August Seminars: How to Create Good Characters

Characters are ridiculously subjective. What I might hate, my best friend might love. Maybe there's even someone indifferent to that same character. It can really run the gamut. However! That does not mean there aren't "good" characters and "bad" characters. While each can still have a measure of subjectivity to that particular point, there are certain things to look for and certain things to avoid when it comes to writing a good character.

In this post I'll be discussing those particular things, including some (hopefully) good characters of my own.

Like with reviews and summaries before, it's really important to discuss the things which you shouldn't do as a writer first. Since characters are vital to the progression of the plot, you really need to be able to nail them right. After all, a character-driven piece can go without a heavy plot, but a heavy plot cannot proceed without strong characters.

How to NOT Craft a Character
1) The Mary Sue

I'm sure you've heard the term "Mary Sue" used any number of times in regards to fanfiction or even just fiction in general (or, for it's male equivalent "Gary Stu"). It's pretty much the most loathed term you can ever hear in terms of a character. Someone calls your character a Mary Sue and isn't trolling...you screwed up really bad.

So what is a Mary Sue for the uninitiated? Well, there are various "criteria", as it were, with some being more prominent than others. The base of a Mary Sue is essentially either A) a character that has all the special powers one could ever imagine in a series (like if Ash Ketchum had aura, psychic, godlike abilities on top of being an amazing trainer from the get-go) or B) their circumstances suck, like the world is out to get them and the story makes you go "poor poor them" and everyone else in the universe feels the same, giving them all this comfort but their lives still suck...or they just bitch and moan that it does.

Personally, I have a third criteria: the character is legitimately nasty or perhaps their actions have wrought disaster and yet not a single character calls them out on it. This is the reason I consider Alain in XYZ a Gary Stu for the most part. No, it's not because he beat Ash (though one would argue that the win completely derailed his development), but because he inadvertently caused mass destruction and everyone acts like he had no hand in it, except for the bad guy, who's the bad guy.

See, here's the thing about most characters: the world doesn't solely revolve around them and making them feel miserable or happy. Yes, the Chosen One is a tried and true plotline where a major point revolves around a single character, but not every character should gravitate solely towards that person and making them feel better. When pretty much every character is (outside of things like rivals gravitating towards that rival) or when that character is suddenly super special and never loses or whatnot...you've got a Mary Sue.

Of course, there are certain exceptions to this particular rule, but it's important to generally keep these things in mind.

2) The Self Insert

Right on the heels of the Mary Sue is the Self Insert. It's pretty much exactly what it says: you take yourself, essentially make yourself a character, and then shove said character into a story. Maybe it's to be the main character's love interest. Maybe it's because you really want to live in whatever world you're writing. It doesn't matter what the reason is, though, because you should never do it.

It's not a bad idea for characters to have some aspects of yourself, of course. Maybe I'll write a character who's smart and wears glasses, because I always excelled at school. Or maybe they'll be a writer. But they will never, and should never, be...me.

The problem with the self insert is that they either toe the line of Mary Sue or outright cross over it into that exact territory. And your readers will be able to tell. In other words, when you create a character, don't make one solely based off of your every trait...especially if you want to feel like you're hooking up with the characters in the story.

3) The Discrepancy

Yes, this sounds weird and vague and almost nebulous. But it's not. You don't want a discrepancy between a character and what you're actually writing. This comes in, essentially, two different flavors.

The first of these is the character that is a complete contrast to the world you're writing. For example, if your world is sort of a happy-go-lucky one where friendship is the ultimate power, you're not gonna write a character whose sole purpose is to crap on that at every opportunity and be proven right. That makes no sense. If you're doing a deconstruction story, it makes some sense, but otherwise, you'll just completely jar the readers out of what they're reading because the character won't fit in the world. Likewise, if your world is built on death and destruction, you don't want to create a character that is so optimistic you have to wonder if they're stupid.

The second way a discrepancy can happen is when the character is just not the character. Now, sometimes you can have this funny thing where the total badass is into cuddling with bunnies secretly. That's for humor, of course. But you don't want a character whose maxim is righteousness and protecting people against murderer's suddenly declaring he's going to kill everyone. It comes from left field. If you've created a character, you want to make sure their actions and dialogue matches up with who they are. I made that mistake once long ago, and have tried to avoid it since.

Of course, if you follow the steps below, most of this should be avoided. So, for a quick summary: don't make a Mary Sue, don't make a Self Insert, and avoid those kinds of characters which contradict the world/tone or the character itself.

How to Create a GOOD Character
1) Static or Dynamic?

When you set out to create a character, the very first thing you need to ask yourself is what role this character will serve. Are they the type of character who doesn't change at all and serves to help facilitate the plot? If they don't just facilitate the plot, how much will happen to their character? Or are they going to constantly change to the world around them? It's a lot of questions that boil down to the heading above.

Now, typically, a dynamic character probably works best for a main character, but that isn't to say that a static character (one who remains the same throughout) doesn't work for that position. Any can work so long as you know that's what you want them to be. This is the very first thing you have to decide for any character you create.

For a brief example from my own works, Seamus was a character created with the idea of changing and being dynamic in that respect. On the flipside is Travis, who never changed once. Going into Teamwork and creating these characters, I knew this about them the second I created them, and it allowed them to become the characters they became.

Likewise, within my very own Kalos Trilogy, I had Ash essentially being an unchanging character (static) next to the more growth-oriented Serena (dynamic). Both worked as part of being the main protagonists, and while I only worked with what they gave me in the realm of the story, it nevertheless shows how making that decision of how the character will grow, if at all, is the most important base decision in crafting a character.

So make sure that's the first thing you know. Even in a broad stroke. Doesn't have to be perfect, after all.

2) The Traits

You've formed the basis for your character, and now you have to figure out everything else. However, before I go into a little more detail here, I want to note that this doesn't mean you have to know everything. That's insane. No one cares what his opinion on a hamburger is unless it impacts the plot in some way or he hates it or something. Ancillary details are something that maybe you can bring in for fun, but should never be fully compiled.

To that point, you want to focus in on certain things: mannerisms, motives, a little bit of the looks, ideals and beliefs. These are likely to be the most important things people will care about. Particularly for villains, the motive is the number one thing: why are they doing what they are doing. When you know that, it informs their character and allows you to write each of their scenes with that in mind.

SPOILERS for "Love in the Time of Turbulence" ahead. But for example, the character Dalton as the villain: every action he takes from his drive, to his conviction, to his unwillingness to involve children all speaks to the point that he wants things to change because he lost his own child. This is his motivation, and by knowing this, I was able to make it inform everything else about his character. END SPOILERS.

Mannerisms are equally important since they define the character. What quirks to they have, and how do they speak. Are they sophisticated or do they act like a dumb hick? Book smart or street smart? These are broad things that inform of the character as a whole. Such as how we can say Ash is a genius in battle, but can be dumb everywhere else; or that Serena doesn't have a single nasty bone in her body. This helps to inform us of their traits and therefore how they would act in any given situation.

See, it's the broader things that are more important than the little things in first crafting a character. Now, adding in something else, like Paul drinking orange juice or Pikachu loving ketchup are fun little anecdotes, and you'll probably want one or two of them, but focus more on the quirks that result from their actual character, like how my character Maka adores film making.

At the same time, focus on the traits that actually matter. For example, does sexual orientation matter for a character who will never have a romantic moment? No, it doesn't. Don't even bother thinking about it. Does it matter what color underwear a character likes to wear if there's no plot-relevant need to mention it? Hell no! Only give attention to those traits which help in the plot or flesh out the character in a needed way, and not pointless.

3) Make Them Real

Characters are characters. They can never be real people, of course, because their actions are still made to happen by the hand of the author. However, they can still be real.

To this extent, I mean the opposite of "make them a Mary Sue". Give them a flaw, one that is difficult to overcome. Give them something that makes them feel incomplete. To give an example from my recent Alola Trilogy, Ash constantly struggles with defining his dream but he simply can't, while Serena twists her own dream. It starts making them frustrated and angry and they lash out at one another. While it may not be an inherent character flaw within themselves, it does stem from their trait of brashness and altruism. This makes them feel fallible and more real.

Without a perceptible flaw, a character seems too much like a Mary Sue and thus begins to disengage the readers from wanting to root for them. Or just if that flaw isn't relateable.

In the end, this realism should bleed over into other things, like the way they speak with others. For example, Ash is book dumb; he won't be speaking with perfect grammar and will use words such as "gonna" and the like. He's not some sophisticated man with amazing speech. If a character's flaw is arrogance, like Seamus', then he's going to speak nastily, not like we're at a dainty tea party.

But make sure it's shown as a flaw, not something cute or to be admired. I'm not saying lambaste the character for it in story, but make it clear that this is an actual issue of theirs that they need to resolve. Likewise, don't resolve it so quickly that your readers wonder how it was ever a flaw in the first place. That realism is important in connecting them with the readers.

4) Balance Them

For the final point, I bring it back full circle to what I always say in these posts: writing is a balance. And that goes for writing a character, too.

While a main character is no doubt going to permeate the plot, you don't want them to do everything. There should be supporting characters (well, for the most part), and they need to do something. If the main character does everything they come off as a Mary Sue and make you wonder why there are supporting characters to begin with. Of course, you don't want them to fade into the abyss, either.

For every character you create, figure out how they balance in the plot. If another character already exists that can do their role, but better, don't create this character. If a character exists solely to plant information and then leave without long term impact on the plot, don't create them. You want the character to have some role to serve in the overall plot, even if it isn't much, as long as it leaves impact.

To give the best example I can give, would be my main cast in the Alola Trilogy: I worked in order to find reasons for all of them to be there and then began to make them contribute into the plot itself. It wasn't obvious at first, but I would say that even by this point, each of their impacts and growth could be felt as they balanced out in the story. It is vitally important to make sure that each character gets their due, otherwise, they may have been better off not having existed at all for all the worth it was.

Conclusion
There is a lot more I could probably talk on regarding characters, however, this should help as a baseline for building a character. You want to avoid Mary Sues, Self Inserts and a discrepancy of character. However, you do want to decide what kind of character they are while giving them traits that matter for their character and for the plot, while making them realistic and balancing them in the story. Naturally, it won't work for everyone, but it can work for many, and if you'd like any help on a character, always feel free to ask other authors (including myself)!

Stay tuned next time as we finally dive into the concept of planning an actual story.

Dare to Be Silly,
Epicocity