Six Tips for Creating More Lifelike Story Characters

Working on my first humorous novel, I started with a single character. I followed suggestions in writers' reference books for developing story characters. Then, still dissatisfied with my results, I began to explore other ways to make my characters more lifelike and included those strategies below.

1. Find your character's astrological sign and its corresponding description. How closely does that description match your character and his or her ways and tendencies?

2. Look in joke books for short anecdotes/short stories. Do any of the people in those anecdotes match or help to clarify your character(s) or ideas? Can you expand the character's problem(s) and action(s)?

3. Discover ways in which your character matches (or doesn't) a given stereotype. For example, are attractive women always thin and blond? Are sheriffs and police always honest? Are politicians always corrupt and self-serving? How does your character go against the grain and how does that tendency help or hinder his or her efforts in solving a problem?

4. Consider creating "turn-coat" characters, such as actress-turned-robber, professor-turned-miner, doctor-turned-scuba diver, school guard-turned-airline pilot. What gets a given character into the most trouble in the first place, his/her "old" or "new" occupation? How does the character set himself or herself up?

5. Has your character resolved to change his or her ways as a result of surviving an accident, catastrophe, ruinous divorce or love affair? Does your character take a turn for the worse, and if so, why or why not?

6. In what way or ways does your character resemble his or her pet or friend or sibling? How do those things enhance or complicate his or her problems in your story?

Dorothy Zjawin is working on her first humorous novel and adding ideas to her website, http://www.profitable-pen.com

---

Do The Unfamiliar To Keep Your Writing Going

One of the best ways to blow someone's winning streak... Read More

How To Become a Freelance Grant Writer

What is a freelance grant writer? These individuals have a... Read More

The Writing Club

Typically when falling asleep in bed at night great thoughts... Read More

Does Your Theme Contain Character, Conflict, Resolution?

Creative Writing Tips ?For a theme to work and the... Read More

The Beginners Guide to Freelance Writing

The Big IdeaOkay. So youve figured out that you would... Read More

Writing Personal Statements - Top Tips

WRITING THE PERSONAL STATEMENT TO GET INTO UK UNIVERSITYHOW DO... Read More

Should You Write a Book?

One morning, you open your inbox and find several e-mails... Read More

Crime Writing Beckons

If your cash is running out fast and you have... Read More

Plotting Problems - Episodic Writing

The rejection letter says: "Your story, on the surface, appears... Read More

Why Every Freelancer Should Have A Web Site

"Do I send samples, a media kit, or just the... Read More

Benjamin Franklin: His Ageless Writing Tips

If Ben Franklin were alive today, he would be...uh, very... Read More

Greatness

[When I was a nineteen-year-old high school student and budding... Read More

What you Dont Know About Book Publishing Can Cost You

Dream that your book can be a number one best... Read More

9 More Writing Tips for Successful Email Marketing

A few months ago, I wrote a guide entitled: 101... Read More

In Praise of Personal Pronouns

Rudolph Flesch, a pioneering advocate of readability, put great stock... Read More

Story Structure - Final Conflict

Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More

You Can Be An Author

"You should write a book." For years, I had been... Read More

Open a Vein

If you want to be a writer, you must write... Read More

Your Words Will Determine Your Business!

Be careful when you write.Words you use, sentences you phrase... Read More

Hero?s Journey ? The First Threshold

Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More

The Myths Of Writing: Have You Bought Into These?

There is an image most people carry of the artist... Read More

10 Things that Keep You from Writing Your Book? and What You Can do About It

9 out of 10 professionals and small business owners have... Read More

The Spectre Hound

And a dreadful thing from the cliff did spring, and... Read More

Get Creative In The Great Outdoors

Summer's here and the time is write for dancing in... Read More

Tell the World About You

You have a new website, or a new business, or... Read More

Weaving Your Personal Statement Together

1. SECRETS TO SUCCESS2. MAKING A POWERFUL FIRST IMPRESSION3. AVOID... Read More

Suspense Novels Need Fast Starts

Suspense novels, unlike any other genre, need fast starts. Fans... Read More

Writing Help

Whether you are working for a small business, large corporation,... Read More

Rules for Getting the Story Down

1. Write it fast, fix it later.2. Commit to writing... Read More

Dont Make This Huge Writing Mistake!

You can create a great headline, a dynamic first sentence,... Read More

Writing is a Discipline

If a writer considers writing to be a task, he/she... Read More

Get Rich Writing With Your Computer Word Processor

Your computer is a writing machine, a word processor, a... Read More

Mission Possible: Get Published with Goals, Guidance, and Persistance

You send me an e-mail. You tell me you've written... Read More