Ackerman is a writing coach, international speaker, and co-author of the bestselling book, The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression (now a expanded 2nd edition) as well as six others. Her books are available in six languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. Angela is also the co-founder of the popular site Writers Helping Writers, as well as One Stop for Writers, an innovative online library built to help writers elevate their storytelling.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Take it away Angela…

8 Ways to Create Character Flaws: Learn All Your Character’s F Words

By Bonnie Randall 

Part of the How They Do It Series (Contributing Author)

A double shot of Bonnie's wisdom this month--here's another peek at creating solid character flaws.

In my counseling practice, the following F Words are actually called Major Life Areas, but if I say MLAs I either sound jargon-y or like I’m using some sort of strange sports acronym. So let’s stick with F Words (which comes with the added bonus of appeasing the not-so-secret part of me that likes to swear).

When examining a person’s Major Life Areas, we determine their level of function, their level of dysfunction, what they value in life and why. A person’s “F Words” reveal their flaws and lay bare their strengths. In fiction, just like in real life, your character’s F Words will show you how he or she thrives in some areas while struggling in others. Some of his/her Major Life Areas will be over-developed compensators for others that are woefully impoverished and painful for him or her. Difficulty in Major Life Areas reflect both inner and outer conflict—which, in fiction, is gold.

Are You Making This Character Flaw Mistake?

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

“Give your characters flaws” is one of the more common pieces of writing advice out there. It’s good advice, as flaws make characters more human and relatable, and the fatal flaw is a critical part of any character arc, but many writers make an easy mistake when creating them.

They think flaws have to be negative traits.

In many stories, the flaw is a negative trait that must be overcome, but it’s not always the case. And when it isn’t, the belief that all flaws are “bad” can cause a lot of frustration for a writer trying to find a plausible reason why the protagonist has a negative flaw that fits the plot, story, and character arc.

A good example here is the flaw in my current WIP—my protagonist cares about people too much.

Wait…what? Did you say she cares? How could that possibly be a flaw?

What Are Your Protagonist’s Relationships Like?

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

At the center of every story is a protagonist. Around them are their friends, foes, and everyone in between. They interact with multiple characters during the course of the story, but how much time have you spent developing those relationships?

I’m not talking about the various roles characters play in your protagonist’s life, but the relationships with those others characters. Most protagonists have a best friend archetype, but how do they get along? What benefits do they receive from being best friends? What’s different abut this relationship than the one they have with another “friend” character?

Look at your protagonist and ask:

Do they have the same relationship with everyone in the story?

On first glance, it’s easy to say “No,” but look closer. If you swapped out the various characters, would the interactions with the protagonist be basically the same? Is the role of the character more important than the person? For example, if the sidekick changed genders and became the love interest, how much would charge in their scenes with the protagonist? If they could say the same lines and act the same way and there’s no real difference, odds are the relationships aren’t that different either.

What The Well-Dressed Villain Is Wearing These Days

By Bonnie Randall

Part of the How They Do It Series (Monthly Contributor) 

I admit I am bad at this. I have a terrible tendency to craft stock, cardboard bad guys—one of the things I am most critical of in my own writing. So it is in the spirit of the old adage ‘those who can’t do, teach’ that I am sharing the following traits which, as an observer, I’ve found to be the most authentic ‘clothing’ a villain can wear:

1. A Flawless Face

At first blush this one will seem like a cliché—the gorgeous villain—but bear with me through a little psychology behind it. Many villains have narcissistic natures; self-absorbed, grandiose, prideful and propelled by an astonishing level of arrogance. So egocentric that they are devoid of the capacity for empathy and compassion that would otherwise make them fully human.

Do Your Characters Have the Right Flaws?

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

“Characters must have flaws” is one of the cornerstones of fiction. Flaws create more interesting people, they give you the foundations for your character arcs, and they help you write more relatable stories. But just having flaws isn’t enough. You want the right flaws that will best serve your story.

So what are the “right” flaws?

Flaws that help illustrate aspects of the story you want to explore.