Interestingly, since publishing Betrayer in 2014, I've had several people, when they heard I had indie published a book, interested in how I went about the creating and publishing process. So I'd like to try and take a few blog posts to highlight some of the major steps in my journey through creation and publication. And, it's a great excuse to talk a little about my upcoming release! ;)
Great characters are pretty much THE thing you need when you're writing fiction. Fall-in-lovable characters truly cover a multitude of writerly sins, and no matter how fantastic your concept is, or how intricately woven your plot, or how poetic your descriptions, it's all pretty much for naught if your readers can't connect with your characters. But, speaking from experience, fabulous characters don't just create themselves. There are so many GREAT blogs out there for writers, with awesome, in-depth articles on specific ways to make your characters really special, from creating the perfect villain, to making readers sympathize with your hero. But what I want to talk about is how I actually built the characters from the ground up, plus some tips to make the process a little more efficient, if you're still in the conceptual stages of your WIP.
For my Red Wolf Trilogy, (the first book, Quench the Day, will hopefully be coming out this spring), I started out with a basic plot idea, and began to develop that first, before I found characters to fit the story. I love books with characters who will drive the story forward of their own volition. Characters who are so well developed that they sometimes misbehave and do things they weren't supposed to... and still manage to pull it off. Those kinds of characters. Here are a few things that helped in building and fine-tuning my cast of characters.
1. What kind of shoes do they have to fill?
First off, the basics. Namely, what kind of person would be acting the way your character needs to act? Seems pretty obvious, but sometimes boiling down the idea and stating it in a simple question helps to focus your thinking process.
A good thing to consider at this point too would be what kind of mood you want for your story, because it's the characters, far more than your own writing voice, that are going to pull that off.
In Quench the Day, my second MC (main character) is Aaro D'Araines, a cattle rancher and cousin to the king. He's got a pretty intense personality, which he needs in order to turn himself into an assassin. But he's not entirely dark and brooding, either. He's cocky and confident, just because he can be, but he's got enough of a sense of humor that he's not a jerk. He also has a sense of raw honesty and irony toward himself and the situations he's put in. Overall, he gives the story an intense flavor, without being oppressive or dark (at least that's what I was going for!).
Now, I could have drastically changed the outlook of the book, and still kept the plot, if I had used a wildly sarcastic character, or a character riddled with self-doubt, or a peevish scholarly character. Don't just build a character because they can do what you want them to do, but make sure its someone who will shape the mood of your story as well.
Contrasts often add depth. Thus the ever-popular wise-cracking antihero forced to save the world. It can get clichéd, or irritating if it's taken too far, but it's a legitimate way to spice up your story. Having your hero react in ways that are quirky or unique (gestures, thought processes, the way he phrases his words, the things he can find humor in, or the little, stupid things that rub him the wrong way), shows off his individuality, breathing life into him.
2. What is their MBTI personality type?
This year I discovered Meyer's-Briggs personality typing, and it has been groundbreaking! As an INTJ (one of the rarest types, especially for women), suddenly I was able to understand myself better... and why I sometimes feel like an alien... but anywho. It has been SO helpful in my writing as well. You can find more info on MBTI and take the personality test here. I took the test for all of my main characters, and for some more minor characters who were giving me a hard time. I can't even begin to express how helpful this was! It brought a sense of clarity and depth with the personality type descriptions that made my job of digging into characters' minds much easier. It brought together their actions, reactions, and thought processes, and helped iron out some wishy-washy characters.
My other MC in Quench, Rowan, was giving me a hard time for a while. I knew she needed to be outspoken, willful, strong and confident, but also smart and logical. She has a temper, but isn't ruled by it. But getting that fine line in the right place turned out to be a little tricky. Taking the personality test for her, I found out she's and ENTP-- extroverted, intuitive, thinking, perceiving. The personality that's an extrovert, but also a lone wolf, a maverick, a devil's advocate, and a master conversationalist. She can provoke anyone, but then bluff her way out of it. Someone who's too smart and outspoken for their own good. It pinned down the details of her character that I was struggling with, and gave me insight into how she would think. It suggested some common traits for ENTP personalities that I hadn't considered, that I was able to tweak for Rowan and others characters. Jackpot!
3. Pinterest!
While this isn't, perhaps, super necessary, I found it fun and helpful to put together a Pinterest board for my two MCs, plus the villain. Let's face it, who doesn't imagine what their character would look like if they stepped onto the silver screen? It's great to put together some visual cues on how your characters look and dress, quotes that sound like them, plus other relevant tidbits. It keeps things fresh and exciting.
Here are the boards I put together for my MCs.
Rowan.
Aaro.
Ormand.
4. What drives them?
This is the place where personality type, character history, and their special spark of individuality all collide. You have to ask, "What would motivate a character like this to do something like that?" Turning a decent guy into a murderer. Making an independent girl willingly marry someone who's almost a stranger. What makes them tick? This is also a great place to start looking for theme, but we're not talking about theme yet, so this is me, sticking to topic.
You end up playing psychologist, criminologist, and detective all at once. Look at the events of your plot, look at your characters' personalities, look at their history, and then start digging deep. Boil it down to one word, if you can. One trait that drives their actions and decisions. And then explore all the facets of that trait.
For Aaro, his outstanding trait is loyalty. It makes him protective toward his friends and the people he's responsible for, slow to act rashly, and in return, it attracts loyalty from others. But once broken and twisted, that same sense of loyalty consumes him with a need for revenge. It's really interesting to take a trait like that and explore all the positive and negative ways that it would play out, and then put them into action, not just in regards the main plot, but in the nuances of all their interactions.
I hope this peek into my character creation process was helpful! It was actually pretty cool for me to go through and pin down some of the steps I went through in this latest book as well. Plus, getting to give a sneak peak at some of my characters for the first time is pretty exciting!
I'm hoping to continue this book creation series with some more reveals about the upcoming release of Quench the Day, culminating in some book giveaways, so stay tuned! In the mean time, tell me what you think. Are there any secret weapons you use for creating great characters? I'd love to hear about them!
