Adding Dimension
Step 1: Know your character's history
To really create dimension, you must know your character inside and out. You have to know almost every single detail about them, no matter what genre you are writing. I especially recommend creating multiple documents that tell you almost everything about your character. Stick to the important stuff and then move on to the least important, but still important, stuff (ie. where s/he went to school, how s/he won first place in a spelling bee at the age of five) You have to be able to have a conversation with your character. KNOW WHAT MOTIVATES THEM. If you know what motivates them, then you can definitely write a story about them.
Step 2: Go beyond the basic facts
So what if you did step 1. What do you do now? You must know them through thick and thin, inside and out! No exceptions! If you are to have well developed characters that people will actually remember then you must work at it. Develop a character's attitude. If you don't develop their attitude, then what are you doing? Are you just pantsing your entire way through the book? Are you just juggling as much information as you can and throwing stuff together? If so, that won't get you anywhere. With writing a story out, comes great planning and a great deal of time and energy. If you are reading a story and you have a choice of someone who has a very cocky and snarling attitude over someone who has a dull and repulsive attitude, which would you choose? Work on your character's attitude and I promise, it will make your story 10X better!
Step 3: Connectivity
In order to really touch your readers in ways that you didn't think was possible, you have to grip onto their soul and never let go! You have to connect with your characters whether that the connecting emotion be anger, humiliation, grief, or even excitement. "Mikey gripped his bag. How could she do this to him? She couldn't leave him, not yet anyway. A single tear fell from his soft, complex cheek; it landed on his mother's hand. Suddenly, the heart monitor went rapid. Mikey's heart throbbed. All he wanted was an extra five minutes with his mom. That was his only wish..." See how your heart throbbed when you read that? That is connectivity. You need to entice your readers. This is how you will do it. If they can connect emotionally to a character you have a lot better of a chance for them to stay and read the book, rather than them trowing it back on the shelf.
Step 4: Depth
Having depth in a character is very simple but sounds extremely complicated. Make them believable and make their actions provide enough substantial evidence so that the reader can somewhat predict what their next action will be. This is another way that you will hook your readers into your story. Don't be the novel that no one remembers, be the novel that no one forgets.
Conclusion:
I will have more on "Character Development" later on in the blog. Those are just some really short, simple, quick answers to what character development is and how you can apply it to your story. Stay tuned for next time.
Next time in Writers Unit 2014: Mary-Sues
To really create dimension, you must know your character inside and out. You have to know almost every single detail about them, no matter what genre you are writing. I especially recommend creating multiple documents that tell you almost everything about your character. Stick to the important stuff and then move on to the least important, but still important, stuff (ie. where s/he went to school, how s/he won first place in a spelling bee at the age of five) You have to be able to have a conversation with your character. KNOW WHAT MOTIVATES THEM. If you know what motivates them, then you can definitely write a story about them.
Step 2: Go beyond the basic facts
So what if you did step 1. What do you do now? You must know them through thick and thin, inside and out! No exceptions! If you are to have well developed characters that people will actually remember then you must work at it. Develop a character's attitude. If you don't develop their attitude, then what are you doing? Are you just pantsing your entire way through the book? Are you just juggling as much information as you can and throwing stuff together? If so, that won't get you anywhere. With writing a story out, comes great planning and a great deal of time and energy. If you are reading a story and you have a choice of someone who has a very cocky and snarling attitude over someone who has a dull and repulsive attitude, which would you choose? Work on your character's attitude and I promise, it will make your story 10X better!
Step 3: Connectivity
In order to really touch your readers in ways that you didn't think was possible, you have to grip onto their soul and never let go! You have to connect with your characters whether that the connecting emotion be anger, humiliation, grief, or even excitement. "Mikey gripped his bag. How could she do this to him? She couldn't leave him, not yet anyway. A single tear fell from his soft, complex cheek; it landed on his mother's hand. Suddenly, the heart monitor went rapid. Mikey's heart throbbed. All he wanted was an extra five minutes with his mom. That was his only wish..." See how your heart throbbed when you read that? That is connectivity. You need to entice your readers. This is how you will do it. If they can connect emotionally to a character you have a lot better of a chance for them to stay and read the book, rather than them trowing it back on the shelf.
Step 4: Depth
Having depth in a character is very simple but sounds extremely complicated. Make them believable and make their actions provide enough substantial evidence so that the reader can somewhat predict what their next action will be. This is another way that you will hook your readers into your story. Don't be the novel that no one remembers, be the novel that no one forgets.
Conclusion:
I will have more on "Character Development" later on in the blog. Those are just some really short, simple, quick answers to what character development is and how you can apply it to your story. Stay tuned for next time.
Next time in Writers Unit 2014: Mary-Sues