| One of the trickiest aspects of novel writing is | | | | they do and this motivation must be evident in all |
| making your characters human. Your novel rests | | | | their actions and dialogue. The number one rule of |
| on the shoulders of your characters. If your | | | | writing -- show, don't tell -- applies in creating |
| characters aren't believable, neither is your novel. | | | | characters. Show your character's nature rather |
| So how do you make your characters believable? | | | | than telling about it. Rather than saying, "Tom is |
| First of all, what genre of fiction are you writing? | | | | slow-witted," show how Tom is slow-witted by |
| If it's a mystery or a tightly plotted suspense | | | | everything he says and does. |
| thriller, the characters may not need fleshing out | | | | Most writers introduce their character at a |
| in detail the way they would in a literary novel. | | | | moment of change in the character's life. Rather |
| However, if your plot is highly extraordinary, | | | | than giving the details of how the character grew |
| make sure your characters are as realistic as | | | | up, went to school, made friends, etc., jump into |
| possible. Steven King's characters are usually | | | | the character's life at the moment something |
| ordinary people facing extraordinary | | | | life-changing happens. To see examples of this, |
| circumstances. When we believe in the characters, | | | | read the first paragraphs of just about any good |
| we believe what is happening to them. | | | | novel. |
| Start by getting to know your character. Design a | | | | As you get further into your novel, you don't |
| detailed dossier for him or her, which includes the | | | | need to give all the details about your characters |
| character's physical appearance, mannerisms, | | | | right away. In real life, we don't get to know |
| habits, motivations, and history. Not all of these | | | | everything about a person immediately, so we |
| details necessarily have to come out in the novel, | | | | shouldn't expect this in a novel either. Getting to |
| but the more you know about your characters, | | | | know people is a gradual discovery. |
| the easier they'll be to write about and the more | | | | Some novels are plot-driven and some are |
| believable they'll seem. | | | | character-driven. If your novel is plot driven, the |
| Remember that readers need to know details | | | | characters need to serve the plot. If it's character |
| about all major characters, not just the likable | | | | driven, the plot needs to serve the character. |
| ones. For example, if one of your characters is a | | | | For example, in the character-driven coming of |
| murderer, why is this? What events from his past | | | | age story, Catcher in the Rye, the plot is nearly |
| led to his present? Filling in these details will | | | | as important as the character Holden Caulfield. J. |
| deepen your novel. | | | | D. Salinger formed the plot around the tormented |
| Most characters in novels are based in some part | | | | teen. But in the plot-driven novel, the writer has a |
| on real people, or composites of real people, that | | | | plot in mind and must create characters to drive |
| the writer has known in real life. Many writers | | | | it. If the plot needs a character to find a |
| begin with someone they've known in life and find | | | | murderer, the psychology and history of that |
| that as the novel progresses, that character | | | | character must fit. Remember that your |
| seems to 'take over' and is no longer the real | | | | characters need flaws, however, which adds |
| person the writer initially envisioned. | | | | necessary tension to drive the novel ahead. |
| Wherever your characters originate, be aware | | | | Characters are the building block of your novel. |
| that they must have a motivation to act the way | | | | Spend time with them before diving in. |