As writers we all know that plot, characterization, sub
plots, and dialog is what moves the book and keeps the readers reading. In this
article, I’ll go over characterization and some tips for creating those
characters. It doesn't really matter whether
your main character is male, female or both—the hero and heroine of the story.
What you want is for that character to be as interesting to the reader as
possible. You want the reader to care about this woman/man.
Suppose your main protagonist is female, the heroine. If she is designated as the main character, then most of the story will center on her, what happens to her, her thoughts and actions. Is she beautiful? Beauty is fine, just don't make her too good to be true. Humans are not perfect and your heroine should have flaws. There can be something a little off about her physical appearance or it can be an emotional flaw or both. She can be aware of her beauty or its effect on the men she meets, but don't make her conceited about it. No one wants to root for a woman like that. We'd all be waiting and hoping for her to step off a cliff or something else dreadful to befall her. Maybe she could be a klutz and have embarrassing accidents. This will not only generate some humor but the reader will sympathize with her, while remembering his or her own little embarrassing accidents.
There are all sorts of personality or emotional flaws she could have. She could be too stubborn; her mouth could run away from her brain, having her say outrageous things before she thinks and get her into all kinds of trouble. Maybe she had tragic things in her past that makes her overly cautious or wary. She should be a strong woman, not a whiner. She can need saving, but don't have her be doing stupid, dangerous things that you or the reader would have better sense than to do. You get the picture. Make her someone you as the writer would love to have as a friend.
The hero...If you're writing a story that you want women to enjoy reading, the hero should be drool material. Sexy, attractive, but not a pretty boy. A man can be both sexy and handsome or he can be sexy and not handsome or handsome and definitely not sexy. If you're writing a romance, he should probably be sexy above all else. And there is a difference between sexy and handsome. Your hero should be strong and courageous, willing to sacrifice everything for the heroine. Again, as with the heroine, give him a flaw or two. Don't make him so perfect he's completely unbelievable. We want to read stories about real men. It's hard to care about a man who's too perfect or too self absorbed. Be careful though, don't make him so emotionally flawed he can never be redeemed.
Get a pencil and paper and then fantasize about your vision of the perfect hero. Make notes on his appearance, his personality, his beliefs, and everything else that would make him who he is—background, family, past loves, whatever...
Don't forget your secondary characters. These characters may not be the center of attention, but make them interesting and believable. I know in some genre romances, secondary characters are barely mentioned. The story stays on the hero and heroine. I prefer stories that have well developed secondary characters that interact with the hero and heroine. It makes a more compelling story for me.
As you go along, you will develop these characters until you've breathed life into them and they are almost as real to you as your best friends. You want them to be so real and believable that they jump off the page and into the hearts of the readers, never to be forgotten or at the very least hard to forget.
Sit down and give this a try, it may take some thought, but will be well worth the effort once you begin your story and you'll have your notes as a reference or guide to what kind of people you want these characters to be.
©Elizabeth Melton Parsons
May Be Reprinted With Proper Credit Given To The Author