Building Characters: Start with What You Know

If you’ve ever been involved in building a house or a major remodeling project, you understand how overwhelming it can be to make all the decisions the builder demands. Creating a character from scratch can feel just as daunting. Temperament, hair color, weaknesses, fears, favorite ice cream, childhood pets, past relationships, education…

How do you know which answers are right? Where do you start?

Start with what you know.

However formed or fuzzy the character is, you know something about her. So begin by writing down everything you know.

What do you know about…

1. The part she plays in the story? Is she the heroine? The sidekick? The bratty kid who always gets to be first? Define the part she will play as much as you can.
2. The attributes she will need to be good at the part? A sleuth needs to be inquisitive, clever, and willing to risk danger in order to track down clues. A military officer needs courage, stamina, and a sense of duty. What are the key attributes your character needs to be believable in the role?
3. The skills, knowledge, hobbies or experiences she will need to draw on? Does the plot involve swordplay? Ballet? Horseback riding? A narrow escape through storm drains? Pretending to be a professional chef? List all the bits and pieces of story ideas and consider what the character will need to get through the challenges.
4. The backstory facts you already know she’ll need? Jot them down and then do some free writing to see what other gems you may uncover as you build a life story around those facts.
5. What physical attributes and demographic info make sense? Based on what you’ve written down so far, and what your gut tells you, list the details that seem obvious or fit your mental image of the character. If you have no idea what color her eyes are, skip that detail for now and focus on whichever details you do know.
6. Random trivia. Sometimes a character inspiration comes out of some quirky combination of colorful tidbits. The girl at the coffee shop who always wears purple and owns a pet boa constrictor, for example. Jot down any miscellaneous information you have about the character. Who knows where it might lead.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly—don’t be afraid to change things.

Writing down what you know is only the beginning of the process. As you become better acquainted with your characters you will reevaluate and refine the details. Give yourself permission to make intentional changes.

Consider this the foundation from which the real character will grow and mature.

Happy character-building.

Lisa E. Betz believes that everyone has a story to tell the world. She loves to encourage fellow writers to be intentional about their craft and courageous in sharing their words with others. Lisa shares her words through dramas, Bible studies, historical mysteries, and her blog about intentional living. You can find her on Facebook  LisaEBetzWriter and Twitter @LisaEBetz