Dreame Writing Guides

Part 6 How to Design Characters

A good story needs good characters. Although a good plot is required to keep a reader flipping the pages, it is ultimately the characters that the readers fall in love with that keep them reading. A reader will only care about what a character is doing if they care about the character. The way that a character is fleshed out can even change how the reader perceives the events in the plot. Because of this, character development is as important, if not more important, than the story development is.

A. The three dimensions

As a writer, you know that every character is an individual. According to The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egris, though, if we vivisect them and try to find out just what elements go into them, we will see three common dimensions: physiology, sociology, and psychology. With knowledge of these three dimensions, we can create an engaging character.

(These three dimensions are from The Art of Dramatic Writing, and we have made some adjustments.)

We have listed the elements below with properties that should be considered when developing a character. Of course, there are many other properties not listed. The more traits you give your character, the more life-like he or he will be. Some of the ways that you can reveal these traits are by describing them outright. Specific traits can also be explained by the character's thoughts and actions, and through the observations of other characters.

l Physiology

a) s*x and age

b) Figure: height and weight

c) Color of hair, eyes, skin

d) Posture and habitual action

e) Appearance: makeup, hairstyle, facial shape, forehead, eye, nose, mouth, cheeks, chin, muscles, and breast size.

f) Clothing: dressing style, accessories, lean and tidy or messy and unkempt

g) Defects: deformities, abnormalities, birthmarks, disease

h) Heredity

For example, in His Mate And His Mistress by Irtania Ardrien, the writer describes Demitrey's appearance by saying, "I couldn't help the way my eyes traveled down his toned body, admiring his sculpted chest and abs. His dark hair glazed in the sun, while sweat beads teasingly rolled off his skin.

"His movements were fluent, flexible, and very agile. And his muscles contrast with every movement, making me fantasize about how it would feel to be wrapped in them in a possessive manner."

In this passage, the writer shows an alluring body by describing his chest, abs, hair color, muscles, and body posture. In this way, readers can use their imagination and see what Demitrey looks like.

l Sociology

a) Class: lower, middle, upper

b) Occupation: type of work, hours of work, income, condition of employment, union or nonunion, attitude toward organization, suitability for employment.

c) Education: level of education, kinds of schools, marks, favorite subjects, aptitudes.

d) Homelife: parent's living, earning power, orphan, parents separated or divorced, parents' habits, parents' mental development, parents' vices, neglect, character's marital status

e) Religion

f) Race and nationality

g) Place in the community: leader among friends, clubs, sports.

h) Political affiliations

i) Amusements and hobbies: books, sports

j) Social circle

For example, in His Mate And His Mistress, Demitrey defends his negative behavior, by explaining his upbringing. To protect his best friend, Demitrey had to endure 50 lashes. If he begged for mercy or fell to the ground, his father would kill his friend. Under the influence of such a cruel father, Demitrey's character is inevitably a little bit cruel. And because Demitrey is an alpha, he has huge responsibilities and needs to manage a pack. As a power holder, he needs to maintain his authority and not show his emotions at will, so his personality is even more ruthless.

l Psychology

a) s*x life, moral standards

b) Personal premise and ambition

c) Frustrations, chief disappointments

d) Temperament: choleric, easygoing, pessimistic, optimistic

e) Attitude toward life and other people

f) Complexes: obsessions, inhibitions, superstitions, phobias

g) Abilities: languages, talents.

h) Qualities: imagination, judgment, taste, poise, I.Q.

Nguyen Vrinda does this in his book, His Purchased Wife. In one scene, Liam, who is a rich man with a cocky temperament, is slapped by Emily, and he thinks: How dare a second-class girl slap me and throw water onto my face, especially in front of my business associates?

I look in the direction where that arrogant girl, exited the party.

I will not leave this Parker Girl. I will make her life hell.

I exit the party hall avoiding media. Thank Goodness, they were not allowed inside the hall otherwise this slap would make a big scandal. My first day in New York after six months has lead to what? A slap?! I have to do something. I will get my revenge on that b***h.

Liam is an arrogant millionaire. He thinks that everyone should obey him, and almost no one dares to confront him. When Emily, who is a second-class girl, slapped him in the face, Liam couldn't accept it. His first reaction was to avoid the media and get back at her.

B. How to create a character?

When creating a character, you do not need to write everything down from the get-go, but, as the book progresses, it is good to be mindful of who they are within the context of the three dimensions outlined above. Your character should have a full life in your mind before you can put him or her into a situation. Otherwise, you will not know how they will react or how other people will react to them.

A person's physiological factors, social background, and personality should be mutually consistent. For example, a lame person may be sensitive and feel embarrassed because of his defect. The characters in a book should be diverse, and each character should have his or her own characteristics, which must be a composition of elements from the three dimensions available. Here are a few tips to help you to design a character:

1．How does he or she look? What are the features？ (Physiology)

2.   What kind of society and family does he or she live in? How is his or her relationship with the people around them? (Sociology)

3.   What are the character's ideals, principles, and what is his temperament? What do people think of him? (Psychology)

These three dimensions are not independent. Instead, they should be so intertwined that no single element could be extracted. Look at an arrogant millionaire as an example. He likely lives a luxurious life, so there might be many models, actresses, and gold diggers in his social circle. This could lead to the millionaire losing respect for women. If his parents are divorced, and he has a ruthless father and mercenary brother, he might have a low regard for the family unit and have no desire to have one of his own. With this in mind, when he meets the female lead, it should come as no surprise if he mistreats her.

Here is another example; taken from the movie Forrest Gump. Forest had a low I.Q., and he was bullied for it all of his life. His mother never treated him as a disabled person, though. Instead, she encouraged him to live a positive life by telling him inspiring yet straightforward words like, "miracles happen every day". Because Forrest had his mother's positive influence in his life, he never gave up. The strong and positive character of his mother has become a part of his faith in life, making him a classic movie and T.V. image.

Small details about your character's personality can make them more likable. Habitual behavior, foibles, or pet phrases can serve to endear a character to readers. These small details can also reinforce the reader's impression of a character. For example, take an arrogant millionaire with cleanliness issues. He might hate to be touched by women. Every time, after shaking hands with a woman or kissing them, he might wipe his hands and lips with a handkerchief. With a character like this, there might be room for growth. If the millionaire meets the right girl, eventually, he may no longer need his OCD behavior.

C. Do not ignore supporting roles

The leading roles in books are the most important. In a romantic story, the leading role is usually played by a man and a woman in a romantic relationship. Writers often put all of their thought into their prominent characters, forgetting that their supporting characters are just as significant. Supporting roles not only drive the storyline, but they also win over readers in their own way. In addition to considering the three dimensions above, there are two more points to consider when designing supporting characters.

1.  What is the distinguishing feature of this supporting role?

Supporting characters do not feature as prominently as main characters do, so the writer is forced to develop them with a limited number of words. As an example of how this can be done effectively, in the book, His Purchased Wife, Emily's sister, Tia, is a one-night stand type girl, so her behavior and language are dissolute and bear the stamp of a playgirl.

2.  What is the relationship between the supporting actor and the leading roles?

There are two types of relationships:

a) Unity relations

i. Kind elders: they give the leading characters the warmth of family.

ii. The mentor: offers help when the prominent roles are in trouble.

iii. Friends: childhood friends, friends through thick and thin, childhood sweethearts.

For example, in the book His Purchased Wife, Liam's Grandma is a typical "kind elder." She always cares about Liam and shows her love to her grandson. In one passage, Liam describes a scene with his Grandma: "Liam." my Grandma lovingly calls me and engulfs me in her warm hug. This is my home. This hug is my home. "I missed my son so much." I didn't know she was crying until now. My Grandma is so emotional and especially about me.

And in the book, His Mate And His Mistress, Kade is an important friend to Demitrey, and he says, "He taught me some strategies and skills when it came to combat, and together we learned and trained. We gained each other's trust, and we became best friends.

b) hostility relations:

i. Antagonist: the main character's worst enemy.

ii. Betrayer: betraying the protagonist and getting the protagonist into trouble.

iii. Clown: a comic character who causes problems for the leading roles.

An example of this can be seen in the famous novel, Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling. In the book, Peter Pettigrew betrays the potters, and Voldemort is the antagonist, the most powerful enemy that Harry will face. The Dursleys are certainly clowns. They mistreated Harry, but they were punished, and the punishment they received was dramatic and hilarious.

Designing characters should be fun and exciting. Through each character, a writer can express a part of themselves, and then take that part of themselves on a wonderful journey. There are some general tricks to the trade, but every writer has his or her own creative methods that come into play, making every story unique. Whatever a writer does, they should remember to keep the design process logical and think of the characters as real people.

If you have any thoughts on character design, feel free to leave a comment in the comments section.

                                                                                                                                                                                   BY Kiwi