Create Better Characters in Six Easy Steps

Readers may be intrigued by a good plot. But if your characters are interesting, readers will remember them long after they close the book. It can be tough to create fully fleshed-out, three-dimensional characters. But it’s much easier when you use the PERSON acronym:

• P is for Personality
• E is for Experiences
• R is for Relationships
• S is for Sketch
• O is for Objective
• N is for Need

P is for Personality

Think about what this character’s temperament is like, as a person. How does she behave? What are her strengths? What are her weaknesses? Does she have any strong (but possibly incorrect) beliefs?

For example, in my Dru Jasper urban fantasy series, the main character is smart, sweet, and resourceful. But Dru is also completely disorganized and highly insecure, which often gets her into trouble when she’s trying to save the world, and which adds some comedy.

E is for Experiences

What does this character do for a living? How did they end up in this particular profession? The answers to these two questions will speak volumes about your character.

Where did she come from? What was it like growing up? Focus on one or two key incidents that left a lasting impression. That can add depth to any character.

R is for Relationships

The relationships that surround your character can give your readers insight into who they really are. Who are the most important people in this character’s life?

Family members are a good place to start, but don’t stop there. Who is her best friend? Who is her biggest rival? Who is her worst enemy? (And why?)

What role does this character take at work: the boss, the laborer, the clown? What sorts of people does she work with? Have any of them developed into close friends – and does she wish they could be more?

Does she belong to any organizations, social groups, or places of worship? How does she feel about them?

In my Dru Jasper series, Dru’s best friend is Rane. Six feet tall and able to transform into rock or metal just by touching it, Rane has a ‘smash first, ask later’ attitude that makes her a potent ally — and a loose cannon that endlessly complicates Dru’s life.

S is for Sketch

What’s the first thing people will notice when they see this character? Write a vivid “sketch” that goes beyond just physical description. Appeal to all of the reader’s senses, not just visual.

What does the character’s voice sound like: reedy, resonant, dangerous? Do her shoes squeak? Do her bracelets jangle? Does she stomp around, or creep silently?

Does she wear perfume or cologne? Does she smell like a bar, or a locker room, or a farm?

If another character touches her, is she warm, cold, sweaty? Hard-muscled or soft?

What’s the most notable feature of her face? Of her clothing, car, desk, or living room?

Bonus tip: To help you visualize your characters, find photos for them and keep those images handy as you write. Take a look at my characters here. https://laurencemacnaughton.com/books/dru-jasper-series/characters/

O is for Objective

What is this character’s main goal in this story? What does she need to achieve or avoid?

The easiest way to answer this question is to start with a verb: find, deliver, escape, stop, etc. Then, just finish the sentence.

Here are some examples from my Dru Jasper series:

• Find the apocalypse scroll.
• Stop the Four Horsemen.
• Break Greyson’s curse.

You get the idea. Make sure every major character in your story has a specific objective.

N is for Need

The final part of the puzzle can be the hardest answer: Why does your character need to achieve this goal?

What’s the desire that’s driving her? Is there something missing from her life that achieving this goal would fulfill? Is there something important that she’s terrified of losing?

Spend a few minutes figuring out why your character wants – or needs, really – to achieve her objective.

Create Memorable Characters the Easy Way

Now it’s your turn. The next time you need to develop a new character, or deepen one of your existing characters, use the PERSON acronym:

• P is for Personality
• E is for Experiences
• R is for Relationships
• S is for Sketch
• O is for Objective
• N is for Need

Look at each element of the character in turn. Think up different ways you can create someone unique and interesting, someone your readers will remember long after they finish your story.

Which aspect of character-building gives you the most trouble? Leave me a comment below, or contact me at my website.

 

Laurence MacNaughton is the author of more than a dozen novels, novellas, and short stories. His work has been praised by Booklist, Publishers Weekly, RT Book Reviews, Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews. You can try his books free at his website.