Tag: character traits

Categories
Courting the Muse

How Personality Quizzes Can Help You With Character Development

Have you ever taken the MBTI? Short for Myers Briggs Type Indicator, this classic personality test promises to divine your essential nature from a series of thought-provoking questions. A favorite of career counselors and online quiz junkies alike, it’s basically a Muggle’s multiple-choice Sorting Hat. But instead of Hogwarts’s four houses, the MBTI divides up all test-takers into sixteen personality types, from The Commander (assertive, far-sighted, prone to stubbornness) to The Artist (practical, detail-oriented, gun-shy in the face of conflict).

When I first took the MBTI over a decade ago, its chain of probing questions led me to an identification with The Thinker, a somewhat kooky theoretician prone to spells of self-doubt. I saw quite a bit of myself in the description of my type, from my dreaminess to my insecurity. And so my MBTI has hovered around the edges of my self-concept ever since.

A little while ago, I finished reading journalist and critic Merve Emre’s The Personality Brokers, which offers a deep dive into the twisty history of the indicator — turns out, its creators were adamant about not calling it a test, since there are no wrong answers. Merve’s research reveals a certain amount of fuzziness in MBTI’s inner workings: the scoring was constantly being tinkered with, and it was never proven to be scientifically valid at all.

At the same time, however, The Personality Brokers shines a light on MBTI’s usefulness as a storytelling tool. It may be far removed from the objective precision of a blood test. But when it comes to providing writing inspiration, no test — sorry, indicator — can do better.

The history of MBTI is also the story of two extraordinary women, Isabel Briggs Meyers and her mother Katharine Briggs, the “M” and the “B” of the initialism. Both of them, of course, were keen-eyed observers of personality. But perhaps more intriguingly, they were also writers.

Isabel even won a high-profile mystery writing contest with her debut novel, Murder Yet to Come. This thriller featured a team of idiosyncratic, finely drawn detectives whose “working relationships were always invigorated by their personality differences.” (Though the novel topped both the American and British bestseller lists, Isabel invested her earnings in the stock market and tragically lost everything in the 1929 crash.)

Katharine, meanwhile, bore a near-religious fascination with the work of pioneering psychologist Carl Jung. As she worked her way through his research as an autodidact, she processed what she learned by writing slow-moving, character-driven fiction about her idol. Though her Jung novel, The Man from Zurich, was never published, it bore witness to how closely psychology and storytelling were intertwined in her mind.

The MBTI might not have the scientific grounding to tell you who you are or what you should do with your life. But as Myers’s and Briggs’s own creative work suggests, it can certainly help you develop your characters. Read through a description of any MBTI type — say, Isabel’s own type, The Mediator — and you’ll find a comprehensive overview of how they relate to others, look at the world, and how they make decisions.

In other words, you’ll find the makings of a fantastically thorough character profile, detailing how a certain type of protagonist (or antagonist, or bit player) might react to anything your plot can throw at them.

If you ever find yourself stuck on a point of characterization, try using MBTI to write your way out. You can even take the test (or rather, indicator) “in character” and see if the result resonates with the fictional figure you had in mind. Who knows? You just might learn something new about one of your characters.

Lucia Tang is a writer for Reedsy, a marketplace that connects self-publishing authors with the book industry’s best editors, designers, and marketers. To work on the site’s free historical character name generators, she draws on her knowledge of Chinese, Latin, and Old Irish —  learned as a PhD candidate in history at UC Berkeley. You can read more of her work on the Reedsy Discovery blog, or follow her on Twitter at @lqtang.

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

Why Disabled Characters Should Be Included in Your Spec Fic Novel

What does “disabled” mean? Generally, it covers everything from physical limitations, such as blindness or deafness or not possessing specific body parts; to mental illnesses that impact a person’s opportunity to live without ongoing treatment and care; to conditions such as Down’s Syndrome and autism, which are classified as intellectual disabilities.

In many sci-fi and fantasy tales, characters like this can be hard to come by. Heck, sometimes they’re difficult to find in contemporary or even historical fiction (and historically, we know that it was quite common for people to become disabled through disease, war, or accident). So why are they somewhat of a mythical creature in spec fic genres?

Well, it seems to be a combination of lots of science fiction including the possibility that all sickness and impairments can be wiped out; and the notion in epic fantasy that magic could serve as a healing source. Not that I’m bashing any of this. Would our present lives be better without cancer? Yes, of course.

But what about the value of portraying characters who don’t see their disability as a problem? (Just like so many patients, veterans, and folks managing genetic conditions every day in the real world.)

Personally, I’m all for a blind wizard who’s still the best mentor to the boy who would be king; a deaf space shuttle engineer who saves the day; a former warrior with a replacement something who trains the next generation to kick some serious evil rear.

And intellectual disabilities are even more overlooked – not on purpose, just simply due to awareness of what these conditions entail purely not existing on a grand scale in our society. As an adult on the autistic spectrum, the parent of a son with high-functioning autism, and of a little one receiving physical, speech, and occupational therapy nearly since his birth – and as an avid SFF reader – I can concur, there aren’t a lot of fictional people like us out there.

Right there is another, very good reason to expand what sorts of characters you write: Some of your readers will be thrilled to see themselves represented in a medium where they typically aren’t.

So how do you create realistic disabled characters for fantastical or invented settings?

Do your research. It’s one of the most common phrases writers hear, but for infinitely good reason. It’s crucial to the authenticity of a story to find out as many details as you can about the topic at hand, whether it’s deep sea diving, quilting, alternative fuel sources, or disabilities.

Don’t rely solely on medical journals or textbook explanations of conditions. Find real life individuals to interview. Even if you don’t know someone personally, maybe relatives or friends have family members or acquaintances who would be willing to share their life experiences. (And a lot of folks are willing.)

Keep an open mind. Some conditions or illnesses that are legally and medically classified as “disabilities” are in fact not seen that way by the people who have them. And let’s face it, it can be really hard and even frustrating to feel that writing a “disabled” character must mean writing a downtrodden and pessimistic personality. Many abled people do assume that the non-able approach life like this. The truth is, so many of us do not – and wouldn’t it be refreshing to read about a character with MS or one hand or chronic depression who saw the best and brightest things in life?

What’s your ultimate goal? Are you portraying a disabled character to help others gain insight? Are you writing someone of a victim mentality, or an optimist? Or maybe you’re starting out with the former, and showing their journey to the latter. There are already a lot of stereotypes in art and literature surrounding this topic, so let’s do our best to break the mold!

Self-published author and blogger Daley Downing is also a stay at home parent, autistic adult, ballet teacher, and cat lover. She spends her days writing the YA fantasy series “The Order of the Twelve Tribes,” and wrangling special needs children.

Categories
Talking Character

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.

[bctt tweet=”When building a character, start with what you know. #writer #writetips” username=””]

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

Categories
Talking Character

Keeping a Character File

Do you have a method for capturing the bits and pieces you use to create memorable, complex characters? If not, consider starting a character file.

What does a character file look like? It’s up to you. You could use a hardbound journal, a file folder filled with clippings and sticky notes, or a program like Evernote. Collect and organize the data any way you like, but if you don’t keep a character file in some form or other, I suggest you start.

Three types of character files a writer might find useful

A people-watching file

Whether you are sitting on a bench watching people go by, or hanging out with friends at a party, a writer should always be on the lookout for character inspiration.  Keep a record of interesting details such as:

  • Quirks
  • Mannerisms
  • Striking physical features
  • Attire, hairstyles, jewelry, and tattoos
  • How people express emotions, especially non-verbally
  • How people behave in a given situation—particularly tense or unexpected ones.
  • How different personalities interact. For example, who is in the middle of things and who has gravitated to the fringes.

A literary file

Books are filled with character descriptions. While it’s not appropriate to plagiarize another writer’s words, it pays to record striking details, descriptions and observations. They might give you insights into technique or become a model for your own creative ideas. You should consider collecting snippets like:

  • Vivid physical descriptions
  • Clever metaphors used to describe characters
  • Insights into a character’s behavior or inner turmoil
  • Descriptions of highly eccentric characters that work
  • Quirks or mannerisms that you find charming, or that help you identify with a character
  • Dialogue or internal monologue that vividly conveys attitude or personality

You might also want to note what doesn’t work, particularly if you can pinpoint why.

  • Characters you find annoying
  • Descriptions that fell flat or felt wrong
  • Characters whose physical descriptions don’t seem to fit their personality

A character-specific file

As you build characters for your stories, you may find it helpful to collect various tidbits that apply to a particular character. Many writers find Pinterest to be a great tool for this, and once the book is published they share the board with their readers. In addition to collecting snippets of character description like those mentioned above, a character-specific file might include:

  • Photos that look like your character, or that vividly express emotions or attitudes your character often exhibits
  • Photos or descriptions of clothing, jewelry and hairstyles.
  • Props your character might use: tools, cookware, swords, chariots, whatever.
  • Details of décor, furniture, gardens, and architecture that might fill the character’s home.

These are only a few suggestions of what can be included in a character file. Trust your creative intuition and include anything that strikes you, no matter how irrelevant it seems at the time. Who knows what brilliant ideas a random detail may spark—if you take the time to capture it.

 

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

Categories
Talking Character

Use Setting to Define Character

You can learn a lot about a person by visiting their house or office. A writer can use that to her advantage.

Let’s assume your POV character is visiting the office of Mr. Smith, who they are meeting for the first time. You could simply describe the office as tidy or messy and give a hint of Mr. Smith’s character, or you could create a setting that painted a vivid picture of the occupant.

Four office setting examples that paint a picture of their occupants:

Office # 1

Mr. Smith’s office was extremely tidy. Two walls were taken up by bookcases, organized by subject. A third wall was filled by a row of identical filing cabinets, each drawer marked with a color-coded label. The stack of in-boxes was labeled with similar color-coded cards, and the squares on the desk-sized calendar were divided into numbered slices using colored ink. Next to the calendar lay a blank legal pad and a row of colored pens, each aligned perfectly with the edge of the desk.

Office # 2

Mr. Smith’s office was extremely tidy. Two walls were taken up by bookcases, filled with row after row of old books in matching bindings. A white mini blind covered the window, which was flanked by identical gray filing cabinets. A gray desk filled the center of the room, bare except for a pad of white paper, a single black pen and an empty in-box. Behind the desk, in place of the typical swivel desk chair stood a metal folding chair. The unpadded kind.

Two tidy offices. Two very different occupants. The same goes for these two messy offices…

Office # 3

Mr. Smith’s office was a chaotic wreck. Two walls were taken up by bookcases crammed with books, many of which had bits of paper marking various pages. More books were lying open on the desk amidst a jumble of papers. Behind the desk was a white board covered in rectangles filled with compact writing. The blocks of text were connected by arrows and peppered with sticky notes and occasional doodles. A stack of papers at least a foot high filled the in-box, occasional colored sticky notes jutting from the stack.

Office # 4

Mr. Smith’s office was a chaotic wreck. Two walls were taken up by bookcases filled with books, lumps of rock, lab equipment, and a variety of hats. Larger pieces of lab equipment sat on the floor behind the desk, under a pile of lab aprons. A flashlight and a single work boot balanced atop the pile. The desk was covered in a jumble of dented three-ring binders, crumpled napkins, empty coffee mugs, a handful of mechanical pencils, and a large box of jumbo-sized paperclips that had tipped over and spilled its contents across the mess and onto the floor.

As these examples show, before Mr. Smith enters the scene, we have a pretty good idea of his personality based solely on the description of his office.

One descriptive paragraph performing double duty—setting the scene and introducing a character at the same time.

Four suggestions for using setting to enhance your characters:

  • Create a personal space. Does your character have a space he has some control over, such as an office or bedroom. As in the examples above, those spaces can be filled with possessions and decor that communicate his personality.
  • Introduce a passion. What kinds of setting best define your character’s passions? A sewing room? The garage? An empty-lot-turned-garden? The local fitness club? A mountain path? Can you find a way to introduce the character in that space?
  • Define a sanctuary. What kinds of setting does your character go to when they desire peace and quiet, or when they need comfort or safety? A tree house in the backyard? A friend’s apartment? The local library? The attic? Show the details that make the space a sanctuary for your character.
  • Use character to fine-tune the setting. List words that describe your character. Does the list bring a specific setting to mind? Use it. Does the list include words like messy, colorful, or stylish that could be applied to a multitude of settings? Let those words inform the setting details.

Make your setting do double duty by painting a vivid picture of the characters who belong there.

[bctt tweet=”How can you tweak your settings to bring your characters to life? #writetips #amwriting” username=””]

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

Categories
Talking Character

Are Your Characters Too Consistent?

Do you always tell the truth?

Do you use the same tone and vocabulary when speaking to your friends and your boss’s boss?

Do you behave consistently, even when you are stressed, tired, or suddenly facing a roomful of  screaming toddlers?

Probably not.

So your fictional characters shouldn’t either.

A fully developed character will act and speak differently based on the situation, the other people in the scene, his mood, or even his changing goals. A writer must be careful, however, to establish a character’s primary voice and modes of behavior before attempting to vary them. Otherwise a reader will likely assume a character who behaves inconsistently is due to author error rather than author intent.

When to allow your character to act inconsistently:

  • When the unexpected behavior or speech develops character. You’ve all seen the tough guy who turns into a marshmallow when interacting with small children—your characters can react in a similar (but less stereotypical) manner to show the reader a different side of their personalities.
  • When it enhances the plot in some way. Perhaps your normally calm character has an irrational fear of snakes. Mention the fact somewhere along the line, and then dump them into a critical situation that includes snakes. Now your runs away instead of confronting her nemesis (plot twist), or else conquers her fear of snakes and earns the reader’s respect.

Questions to ask when considering inconsistent behavior

  • What individuals or groups might cause a difference in behavior? For example, your hero is confident around friends and coworkers, but full of self-doubt when facing the boss. Or he’s generally friendly, except with the waitress at the local diner. (And why is that? You’d better tell us before the story is over.)
  • In what situations will the character tell the truth, try to evade the truth, or outright lie? Is he usually honest? Then it might be worthwhile putting him in a situation where he doesn’t want to tell the truth.
  • What groups or individuals bring out the softer side of a person? Alternately, who or what forces a naturally kind person to be insensitive or aggressive?
  • In what situations might my character feel safe enough to open up and risk being vulnerable? (And did they make the right choice, or do they lack judgment in this area?)
  • When will the heroine use formal speech, and when informal? What will cause her to swear if that is not her normal character?
  • What might cause a normally terse character to begin babbling? A chatty character to become non-communicative?
  • Don’t forget actions. In what situations might an energetic character grow lethargic, or a slow and methodical character become rash? Why might a character suddenly desist from an established habit? (Did he skip his third cup of coffee because his mother is visiting, or is there another reason?)

[bctt tweet=”Where and when might your characters act inconsistently? #amwriting #authenticity” username=””]

[bctt tweet=”How can you add depth to your characters through inconsistent behavior? #writing #writetip” username=””]

Categories
The Writer's PenCase

Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part III

The Writer's PenCase

Characters with personality make your readers identify and care about them. There are several ways to determine what your character will be like. Are they introvert or extrovert? Dominant or stable? Sanguine or Phlegmatic? [bctt tweet=”Myers-Briggs, DISC, and Personality Plus are tools writers can use to create characters.” username=”@A3forme @donnalhsmith”] #amwriting #characters

Continue reading “Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part III”
Categories
Talking Character

Dos and Don’ts for Describing Characters

A writer must find the perfect balance when describing characters, especially when introducing them to a reader for the first time. The reader needs enough information to grasp who the character is, but too much information and the reader will likely skip to the next paragraph.

Or worse.

We writers know a lot about our characters. We’ve spent days crafting their descriptions, personalities and back stories. But when it comes to the descriptions we include in our stories, we must remember that we know much more than the reader needs (or wants) to know.

Here are a few tips to help you create awesome character descriptions

DON’T simply give a detailed description of the character’s physical appearance. This police sketch approach lacks emotion and does little to explain who the character is.

DO paint a picture that evokes emotion. Show who the character is rather than tell what they look like. Use dialogue or action to give the reader insight into their personalities.

DON’T introduce the character for the first time in a bland, forgettable way.

DO introduce a character by mentioning the most significant traits, and do so in as memorable a manner as possible.

DON’T include a catalog of irrelevant details. The reader will assume every detail you supply is important. If you mention the character is left-handed, the reader is going to expect left-handedness to be significant somewhere down the road. If it’s not going to be mentioned again, skip that detail.

DO choose only the most telling details, the ones that give is important insight into the character’s personality and attitudes, or that will become significant to the plot. If

DON’T create several characters who are so similar the reader gets them confused. (Unless that is a key ploy for your particular story, in which case the POV character should probably have problems keeping them straight, too.)

DO give characters a unique, easily described characteristic that helps the reader keep track of who’s who.

DON’T tell the reader details about a person that the POV character doesn’t know. Such author intrusions may have been common once upon a time, but they now feel forced or preachy.

DO describe a person through the lens of the POV character. The main character may have a very biased and inaccurate view of other characters, but that is OK. By flavoring each description with the main character’s thoughts and attitudes, you not only introduce other characters but also show us something new about the POV character.

DON’T allow all characters to describe a person in exactly the same way. Each POV character is likely to notice—and ignore—different aspects of a person’s appearance, behavior and personality.

DO show different sides of a character’s personality by allowing each POV character to display a unique attitude. One student’s favorite teacher is another student’s least favorite. By showing the teacher from both sides, the reader gets a more complex and authentic picture.

Most of all, DO have fun creating and describing your characters!

And DON’T give up. The world needs to hear the story only you can tell.

Categories
Talking Character

The Power of a Two-Word Character Thumbnail

Can you describe you characters with only two words?

I ran across this simple question in James Scott Bell’s excellent book Voice: The Secret Power of Great Writing. He suggests identifying a character’s dominant impression in two words—a noun that describes the character’s main vocation or purpose, and an adjective that sums up the character’s unique personality and/or attitude. I see the two words as sort of a thumbnail description of the character.

An example:

I decided the main character in my work-in-progress is an unconventional sleuth, while her sidekick is a sassy maid. Those descriptions are oversimplifications, but they point to something essential in the nature of the characters.

It wasn’t easy to boil each character down to two words, but I found the exercise worth it. Here’s why:

  1. Identifying a character’s two-word thumbnail helps me to be consistent. When I come upon those inevitable moments when I’m trying to decide how a character will react in a specific scene, my two-word thumbnail is often useful in determining which option best suits their dominant characteristics. Roxana, my sassy maid, will normally err on the side of stating her mind and speaking when she shouldn’t. Since this is the opposite of my normal tendency, keeping her sassiness in mind helps me maintain her unique character and voice.
  2. Searching for a two-word thumbnail for each character pinpointed which characters I don’t yet know well enough. For some characters, such as my heroine and her sidekick, creating a thumbnail was a matter of jotting down possible descriptors and then narrowing them down to the most apt choice. When it came to other characters, however, my descriptors were all over the place. I wasn’t sure whether Curio was a frustrated victim or a reformed rogue. The thumbnail exercise showed me where I need to flesh out back stories more fully in order to determine the primary essence of each character.
  3. They are a handy way to differentiate between secondary characters. I am working on a mystery, and several of the suspects are landlords. Assigning them adjectives like domineering, kindly, and secretive gives me a simple way to make sure each landlord remains distinct from the others.
  4. It helps my critique partners keep track of who’s who. Since we meet once a month, and it may be months between scenes with a given character, the thumbnail list helps them remember which character is which. It will also help when I am working on character descriptions and synopses.

Are you ready to come up with two-word thumbnails for your characters?  Are they straight-laced lawyers? Bitter sisters? Overconfident suitors?

Give it a try, and you’ll gain a few useful insights about them along the way.

[bctt tweet=”Author tools: Two-word thumbnails help a writer identify their character’s essence. #writetip ” username=””]

Categories
Talking Character

What’s In A Name?

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet.

Perhaps so, but if roses were called Corpse Flowers, Stinking Christopher, or Spurge they wouldn’t be quite so popular, would they?

Names matter

Despite our best intentions, we do judge people (and things) by their names. (Why do you think companies spend so much time and money testing product names?) A host of scientific studies conclude that names make an impact on everything from the likelihood of juvenile delinquency, to college acceptance, to business success.

For a writer, this is great news! It means we can tell the reader paragraphs of information about a character just by choosing the right name. For example:

Alice McGillicuddy is obviously a very different person than Serena Jones or Emmaline Littleton-Fitzgerald.  Which is most likely to be the main character of a comedy? Go to a top-name prep school? Be the most no-nonsense?  If all three were private investigators, you would expect the tone of the books to be quite different, wouldn’t you?

[bctt tweet=”Apt character names can be a powerful weapon in our writers’ arsenal. “]

Use them wisely.

How to pick evocative character names

Consider the key traits you would like a name to convey, things like age, strength of character, temperament, sense of humor, ethnicity, and social class. Select five to ten that are most important. Now scroll through the phone book or an internet name site and jot down first and last names that seem to fit that description.

Don’t over-think this, go with your first impressions.

After you have collected several, try different combinations of first and last names until you find the one you like best—the one that most strongly hints at the character’s important qualities.

I was working through this exercise recently, trying to select names for  my newest work-in-progress. After narrowing it down to three names for each character, I gave the list of character qualities with the three name choices to several writing friends.

There was almost unanimous agreement on the best name for each one. This despite the fact that the names in question were all unfamiliar Greek or Roman names like Lurco, Avitus, Livia and Xanthe.

Fascinating, no?

One more suggestion

As a final check, run the name through a search engine to check:

  • how common it is (this could be good or bad, depending)
  • if it’s been used too often in recent books
  • if readers may associate the name with a totally inappropriate person, such as the main character from a TV show or movie you weren’t aware of.

Happy naming!

And FYI, if you’re looking for authentic Roman names, my favorite resource is Nova Roma’s name page.

Categories
Talking Character

Surprise Them with a Twist

Characters who violate a stereotype are interesting; by surprising us they pique our interest, make us want to explore. ~ Orson Scott Card in Characters and Viewpoint

Writers are warned to avoid stereotypes, but to some extent that is impossible. Our brains automatically put people (real or fictional) into pigeonholes. Even if we try, we cannot not keep our readers from making stereotype judgments, but that is OK because we can utilize those predictable stereotypes to trick a reader into thinking they understand a character.

That’s when we surprise them!

Once we’ve introduced a character—who seems to fit a recognizable mold—we can begin to reveal that all is not as is seems. And our readers will love it.

An example

Falco, the main character in Lindsey Davis’s mystery series, seems like a typical hard-boiled detective: He is single, ex-military, has both pals and enemies in the local police force, lives in a crappy apartment, and earns his money as a private investigator. But Davis purposely turned the stereotype on its head by giving Falco a large extended family, including a strong-willed mother who thinks nothing of interfering in his life and several older sisters who occasionally ask him to babysit. Oh, and his full name is Marcus Didius Falco, because the stories are set in first-century Rome.

All those twists make Falco unique. They also provide lots of opportunity for out-of-the-ordinary subplots that either enhance or hinder his investigations.

Think for a moment about some of your favorite novels. [bctt tweet=”Where did your favorite characters surprise by breaking unexpectedly from a stereotype? #amreading “]

This twisting of the stereotype can begin with the character’s appearance. As Hallie Ephron suggests in Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel:

Think about which aspects of your main character’s appearance are genuine reflections of character and which make a misleading façade. Create a disconnect between your character’s physical presence and true capabilities.

Perhaps you introduce your main character as a young businesswoman who wears conservative suits, has a rather pinched, plain face, and keeps her hair in a severe bun. She is prompt to meetings and always comes prepared.

Ho hum.

Until we give her a twist or two. Perhaps she once had aspirations of Broadway and teaches ballet on her off hours. Or coaches a girls’ soccer team that is on a two-year winning streak. Or spends her weekends restoring classic Mustangs. That adds some life to our mousy little office worker, doesn’t it?

Just make sure the twists make sense. In My Cousin Vinny, Mona Lisa Vito’s automotive knowledge is vital to the plot. If it wasn’t, her mechanic talk would end up feeling false or purposely misleading. The goal is to delight our readers with a twist that makes a character unique but still completely believable.

So go ahead, do the twist!

[bctt tweet=”Delight your readers by giving a stereotype a twist. #writing “]