Writing Memorable Characters

All righty then. The past two essays have been about bad guys and good guys, so I thought I would go general this time, and ask the question: "What makes for a memorable character?" To illustrate my points, I will be using some examples from popular fiction. Whether you like the books or not, you have to admit that these are characters that have captured the public's imagination.

Harry Potter has sold so many copies, I can't even imagine the number. Why? Well, the stories are good adventures, and that is important, but I think the characters are a very large part of the reason.

So, why have these characters captured people's imaginations? There are a couple of reasons.

1) Hidden gifts and talents. Harry is just an average kid, living a less happy than average life when he suddenly discovers that he is special--remarkable, in fact--in a way that he never imagined.

How many of us spent our childhood -- and most of adulthood -- wishing that we would discover something amazing about ourselves? We wanted to be special... extraordinary. Through Harry, we get to discover what that life feels like. We also discover that it isn't always great to be gifted. We learn that it comes with obligations, consequences and down sides. That makes us feel a little better about our lives and circumstances.

Ron and Hermione teach us something similar, but more personal. They show us that we don't have to possess special powers to be special and to have something valuable to contribute. Hermione contributes her intelligence and her compassion. Ron contributes friendship, loyalty, and good humor. They allow us to see that our gifts are just as valuable as those belonging to the "gifted" people.

There are tons of examples out there to choose from. Luke Skywalker, Neo from the Matrix, Frodo from Lord of the Rings. All of these characters are pretty average people who discover that they hold some extraordinary power -- something that makes them special.

2} Harry, Ron and Hermione all have strikes against them. Their lives are as flawed as our own. Harry is an orphan, and the people he lives with are heinous. Ron's family, while loving, are poor. Hermione has the social stigma of her 'muggle' parents.

3) Put together, these three people come together to make something that is greater than the sum of their parts. It is like taking three halves and coming up with four. Harry's fabled notoriety makes up for Hermione and Ron's lack thereof. Ron's humor makes up for Hermione's somewhat uptight personality. Hermione and Harry provide an earnest zeal that Ron sometimes lacks. They provide balance for each other.

4) Harry has friends that will stand up for him and stick with him through anything -- even if it means risking their lives. How many of us wish we had friends like that? Reading about these companions, and ones from stories like The Lord of the Rings, gives us hope that there are friends like that out there for us. That is the basis for the popularity and success of the quest novel where the hero(ine) collects a ragtag group of companions to see them through thick and thin.

5) Harry has lived through tragedy and continues to deal with it. For the most part he deals with it courageously, but sometimes, like all of us, he had moments of weakness. The Mirror of Erised in the first book is a classic example. He is tempted by the mirror, falling into self-pity for a time. This gives him believability -- the last of my points.

6) For people to remember your characters, they have to be able to relate to them. In order to accomplish this, your characters are going to have to be real and believable -- even if they are aliens. There are several steps to writing believable characters. They are:

Physical appearance. Here, just remember that people are not perfect. They have features that stand out like crooked noses, blemishes, narrow eyes, etc. People also find it hard to relate to a character that is too beautiful or handsome. It gets tiring after a while, especially if people are always fawning over them. Beware of cliches.

Likes and dislikes. What are their favorite things like music, art, food, color. What are the things they can't stand? Brussel sprouts, drooling pets... etc. Are they a morning person, or are they like me and their day starts at noon then ends at 5:00 am?

A history. You have to give your characters a life history from the time they were born to their current circumstances. This can be more sketchy for a short story, but should be very detailed for the main characters of a novel.

Emotional Baggage. What have your characters learned about the world from their history? What scars do they carry? What strengths and weaknesses have they developed? What talents, and ambitions? Spend some time and think about how your history has shaped you, then give all that depth to your character.

Motives. Why do they do what they do? Are they seeking redemption? Do they like to please people? Motives flow very strongly out of history and emotional baggage.

Beliefs. What does your character believe in? What do they believe about him/herself? What do they believe about their world, their place in it, religion, society, money, economics, family... The list is long.

Relationships with others. How does your person act around others? Are they a people person, or a loner? Do they love easily, or take forever to trust? Do they have a lot of friends or just one or two close companions? I also include their relationship with God, or their gods, here even though it also fits under beliefs.

That's all I can think of for now. The point is, make the person real and fully developed. You should be able to tell someone what your character would do in any circumstance, and where that behavior had its roots in their history, beliefs, etc. Every action we take, every word we speak comes out of who we are. People do not act outside of their character.

I recently had a discussion with someone about the idea of people doing things that are outside of their character. They brought up a great question about the person who does something horrible and everyone around them says: "We never would have known. He/she was such a nice, normal sort of person.

I had to stop and think here, but then I realized that even though the world did not see that aspect of the person's character, it was always there. We all wear masks that show the world what we want it to see. They do not necessarily reflect who we are with any accuracy. What sort of mask do the people in your story wear?

7) The characters that we remember are the ones who teach us a little bit about ourselves, other people, or the world. They ask us to look at the world in a different way, even if the difference is very small. This is tied to theme. It is the way that your cast portrays your theme. What are your characters going to ask your reader to think about or reconsider?

To sum up: The surest way to your reader's hearts and imaginations is to write characters that read like real people and who give the reader a glimpse into a life they might wish for, but may never get a chance to experience themselves. Throw in a smattering of emotional complexity, a smidge of another way to look at the world, and you'll have a winner.

This time's prompt; Do an inventory of all your favorite and most memorable characters from the stories you love. Write down what it is that captured your imagination in each case. That will give you a map to follow as you create your own amazing characters.

I am taking eight weeks off to finish a novel and rewrite it, so I will see you, my few and loyal readers in two months. Until then, have a great early fall!