Choosing Characters
Choose characters that are opposites. This will help add substance to your plot and you will likely find it easier to write. There are so many interesting scenarios you can create when you have two very different characters interacting in an intimate way. For instance, you may choose to place an elderly bigot who is going blind because of his diabetes with a young biracial girl. Perhaps the elderly man does not recognize the young girl is of a different nationality. Their paths cross and they begin having a conversation. Maybe they are neighbors or perhaps the young girl delivers medicine to the old man. She might be drawn to him as an older male role model that she was lacking in her own life. Maybe the old man, although bitter because of his plot in life, enjoys the company he finds with the girl. He may be lonely. After several interactions the old man may say something that shows his inner prejudices. This would change the feeling the girl has for the man.
There are many directions you could take this story. With characters like these, the pages often seem to write themselves.
Create a background for your characters. Write a list of questions to ask each character, such as:
Where did they grow up?
What kind of parents did they have?
Did they have siblings?
What is their educational background?
What life experiences do they have?
Have they ever been in love?
These kinds of questions will give you an idea of what kind of person your character is and will give you insight into how they would react in a particular situation.
You will likely not include most of the answers to these questions in your novel, but it will help you determine how the story will play out. Your readers have a harder time putting down your novel if they actually believe in the actions of the character. Think of the phrase "out of character". As your reader delves deeper into your novel, they often become attached to one or more of the characters. If the character makes a choice or interacts with another character in a way that is inconsistent with their personality it will be hard for your reader to believe your story. This will take them out of your novel and back into reality. One of the keys to a successful novel is keeping the reader interested. Believability is crucial.
Have a direction in mind.
Plan the development of your characters. Using the information you gained from the "background check", determine what goals or lessons your characters are going to reach or learn. Everyone has room to grow and having your characters advance and develop throughout your story will only add dimension to your novel. Using my example from above , consider that the old man needs to learn the ignorance of bigotry that exists within him by having someone challenge his views of the world without him actually realizing it. He is able to befriend the girl, despite his prejudices, because he cannot see the color of her skin. He becomes fond of the girl, despite this fact about her. Once he realizes the differences between them, he has already discovered their many similarities and the differences don't seem that stark.
There are many elements that come together to create a great novel. However, characters are the driving force behind them all. Many new writers mistakenly think of creating characters as the easiest part of the writing process. Just pick a name, write a short bio, and get on with your novel. In fact, your characters, when correctly developed and given the room they need to grow, will encourage your creativity, deepen your plot, and enrich your novel.