Character Developement

Character Development

There is a whole world in my head and all my characters live there. I watch each individual character come to life as I give them a face, a body and a soul. My characters are, as I perceive them. They are me, but different. I know how strange that may sound, but let’s face the truth, they are born of my mind so isn’t that a part of me?

You want to completely develop a character, not necessarily from the top of their head down to their toes, but enough so you can completely identify with them throughout the progress of the story they’re in. You may choose to leave out certain aspects, just remember, you want your character as believable as possible.

My character may look a little like someone I know or don‘t know, a person on the street, TV, movie, or from a picture, painting or drawing. Sometimes they may have the appearance of several people, but they are still living beings in their own right if only in my mind. I formulate their faces, setting it to memory for they’re now a part of my life.

Start out with the race and gender of your character before going on with the next step.

I generally start with the eyes. The eyes are the most telling feature of anyone, short of body language. Remember, the eyes are the windows to the soul. Eyes don’t have to be just blue, brown, hazel, green or violet. They can be a variation of colors and hues, giving your character uniqueness. Eye shape is another aspect to take into consideration. Are they almond shaped, large and expressive (what we call puppy dog)? Or small and set close together, pinched or squinty (like a visit to an optometrist is in order). Or droopy and moist (looking like they have been exposed to onions)? Are they evil looking or angelic? Do they wear glasses or contact lenses or have any other eye problem? These are just a few ideas, you must decide in the end which ones will suit your character.

From there you build the face structure. Typically, the face shapes are round, oval, heart-shaped, or squarish. Wrinkles, birthmarks, moles, scars are a part of the face. The size and shape of the nose can be anything; flat looking, Roman nosed, small and pert, piggish, turned up at the tip, large and/or bulbous. What about the cheekbones? Are they flat or are they high-set or broad or dimpled? The chin; broad, jutting, non-existent, cleft or fine? The forehead; broad or small (that part is by far the easiest or not necessary). How about the ears? Dainty and shell-shaped? Large or small? Close to the head or look like Dumbo about to take flight?

Now the hair. Try not to fall into the trap of long, straight, curly, raven black or golden blonde or fiery red. Those are used all too often and how many people do you know have hair like that? They may work fine for a fairy tale or simplistic character, but if you want realism, you need to use a bit of imagination. Keep in mind your character’s age, that can determine the type and color of hair, unless your character is prone to purchase Miss Clairol, wear a wig or toupee. Are they going bald, are bald or have thinning hair? Or do they have some off the wall haircut and wild dye job?

Move your way down the body now. Is your character going to be petite, short, tall, fat, skinny or muscular? Even average works. Are there any deformities or anything unusual? Extra fingers or toes? One leg shorter than the other? A limp, pigeon-toed, bowlegged? An amputee of some sort? Some of these could lead your character needing to use a cane or wheelchair or artificial limb.

Now you have your character built, Dr. Frankenstein. Let’s give your character life. Determine the temperament of your character. Will s/he be easy going, strong willed, meek, a simpleton or a Mensa member, etcetera? What about attitude? Comedic, smart aleck, chip-on-the-shoulder, soft-spoken, loud, angry, narcissistic, evil or good and so on and so forth. Do they walk with purpose and confidence? Are they sly and stealthy? Clumsy and oafish? Or just your every day Joe? There are so many combinations to chose from. Give the life to your character that is going to make them believable. And, please, I can’t stress this enough, don’t make them god-like, omnipotent or indestructible unless they are suppose to be a fantasy character with all the afore-mentioned characteristics. Even some fantasy characters can die.

You’re just about done, now you need to flesh out your character with a little biography. What is their history? What happened to them while growing up that made them like they are? Where did they grow up and live now? Could that explain the accent they speak with or how they dress or think? Is your character, rich, poor or middle of the road? What kind of job do they do or are they self-employed? You take it as far as you want. Remember, your characters are an extension of you. Good, bad or indifferent, you gave them life.

The next article deals with examples of character development.

"Character Development Examples"