Contributed by Karen Cioffi
From the simplest clues, a character can take shape.
Maybe you first reference the character as the boy or the tall girl. Even with those simple words, you've given that character life.
Before that, there wasn't a boy or a tall girl.
But there are a number of things you should avoid when writing your characters.
1. Don't over-dump physical details.
An example of this might be: Raul was tall and thin with green eyes and dark brown hair and a swimmer's body.
While you won't be able to get that all in within one scene, to convey his height you might write:
When the other boys couldn’t reach the shelf, Raul got the paper airplane down. "Good thing you're tall," said Shawn.
To convey his hair color:
From the back, Mrs. Stenzer couldn't tell which boy was Raul. They all had dark brown hair and were medium height.
To convey his body type:
Raul was the only new kid on the swim team to already have a swimmer's body.
If you need or want to let the reader know the physical characteristics of the characters I n your story, simply work that information in. Without dumping it.
2. Avoid being too vague.
While you don't need to convey every detail of a character, you can give enough to give the reader an idea of the character's physical attributes. The reader can then fill in the details.
Two examples of this might be:
His neat cut in the back and sides was in contrast to the long hair in front that fell below his brows.
He stretched his swimmer's body then raced into the ocean.
3. Include the character's environment.
A character may live in a low-income building, possibly a Section 8 apartment. Another may live in the back woods of Appalachian Mountains. All this will give insight into the character.
Or maybe the character lives in a penthouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Or, possibly a character lives in Saipan.
The character's environment can include his past environment also.
A book I'm writing now has one of the characters going from a rich lifestyle to a poor one. This could tell a lot about why the character may behave in a certain way or why she's depressed.
Another scenario may be that the protagonist was on a swimming team since he was seven. This will tell a lot about this teen's character. It takes discipline and drive to be a competitive swimmer. It will also have a large factor on his physical appearance.
4. Include the character's close relationships or past relationships.
How your character engages with the different people in his family, friends, and toward new people will show different facets of his character.
The friends he hangs around with will also show his tendencies and character. The expression 'birds of a feather flock together' can play a factor in the character's character.
5. Include appearance, clothes, and even sundry items.
How you describe your character's appearance can tell a lot about that character.
Are his clothes neat and ironed, with shirt tucked inside his pants? Does he use starch? Or is he unkempt? Are his clothes wrinkled with shirt partially tucked in or not tucked in at all?
What about her hair. Is it a mess? Does it look dirty? Or is it well groomed?
What about his hair? Is it short? Is it long? Is it well kept?
What does she keep in her pockets or purse? What does he keep in his backpack? Is there always a pack of gum? Are there breath mints? Do they always have a candy bar on them? What about a comb? The list can go on and on. And, each little item give another clue as to the character's character.
Hope these five tips help you make your characters memorable!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author, a successful children’s ghostwriter with 350+ satisfied clients worldwide, and an author online platform instructor. For children’s writing tips, or if you need help with your children’s story, visit: https://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com
You can check out Karen’s books at:
https://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com/karens-books/
MORE ON WRITING
What Drives Your Publishing?
Word Choice Matters
Writers: 3 Must-Have Tips
.png)
4 comments:
Thank you Karen! These tips are helpful reminders for me and for all writers!
Yes, very helpful tips Karen, thanks. One thing I try to do is concentrate on the main character's point of view, so most of what happens in the story comes from his/her perspective; how it makes her feel; what she observes.
Deborah, thank you. I'm glad it's helpful.
Linda, great advice. Making the main character's POV focused is so important when writing for children.
Post a Comment