Characterization

Step one of characterization should really be done before revision, hell before writing the damn thing, but a few simple questions can help you decide if you successfully portrayed your character.

Step one is: Know your characters. Pretty straight forward, yes?

Yes, but how WELL you know your characters is the kicker.

You know their name (how about last name?) You know generally what they look like. You may even know their background. But what about the rest?

What do they want in life? I find this the hardest of all the questions, because frankly, it’s the hardest for me personally to answer. Essentially all character driven plots come down to this question: What do they want? They want to get a degree—or get the girl. They want to win the science fair, solve the crime, get a nose job, lose weight, make someone’s life miserable, seek vengeance, learn to sew a quilt, save a life, invent something, win the lottery, get a job, find the perfect pair of shoes, end war, or they just want to be happy.

What or whom is stopping them from getting it? Therein lays your conflict.

Another tricky question: What is the character’s motivation? In real life this isn’t always obvious, but in fiction it should be fairly clear. What they want can motivate them, or a tragic death in their past can motivate them, perhaps something from their childhood? They never had anything growing up, and the desire to own stuff motivates them—perhaps your character is an OCD collector. Or maybe they are just greedy. Or they need to support their family. What makes them do what they do?

If these questions are hard to answer, you may not know your character well enough, or perhaps they haven’t traveled far enough on their journey for you to recognize these answers. That’s okay. Take a look at your plot. What do your characters have to do with the plot? What is their role in it? You may find some answers there. If not, well then you found a big hole in your story and need to fix it. Don’t fret. Finding problems is good, it’s wonderful, great. Problems should be celebrated. They make us better writers. If we can identify what is wrong with the story, then we can make it better, and avoid these same problems in the future. I’ve also found that identifying these problems in writing and fixing them can relate back to real life. Perhaps you as the writer are having the same difficulties as your character. Then your writing is doubling as therapy. Woohoo! Embrace the emotions and the ride the wave, it’ll only make you,you’re your writing stronger.

If you find that you can answer these questions right away, you are on the right track. But do you still feel a little something still missing from your character? It could be their personality.

Answer these questions to help flesh out your characters:
What kind of clothes do they wear?
What is their job?
Level of education?
How is their home decorated?
What kind of music do they like?
What are their pet peeves?
Any idiosyncrasies? Facial tick? Nervous habit? Bite their nails?
Favorite word or phrase? Dy-No Mite!
As a child, what did they want to be when they “grow up?”
What are their friends like?
Political stance?
How do they respond to stressful situations?
How do they argue with someone?
Are the logical?
Over emotional?
Do they get defensive?

Knowing all of these things about your characters makes writing your story that much easier.