Creating interesting, engaging and intriguing characters can be most of the battle when it comes to writing fiction. It is the characters who draw the reader deep into the story and who make a compelling case for why the reader should care about the the people involved in the story. This is relevant for almost any genre of fiction and some non-fiction, although there may be some exceptions.
So how do you go about creating the kind of people who readers will be unable to leave behind? Some characters will be kind and generous, others spiteful or deceitful, some will resist elements of the plot and its events, others will be dislikeable but their flaws might resonate with the reader by exposing a certain vulnerability.
Think about the people who you have met, seen in films, read about in compelling books, or interacted with in business or by other means. Who do you remember and why? What sort of character traits make a person likeable or dislikeable? What has happened in their life to make them behave in a certain way? There are cultural differences to consider – how does the character’s ethnicity and cultural background shape them as a person?
Dig deep into the each character’s psyche and tease out the details of their life, their surroundings, family, experiences, passions, dislikes and fears. Often a character’s fears, especially that of your protagonist, will be rooted in an event or a set of events which might be familiar to people on a larger scale. Are they afraid of change, restrictions, loss, death, illness? Do they have an inability to make decisions?
Take time to profile your characters – brainstorm, make notes, paste photographs into a notebook or onto a Pinterest board (see my post on using Pinterest to improve your writing). Make sure that you know your characters to the very core and then let them loose in a situation, a setting, a crisis and you will know how they respond and why, you will know the decisions they need to make or are afraid to make.
Can you think of interesting characters you have read about recently? Do you have any tips on creating realistic and engaging characters?
F.C. MALBY 
I tottaly agree. One of the things that makes me give up on a book is a poorly built and inconsistent character.
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Characters are at the core of a novel in nearly every genre.
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Once again, thanks! As a teacher, a bibliophile and a previous literature student, I’m finding the reading of your posts very refreshing and enlightening. Your tips, about writing a book or, as now, creating a character, are quite simple to understand. Even when it’s not so simple at all. Everyone can write a story, but not everyone can write a great story.
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Hi Cátia, I’m glad the posts are helpful. Creating compelling characters and writing a story that captures the reader is what we should strive for. There are many elements to a great story and character is at the heart of the writing.
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