CHARACTERS MAKE YOUR STORY

Think about it; every movie you love, every story you read over and over, every fairytale you remember from when you were a child, caught your fancy and tickled your imagination because a character or two evoked an emotion within. It might be because the characters you love are brave, or romantic, or cunning, whatever the emotion they stirred, it was as a result of the author understanding that it is character traits that will determine the course of the story. How characters react in times of stress and conflict makes for excitement and interest.

When writing your characters, select one major and two or three minor character traits that you can stress. These traits will give your reader a clear picture of what makes your character tick. Here are few examples: In the movie “Toy Story,” every one of the characters (the toys) have their own individual character traits, which make up their personalities. Woody is forever loyal and fearless; In the James Bond films, Bond is relentless in his pursuit of good over evil, letting nothing or no one stand in his way; The knights of old are loyal to their quest; and everyone of the Goonies has his particular character trait that separates him from the rest of the pack. So, too, does Jerry Maguire, Indiana Jones, Luke Skywalker, and Sherlock Holmes. The list goes on and on.

So, when creating your characters, impart them with character traits that have a timeless quality and a universal appeal. Exaggerate their traits to make them super interesting. Create a story and a setting that will be a foil for your protagonist’s character traits, and watch your story grow, from scene to scene as your character makes his way to the story’s exciting conclusion.

A terrific book that will help you create exciting, three-dimensional characters is titled the same as this blog: “Characters Make Your Story” by Maren Elwood. Read it and have fun creating interesting, exciting characters!