There are a few options when deciding how to approach a story. One of them is character based; your characters drive your story forward. This choice heavily relies on your ability to build, break, and bend your characters in the ways that you want.
In this method, you develop a character. That character has to make a decision. Left or right. Whichever they choose then pushes the story further because they have to face the reality of wherever their choice led them. And it pushes them to the edge of themselves--they are the only ones to blame for where they end up.
This type of story is relatable, compelling, and immersive.
But, no matter what method you choose, you're going to have to create characters. For me, my characters are often the first idea that comes before I start writing. I can see a being with certain traits or magic or reacting to a situation and I build a story around them.
Where are they? What does an average day look like? What do they want?
Every author has their own way of developing character, but I've found a few key questions to be the most helpful:
1) What do they want?
2) What do they need?
3) What will they do to get it?
4) What is their biggest fear?
I have a whole character sheet that I use and a rather lengthy process in order to understand my characters before I write them into a story (if you subscribe to my newsletter you can get that detailed process and character worksheet for free), but at the bare minimum these are the four things I always know.
1) What do they want?
This is often one of the easier questions to answer. When you think of your character and where they're starting out, this is the thing they think they need in order to improve their situation. This is not what they actually need to be happy.
The character's want could also be described as their goal. They want to leave town, to steal back their book, to learn magic, etc. And so they put all their effort into obtaining their want.
Over the course of the story, the want of the character may change. Prior to the Call to Action, their want might be to beat Sally in a dance competition, but after maybe it's to become a famous dancer so everyone knows their name.
This want could remain consistent the whole book, or it could vary multiple times. Either way, you only need one to start writing. The initial want, the one thing driving the character forward.
2) What do they need?
The need of the character is a bit trickier. I often have a hard time articulating it before a Draft 0 is complete, but I have an idea.
The need of the character is the thing that will actually make them happy or give them fulfillment, etc. Using the previous example, the character's need might be to recognize that they are already loved and accepted as a regular dancer, and that being famous won't fill them up.
The need (sometimes considered the main theme) of the character does not change from beginning to end. It's generally their biggest flaw that they actively choose to ignore because they need to experience the detriment of not fixing it first hand.
But no matter what, by the end of the story, this is the lesson that they need to learn for better or for worse.
3) What will they do to get it?
I love this one. It's my personal favourite. So we have wants and needs, and now we ask how far they're willing to go to achieve them.
Will the character harm others in order to achieve their goal? Will they lie? Steal? Cheat? Based on the answer to question 3, you get a good picture of your character's temperament.
Example: The character facing Sally might be willing to physically harm her in order to ensure that Sally won't be part of the dance competition.
This tells a few things: the character is willing to go to great lengths to look out for themselves. They don't care for the well-being of others if their own goal is on the line. They are probably clever and cunning and will look for solutions outside of accepted options.
4) What is their biggest fear?
Question 4 is a bit outside the pattern of the first three, but this is the one that will help you push you character to the end of their rope. The character's biggest fear is often related to not achieving their need.
Example: The dancer wants to be famous. They need to recognize they're accepted for who they are. Their biggest fear is feeling worthless.
And so you have all four questions painting one big picture. If their biggest fear is being worthless, they will do everything in their power to make something of themselves.
Or you could swing the other way and they already feel worthless, but they do nothing to change it. They spiral downwards into a pit of despair until they're forced to face a harsh reality; if they continue to do nothing, they will simply cease to exist.
Oftentimes, the most relatable stories bring characters to the point of having to face their biggest fear and overcome it (or not). But that raw, helplessness is something that everyone is familiar with when faced with our own faults.
Based on these four questions, it can be helpful to work backwards. Look at where your character needs to be developmentally by the end of the story. Have they achieved their goal? Do they understand their need? And then start your character in a place that is drastically different than where they end up.
This gives your character room to grow, and it allows you to place obstacles that force them to make decisions. Active characters are interesting characters.
If you're like me, you can do a deep dive before you start writing. Once I have these questions, I'll fill out backstory, what they look like, find reference images, develop a personality, etc. But this article forms a foundation in order to move forward. And if you want to dive right in, you can just use what's here and the ideas that come in order to write a draft. Maybe going back to build out characters afterward.
Sometimes, it's easier to fill out character sheets once you've lived with them on the page. One of my favourite authors, Ally Carter, has a saying, "The characters just haven't shown up yet." What she means is, while she may have an idea of the characters in her book, they're not consistent, fully developed, or compelling, yet. And that's okay.
The first book I wrote, my MC had three goals, two personalities, and very little motivation to exist. But through drafts and feedback I was able to refine her to the point of being a driven, relatable character. And now I have a process in order to develop those aspects before I start writing, not after.
Again, like everything else as an author, it's trial and error. You have to make your own mistakes in order to learn what works. But I hope that this foundation is a good starting point for wherever you end up!
Happy writing,
Erin Ogilvie-Fisher
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