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Writing Tips: Advice on Character Design
Hey all, it’s been a while but I’m back with some writing tips. Today I’ll be going over things that’ll help make your characters (specifically your MC) relatable, and realistic. Let’s face it. Having a dense character not only bores readers, but it bores writers. I’ve had moments where I stared at a blank screen for hours because I didn’t know where to take the story, and it wasn’t due to my lack of ideas, it was because I didn’t know my characters well enough. Or, they weren’t interesting enough to explore.
Having dynamic characters makes for an exciting story. So to help you guys out, I’ve made a list of some things you should ask or consider when constructing characters.
Here’s what I’ve got:
1. Give your character quirks
If your character doesn’t have much going for them, give them an odd quirk to make them stand out from the rest. In my story, Sunny Mage: The Time Child (SMTTC), I’ve included little ticks for my MC, Sunny. One of her quirks is that she’s a complete slob, but somehow she can always find what she needs in the magic pouch she keeps around her waist. She also isn’t the brightest student, and tends to slack off, but has great creativity, and intuition which helps her magic abilities shine.
If you can’t come up with a quirk of your own then I’ve got a top secret way for you to find one. It’s called…Google. Crazy, right? If you’re ever stuck on something like this then just type it in the search engine. Lots of people have most likely had the same question so don’t be afraid to explore. And if you don’t find the answer there, try asking here on Tumblr or maybe check out some Reddit posts.
Take your time crafting your characters. If they feel bland then ask yourself this question: what makes them different from everyone else?
2. What’s your character’s goal?
Aside from emotions and plot, your character’s goal drives their story, and what path they will eventually take. Sometimes just knowing what your character wants is enough for you to finish a handful of scenes. As the writer you may have something planned out to go a specific way, but you’ll be surprised when your fingers start typing away into a whole new direction. It might seem scary at first, but it’s a beautiful thing when your characters start pulling the strings.
Embrace it.
3. What does your character’s clothing say about them?
This is a subtle technique which I generally love. In SMTTC, Sunny is described in the first chapter by Thomas, a hollow (someone born without magic), who she will soon befriend. He takes notice of her skewed overalls, and worn looking sneakers. Sunny is always on the move, she never sits still long, so I made sure to give her the clothes to match. She even wears track shorts under her school uniform in case she needs to break into a sprint.
Little nods like this add to your character and gives the readers a sense of who they are.
4. Give your character emotions
This can be tricky because you want to make your characters emotional without overdoing it. It’s one thing to have your character cry during a sad scene, but it’s another thing to have them cry constantly over the most silly issues (unless it relates to some kind of character development they’ll go through). So just focus on keeping a healthy balance.
If you don’t know how your character would feel in a certain scene then be sure to have an answer to these two questions:
What do they care about?
How do they react when placed in certain situations, and why?
5. Give your character flaws
This is honestly the most important thing for me, because it makes your characters not only relatable, but it also gives room for growth. I know I’m not perfect, very far from it, so I always feel drawn to those characters who are literally a complete mess. It’s so satisfying to look back on the person they were, and compare it to who they are now.
So, embrace the flaws. We’ve all got them.
~Thanks for reading.
Is there anyone here who plays Pokémon Violet and caught Mewtwo and is willing to jump on a raid with me to get my own???
telling a cute girl to shut up and take it before i shove my strap down her throat<3
DAENERYS AND JON + parallel: viewing flames as dancers and describing them in the exact same manner
Fire is love, fire is passion, fire is sexual ardor and all of these things. — George R. R. Martin
I just prevented a house fire someone tell me you're proud of me
HELLO
mfn enjoyers, please give me characters to draw
Just had a mental breakdown and I dyed my hair black and honestly like- I regretted it at first but I’m like- not upset about it anymore. I genuinely feel so much better. Like- I think sometimes I just have a really hard time grounding myself and reminding myself like…why I’m still here…and like, I need to do something to remind myself that I am an Actual Person and that my feelings do Actually Matter, and for whatever reason I think dying my hair just does that so well. It’s like. Yes, I am a person who can think for themself and make decisions based on their needs and emotions. And that is so amazing.
Anyways I hope you all are taking care of yourselves, eating a normal amount of food and drinking a normal amount of water, getting enough sleep, and doing things that make you happy, because life sucks, but it can be a little less sucky sometimes, and I think everyone should be able to experience the not-suckiness as much as they possibly can :]