HG Nadel
Blog Post
How to Create Characters?
- By Cedric Hitchens
- •
- 11 Nov, 2017
- •
An issue that often bedevils fiction writers is how to develop characters in novels. You may have a fantastic idea for the plot, but somehow the people just don't come alive. You have made a brilliant start, but by Chapter 4 the plot is really flagging.
HG Nadel advices that in the process of creating characters, take a moment to think about the role they fulfill in the story. We are all familiar with the idea of the protagonist, the character whose action or decisions gets the story going, and keeps it moving along. We also recognize the "antagonist" character, the one who tries to prevent the story's goal from being achieved.
Having said this, you still have to decide whether the protagonist narrates the story in the first person, or whether you write in the third person. You also need to decide whether the story is viewed from the protagonist's point of view.
You may also be familiar with the "impact" character. This is the one that proposes alternative solutions to problems, often in a way that is at odds with the protagonist's own approach.
How to create characters in your novel? And how to make them support your plot? It may be helpful to go right back to some ancient ideas about archetypal character roles and the dramatic function they perform in a story. It's useful to think of these in pairs.
The first character role pursues the story's goal and a second one who avoids that goal, so this takes care of your protagonist and antagonist.
You have a third character role that supports another's efforts, and a fourth that hinders those efforts.
There is a fifth role in trying to get someone else to consider a course of action, and sixth who tries to get someone to reconsider their action.
A seventh role wants an explanation that is logical, and an eighth seeks an explanation that is emotionally fulfilling.
A ninth character role focuses on one task or area, and a tenth tries to react to many things at once.
An eleventh role appeals to people's conscience, and a twelfth tries to tempt other people.
A thirteenth character role verbally supports any effort, and a fourteenth speaks against any effort.
A fifteenth role expresses faith despite the lack of evidence, and a sixteenth is convinced something is false, despite the lack of evidence of this.
All this doesn't mean that you have to have sixteen characters in your novel, but for a well-developed book it is a good idea to consider how your characters might fulfill these roles at one stage or another. You might for example have a character that supports your protagonist's goals, while you conceive another one who hinders these. Remember to have only one character performing any one of these roles at a time. Having two would create a redundancy.
This may seem complex, but you will find that it introduces a dynamic in your story and "embeds" the characters nicely.
HG Nadel is a full-time professional editor, published writer, recording artist, and a musician whose passion is to help others create a letter-perfect presentation in their writing. She has worked as a SAG/AFTRA agent but she step-up in her professional career and start writing. She gives meticulous attention to detail and is a very skilled communicator.
Nadel shares useful information regarding film script writing and related topics! To read them, please visit here: http://hgnadel.webs.com
HG Nadel advices that in the process of creating characters, take a moment to think about the role they fulfill in the story. We are all familiar with the idea of the protagonist, the character whose action or decisions gets the story going, and keeps it moving along. We also recognize the "antagonist" character, the one who tries to prevent the story's goal from being achieved.
Having said this, you still have to decide whether the protagonist narrates the story in the first person, or whether you write in the third person. You also need to decide whether the story is viewed from the protagonist's point of view.
You may also be familiar with the "impact" character. This is the one that proposes alternative solutions to problems, often in a way that is at odds with the protagonist's own approach.
How to create characters in your novel? And how to make them support your plot? It may be helpful to go right back to some ancient ideas about archetypal character roles and the dramatic function they perform in a story. It's useful to think of these in pairs.
The first character role pursues the story's goal and a second one who avoids that goal, so this takes care of your protagonist and antagonist.
You have a third character role that supports another's efforts, and a fourth that hinders those efforts.
There is a fifth role in trying to get someone else to consider a course of action, and sixth who tries to get someone to reconsider their action.
A seventh role wants an explanation that is logical, and an eighth seeks an explanation that is emotionally fulfilling.
A ninth character role focuses on one task or area, and a tenth tries to react to many things at once.
An eleventh role appeals to people's conscience, and a twelfth tries to tempt other people.
A thirteenth character role verbally supports any effort, and a fourteenth speaks against any effort.
A fifteenth role expresses faith despite the lack of evidence, and a sixteenth is convinced something is false, despite the lack of evidence of this.
All this doesn't mean that you have to have sixteen characters in your novel, but for a well-developed book it is a good idea to consider how your characters might fulfill these roles at one stage or another. You might for example have a character that supports your protagonist's goals, while you conceive another one who hinders these. Remember to have only one character performing any one of these roles at a time. Having two would create a redundancy.
This may seem complex, but you will find that it introduces a dynamic in your story and "embeds" the characters nicely.
HG Nadel is a full-time professional editor, published writer, recording artist, and a musician whose passion is to help others create a letter-perfect presentation in their writing. She has worked as a SAG/AFTRA agent but she step-up in her professional career and start writing. She gives meticulous attention to detail and is a very skilled communicator.
Nadel shares useful information regarding film script writing and related topics! To read them, please visit here: http://hgnadel.webs.com
