Creating Characters

Are you a people watcher? Every good writer is, to some degree. God has filled His world with people of every size, shape, and personality. When we see the boundless variety among people around us, we get a glimpse of His creativity. He has made each person unique! Most writers are fascinated with people and what makes them tick. We are interested in people because we populate our stories with characters—people, animals, or even robots—with personalities as unique as the people in the world around us.

What should a writer who wants to develop good characters notice about people? Here are a few ideas:

•What do people wear? What does their choice of clothing tell you about their tastes? Do they prefer to look dressy or casual? Do they like T-shirts and jeans, or business suits? Can you make guesses about people’s jobs based on the way they’re dressed? What do their hairstyles communicate about their personalities? Is the color natural or dyed? Is it long or short, curly or straight? Does their appearance make you think they want to be noticed or to blend in with the crowd?

•How do people walk? Do they step along briskly and confidently, or do they shuffle slowly and aimlessly? Do they slouch, or do they hold their head and shoulders high? Do they look at others and smile, or do they keep their eyes focused on the ground or straight in front of them?

•How do people talk? Are their voices loud or soft? Do they look others in the eye when they speak to them? How often do they laugh, and what does their laugh sound like? What “pet phrases” do they use? How do people from different parts of the country—or even different parts of your state or community—express ideas differently?

You’ll be surprised how much you can guess about people from noticing the surface details. When you get ready to create a character, think about the different people you have seen and how they displayed their personalities. You can let your reader know what your story character is like by giving the same types of details.

Here’s an example.

Florencia stared down at the paper in her hands as though frozen. Finally she looked up, her jaw set and her chin high. “I’m going to march right into that professor’s office and ask if I can rewrite this research paper,” she said. “He just has to give me a second chance. I won’t let one poor grade keep me from my dream of a college diploma.” She tossed her long black hair over her shoulders, snatched up her keys, and headed out the door. Her red skirt flounced around her knees as she walked, and her high heels clicked steadily as she strode across the parking lot toward her yellow Jeep.

As readers, we can learn a lot about Florencia in this paragraph—even if this is the very first paragraph in the story. We know by the set of her jaw and her purposeful walk that she is determined. We learn that her dreams are more important to her than her pride. She is willing to humble herself and beg for a second chance rather than let her dream of graduating slip away. We also know that she has a certain flair to her personality. She doesn’t mind being noticed by others, or she probably wouldn’t be wearing a bright, eye-catching color and driving a sporty vehicle.

What if the author had told you these things straight out?

Florencia was a determined girl. She had big dreams that were very important to her—and she was willing to go to great lengths to achieve them. She liked to dress fashionably and drive conspicuous, sporty cars.

A bit boring, isn’t it? Isn’t it more fun to figure out what Florencia is like from the clues the author drops?

Good writers make every detail count toward developing their characters. They avoid outright statements of personal traits, letting their readers make their own discoveries as they observe the character in various situations. If you’re a people watcher, you know how much fun it is to “figure people out” by observation. Give your readers that same joy of discovery!

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