Here are four points to
consider when creating fictional characters:
1. Spend less time
describing characters’ appearances. Show their actions,
especially if their actions put them in conflict with the norms of their
worlds. another example of show not tell.
2. Use two or more real people as models for characters. Then your character will have a blend of interesting features,
and you won’t be liable for defaming anyone.
3. If you usually
write novels, experiment with short stories. When I started writing short
stories eight years ago, I was forced to identify and demonstrate the key
features of characters more quickly and succinctly than in a novel.
4. One trick for displaying unforgettable characters is
to select the narrator of your tale carefully. Before I wrote short stories, I
interviewed dozens of acquaintances about their
mothers, aunts, and grandmothers. In several cases, I listened to tales about
the same person from siblings or spouses. I also knew several of the women
described. I quickly recognized that reality depended on the eyes of the
beholder. The point of view is important.
Then I
wrote vignettes with surprising plot twists about mothers in the 1930s, 1940s,
and 1950s (The Good Old Days?) and modern women (Other People’s Mothers). The
women in each story made choices. The narrators of the stories often didn’t
understand the basis of the decisions because of incomplete information or
personal biases. Accordingly, they warped the portraits of the women, and I
could develop the characters to be more memorable.
How do
you develop characters in your fiction?
My collections of short
stories are available in paperback and Kindle format at Amazon.
Other People’s Mothers: https://www.amzn.com/dp/1544895011
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