Character development

Developing and understanding your characters gives you insight into who they are. Give yourself time to understand them, not just what they look like, but how they think.

Are they devious?

Are they honest to they think?

Or are they worried about what other people think about them?

By answering these question you are given a chance to slip in and out of their thought process. The best example I can give is Reaper and Angel written by Jon Graham. The first of the trilogy is Reaper, and even though it is written in the third person, you can tell that is from the eyes of the main character, Jim Reaper. Where as the second book, Angle, follows Sandra. It is clear through both books the reader knows a lot more about the characters than what is necessarily needed for writing the book, but that is how the writer makes them 3 Dimensional characters.

Sometimes it's not just about how they character acts and behaves. It's about the way they speak, know their slang words, make it regional between different characters if you wanted, that way the reader knows where they are from without stating the fact. Look up the words for certain things, if you have ever been to University, you know the first debate you have with flat mates, it about what you call a bread roll. A tea cake in the north, but that's just me! You see how easy it is, just slip different words into the speech, allowing the reader to understand the character, it creates some rapport between the audience.

Allow your characters to make mistakes, the main character can't be liked all the time. They have to as natural as normal functioning human beings in their own world. So make them do stupid things, let them make decisions you didn't have planned. You will be surprised but your subconscious mind knows what it wants, don't block it out. You will create something faster flowing and natural for your audience.

If your characters make these rash stupid decisions your readers will appreciate the story a lot more. There I no one in the world that has had a friendship without its ups and downs. Friends say things, they do things, they are selfish at times. But it's alright because they always put it right, they will always return and the friendship will be just as strong, if not stronger.

A book has to create a similar relationship between the reader and the main character. Just like in Harry Potter, the good wizards are loved all the time, just like the dark wizards, they aren't hated all the time either. An even better example is Game of Thrones, who is the main character for a start! WHO KNOWS! Who is on the good side! WHO KNOWS!

You put characters on a page, as long as you know who they are, your readers will decide if they are good or bad and they will find ways to explain their reasoning.

#Characters #writing #advice