A Character is Born

Character-based writing is easier than some would have you believe, and once you get used to it, you won't even think about it anymore. There is a Chinese Proverb that fits how we learn best: "I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand." With that in mind, I'll break this method of characterization into three sections. "Hear" the explanation of how it's done through basic actions you need to take before you set your fingertips to the keyboard, "see" how to put this information to use through example, and finally exercises for you to "do."

HEAR

Watch
Listen
Talk
Interpret behavior
Make assumptions
Think like other people
Treat your character as if s/he is real
Empathize with/Become your character
Write everything down



WATCH
Go out in the world and watch people. Don't stalk them, just sit back and watch. Look at height, weight, age, the way people stand, the way they walk, their mannerisms, their status symbols, the way they interact (or fail to interact) with others. People reveal their personalities to you constantly; even how they think. The woman sighing, checking her watch, pushing her cart into your personal space at the check out--she wants everyone to know she is in a hurry and your needs are not important to her at this moment. Not because she doesn't like you--it's doubtful she's even truly aware of you. To her, this waiting is just an annoyance she feels she can't afford, and she doesn't see beyond that.

LISTEN
How do they talk, and what bodily noises do they make? Listen to they way the man driving the bus says "hello" to the old woman who just climbed aboard. Did he say it with a big grin, and did he sound happy to see her? Or was it barely audible, offered with a terse nod? Does it sound like he has a cold? Does he clear his throat, sniffle? Does he speak with an accent and if so, can you place it? Does the old woman breathe easily? Is she chatty with the other commuters? Does she sigh? Shuffle her feet when she walks? Do her ankles crack when she sits down? Does she hum? Listen in on idle conversation. Can you determine the relationship between these people? Are they family, coworkers, friends, acquaintances? How do you know? Listen for cues that will help you such as certain phrases, or how they were delivered, or the topic of conversation. Note how every person has their own unique way of speaking and how they use verbal language in combination with body language.


TALK
People like to talk about themselves. It's human nature. Tell a store clerk you love her hair and not only will she say thank you, she'll probably tell you where she got it done, what made her do it, and what it used to look like. Take in all that information. Take in every nuance of her movements, her clothes, her scent, the way she says her words, the inflections she uses. Ask the old man on the bench in the park about his hat. "Nice hat you have there. You don't see many of those around anymore." He'll tell you where he got the hat, why he still wears it, what's wrong with the world today, a prideful moment in his life. The key to doing this effectively is to be genuine. If you really want to know about something, really are curious, that will come through and people will share their stories with you. Make comments, "I've never really enjoyed flying." Your seatmates will tell you their views on flying too and why. Be open, and they'll open up to you. The worst that could happen in any of these scenarios is that they'll nod at you and clam up. Use that! How did they interpret your approach? What personality traits are they revealing to you by ignoring you?

INTERPRET BEHAVIOR
We make judgments of others every day whether we're aware of it or not, and not necessarily negatively either. It's a required skill and we all have it. A cashier says "Have a great day!" and depending on how it was delivered (and our own frame of mind at the time) we walk away thinking "She's friendly," or "I did not appreciate her sarcasm," or "What a fake!" A boy of about ten runs past you in the park. His parents follow behind. Is the boy smiling or laughing? Is he having a good time? Why is he running? Look at his shoes--do they look new? Could that be why he's running? Do the new shoes have that cool feeling all new runners have--the fresh, bouncy feel that makes kids his age believe the shoes can actually help them run better? Are they old shoes and most likely not on his mind at all? Is there a family restaurant up ahead or a jungle gym or some other "kid-appeal" place he's excited about? Are his parents watching him? Are they smiling or frowning? Do they even notice him? What kind of family dynamics is the small group displaying?

MAKE ASSUMPTIONS
I don't recommend you make this a way of dealing with people in general, but it helps in writing if you practice this skill on strangers. Ask yourself why someone is behaving the way they are and make up possible motivations. The man getting loud and obnoxious at the next table in a restaurant--what's that all about? Watch him, study what he's wearing, and then start assuming. He looks out of place here. He's probably never been in this restaurant before. He's embarrassed because he doesn't have enough money to cover the bill. The woman with him does fit in here. It's a first date. A blind date. He thought because his buddy Carl's wife set him up, they'd know to pick a girl in the same economic class. He's making a fuss, refusing to pay for his steak because if he can get that off the bill, he can afford this dinner. He's pissed off too because the priss didn't even reach for her wallet. He never implied on the phone that he'd be paying for the whole shot. He just wants to get out of there, dump her somewhere and go have a beer over at Davie's. Is any of this true? Who knows. That's not the point. The point is to give him a motivation that explains his behavior.

THINK LIKE OTHER PEOPLE
No, no, you don't need to suffer from a personality disorder to do this. Every person on the planet behaves in ways that are reflections of their beliefs. I don't believe in spanking but some people do. Our belief systems make us handle parenting issues very differently. Try on various ways of viewing the world that may be completely different than your own to better understand WHY others do what they do. To me, writing is acting on paper. You don't have to keep the personality of a villain permanently, but if you don't see the world through his eyes, he's not going to come across realistically. Maybe you aren't the life of the party but if you imagine what it's like to be that person (not from your point of view but from hers) you'll understand better what it's like for her. You'll know that she is excited about this party, that she can hardly wait to see all her friends. You'll feel her excitement. She won't ignore the shy boy in the corner to be mean but because she's so swept up in the life, the pulse, the euphoria of the event, that she isn't attuned to the wallflower watching her every move.

TREAT YOUR CHARACTER AS IF S/HE IS REAL
If you can make yourself believe that your character is every bit as real as you are, or as real as your best friend, you'll want to do him or her justice. Consider it temporary delusion. If you cry or laugh over something your character is going through, so will your readers. You need to be able to ask yourself what this character would do in a particular situation, and make a pretty accurate guess.

EMPATHIZE WITH/BECOME YOUR CHARACTER
Just as you did when you were interpreting and making assumptions of real life people, do this with your character. Get you out of the way and just write from your character's point of view. Some people feel guilty writing something erotic, or something "evil" because they think family members or friends would be shocked that they could even think such things! That is a prime example of there being too much author in a character. You won't get in there and think diabolically if you're worried how it'll be received in the end. Let that go! Just because you write it doesn't make it YOU. It makes you a good writer.

WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN
This doesn't mean you need to describe every element of a person: twenty-one freckles across the nose; thin upper lip; opens mouth, a tip of the tongue is seen; runs part way over lower lip to moisten lip; gunk in left eye . . . yawn! By everything, I mean all the symbols and signals you gained about thought processes and beliefs. The best way to make this point is through examples.

SEE

The old adage of show don't tell is every bit as true in talking about writing, as it is in the actual writing. The best way to illustrate how to apply the basics is through a demonstration.

The party was in full swing and Kate was being loud, talking over everyone. She was a plump woman with long dirty blond hair. She liked to be the center of attention and so did her best friend, Maggie. Maggie, a skinny woman with short black hair and fashionable clothes was just as noticeable, though not as loud. Kate sneered when Jessica walked into the room holding hands with her boyfriend, David. She felt an immediate dislike for Jessica. Women like her were stuck up and Kate just knew she was judging her. She liked the boyfriend, or at least she had until he showed up with her.

That does tell us something about them, but we're missing out on a lot of real human interaction. So let's rewrite this from Kate's point of view and show rather than tell about elements of the scene, their mannerisms, and their personality, and leave out extraneous information.

Kate slapped her dimpled thigh as her bray cut through all conversation in the room. She nearly spilled her beer on Maggie's leg, which brought even more raucous laughter from the crowd. Maggie jumped away dramatically, her eyes wide with shock.

"Sure you had enough there Katie? Can I get you another?"

"Sure, what the hell. That's probably the problem anyway! I need one for my other hand to keep me balanced." Kate laughed out loud at her own joke before taking a long gulp of beer.

"Geez woman, don't swallow the whole bottle!"

"Ah, you're just jealous cause skinny little gals like you can't handle their beer." Kate grinned and tousled Maggie's short dark hair.

"Oh we can hold our drink just fine. We just don't like to wear it!"

"Ew, da beer!" they said in unison, both making faces like they'd be sick. "Not available at finer department stores," Kate added and the two women giggled and raised their bottles in a cheer. "Eau de Beer!" the crowd yelled. Kate didn't mind that they joined in even if it had originally been an inside joke between her and Maggie. That somehow made the moment even better. Kate grinned and sighed happily. God, but she felt good tonight.

Jessica and David stood at the door, holding hands and taking in the scene. Kate stiffened momentarily when she spotted them but she was having such a good time, there was no way she was letting that snooty little tramp ruin her evening. She knew David would show up with her, but a part of her had hoped he'd come alone.

So Jessica was normally the center of attention at these parties was she? Kate never liked women like her. They all thought a pretty face and designer clothes could compensate for being a complete air-head. She'd seen enough Jessica's in her time to know the little witch was judging her and finding her lacking. Well she hadn't worked her butt off to get where she was with this crowd just to have some stuck-up wannabe tear it apart with one fake smile. Brace yourself, Miss Priss, cause you don't know who you're dealing with. Kate smiled broadly and rose to greet the newcomers.

"Hey! You must be Jessica! I've heard a lot about you." She gave Jessica a quick hug and then turning her back on her, Kate spread her arms wide and addressed the group before her. "Hey you guys, let's show these two how to really party!"

It doesn't matter whether readers like or dislike Kate after this scene. Some readers will like her brassy attitude while others will cringe; but they'll keep reading to find out what she's going to do next. All of what I wrote was through letting myself BE in the scene, and feel what it must be like to be Kate. I'm not like Kate at all, but I could sure feel what she was feeling. I knew how she felt having a good time with friends, that momentary fear of someone "better" coming in and taking it all away. I could feel her need to stay on top no matter what. She wasn't putting Jessica down because she is just mean and does that at will. Her viewpoint was based on what her experience in life had been, how women like Jessica made her feel about herself. Does it make her assessment right? Who knows? It's Kate's point of view, right or wrong.

DO

Now try some of these exercises to help you create memorable characters.

Grab a notebook and head downtown. I recommend downtown because the array of colorful, unique people in the heart of a city offers a storehouse of information. Pick one person and describe their clothes, their body, their way of moving, what they're doing. Make up reasons for why they're acting the way they are. Do this for as many people as you'd like. If you're able to pick up some conversations, listen carefully, and take notes.

Imagine a tall man in an expensive suit is riding on the bus. He is out of place. Close your eyes if you need to, and really see it all, feel it all. Think about the sounds of a city, the sounds of a bus, the scents, the feel of the seat. What does he see? People on the bus? Describe a few of them. What's outside his window? Tall office buildings? Suited people rushing along busy sidewalks? Discount furniture stores, boarded up buildings? Gangs hanging out? How does he hold himself? Does he look uncomfortable? Does he stoically act as if nothing is out of the ordinary? What does he look like? Attractive? Unattractive? Crooked nose? Why is he there? Write a short piece on this man, seeing the world from his perspective. Don't worry about including all the elements you see. Use only as much as you feel you need to use. Remember that even if you overdo it at first, you can always edit parts out later.

Rewrite this scene:
Lisa put on her lipstick and stepped back from the mirror. Her best friend ran into the bathroom just as she was about to leave and stopped her. Erin wasn't just the cutest girl in the school, she was the bubbliest. Erin talked excitedly so Lisa had to tell her to slow down. It was about a boy. Of course. A new boy Erin sat with in Chem that morning. Lisa sighed. She loved Erin like a sister but sometimes she got bored of Erin's stories.

Create a character-driven short story from this line:
"She blew out the candle and cursed under her breath at the wax that had dripped onto her grandmother's lace tablecloth."

Go through old stories of your own that you set aside because you got bored with them, or hit a wall at some point. Replace every word that doesn't show something. Bob ran to catch the train could become, Bob's briefcase banged painfully against his thigh as he raced toward the platform, chanting, "Wait, please wait." He could not afford to be late today.

Let your imagination go wild. Try writing a scene from an alien's point of view. Or write from a cat's point of view, or a ghost's or remember back to grade school when they made you write from a dime's perspective. Of course this means giving them a degree of personification, but it can be fun to try.

Keep notes on your characters. If you gave your hero blue eyes and a big nose, jot it down on a card and stick it on the wall or cork board near your desk (if you don't have a jot/note place in easy view--create one! You'll rely on it.). You don't want to mix up "facts" about your characters later. This is more important to do in larger works such as novels, novellas, or series of short stories but it can't hurt to start this good habit now.

Remember that personal motivation, life experience, world view, and belief systems are behind every action and will affect your characters in all that they do.

If you find at times, a story begins to go off a different way because your character came to life and took the story in a new direction--that's a good sign that your character is "real." If you need to bring it back to where you want the story to go, do so; but if you're open to it, why not see where your characters take it? I frequently write this way. I'll write one sentence, and let the character lead me. I create a person and next thing I know, I'm writing a story I didn't see until my character revealed it to me.

The most important thing you can do for your writing is to become a watcher, and a listener, and to hone these skills every chance you get. Every day, no matter where you go, no matter what your lifestyle, you find people revealing their inner worlds to you constantly. Whether that be in real life, on television, on the radio, or in a chat room, personalities shine through. Once you're good at it, you'll even spot when people are putting up facades and you can use that in your writing too! The whole world is laid out for you. Take it.


For more articles on writing, see "IMPROVE YOUR WRITING" .