TECH: Characters?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original posting 21 March 2009

Memorable characters

Writer's Digest, January 2006, page 33 has a little sidebar about six ways to create memorable characters. Are you ready?

1. Know your character inside and out.
2. Make your characters interesting, larger-than-life. Readers want to live vicariously!
3. Make the reader care about your character. Readers like to wonder will the character overcome these impossible conflicts.
4. Make sure the character cares passionately about what's happening. Characters need emotions. Why should readers care if characters don't.
5. Give your protagonist a weakness -- a fatal flaw. Readers identify with flaws, because everyone has one.
6. Base your character on a real person, not just a mystery individual.

Short and to the point. Know your character, make them bigger than life, give them hard times, let characters care, don't forget the flaw, and make your model a real one.

Go forth and write.