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Writing with Character

© David Marr

What is it that makes a story come alive? What is it that makes it live and breath? It is the cast of characters in the work that gives it life. We will take a look at what it takes to make a good character.

Before you write your story, it is a good idea to do some "research" on the main characters in it. The best thing to do is make lists: one for each person in the story. Describe as many different features about the character as you can. Are they humans, aliens, animals? Are they beautiful or ugly? Are they good or bad, or somewhere in between? What do they wear? Do they carry tools, such as a cane, a spyglass, or weapons? These are just a few questions to ask while making your lists.

From here, you can see how the different characters might relate to each other. Do you have one hero and one villain? If so, how do they communicate with each other? Are they gruff (short on words), or talking a lot to each other? If there aren't necessarily heroes or villains, how do the other characters connect to the one or two main characters? By finding out as much as you can about this, your story becomes more life-like.

Next, find out the personal history of your main characters. Maybe they grew up in a loving family, or perhaps they were unhappy orphans. How did they grow up? Were they at school, did they learn a trade on another planet? If you are talking about robots, for example, ask yourself who built them, and when were they built. Much of what you write about the characters doesn't have to be in the story, but you want to get as familiar with them as possible.

Another thing you can do to get in touch with your character is role-play. With your lists in hand, find out how each character would handle each thing that you have to do during the day. For example, how would they fit into your family, with his/her unique personality? How would your friends relate to him/her? Role-playing is a fun way to "flesh out" your characters.

Finally, put together all of the lists. When you've done all of this preparation, you will be more than ready to start writing your story. Watch how easy it will be to write now!

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