Creating Characters
When I'm creating characters, I always put a little of me in them.
“When I used to teach creative writing, I would tell the students to make their characters want something right away—even if it’s only a glass of water. Characters paralyzed by the meaninglessness of modern life still have to drink water from time to time.” —Kurt Vonnegut
Creating Characters
Creating characters out of thin air can be daunting for any writer, which is why many writers base their characters on people they have interacted with or observed or heavily researched or even on themselves.
When I'm creating characters, I always put a little of me in them, and then I bring in bits and pieces from people who are around me or who I observe. That way I feel like I know my characters intimately, but I have the freedom to develop them according to the needs of my story.
This is why I prefer writing fiction over nonfiction even though many of my stories begin with something that is real—a setting, a situation, a person.
Here is what Gabriel García Márquez had to say about character:
"In the end you should probably know your characters as well as you know yourself. You should be able to close your eyes and dwell inside that character’s body. The sound of her voice. The texture of her footsteps. Walk around with her for a while. Let her dwell in the rattlebag of your head. Make a mental list of who/what she is, where she comes from. Appearance. Body language. Unique mannerisms. Childhood. Conflicts. Desires. Voice. Allow your characters to surprise you. When it seems they should go right, send them left. When they appear too joyful, break them. When they want to leave the page, force them to stay a sentence longer. Complicate them. Conflict them. Give them forked tongues. This is what real life is all about. Don’t be too logical. Logic can paralyse us."
When you're trying to figure out how to develop characters, start by observing who is around you.
What do the people around you look like? How do they dress? How do they hold themselves? What does their body language say about the way they feel?
Listen to how you and your family members speak to each other.
Observe your friends and how they talk and act.
Eavesdrop on conversations in coffee shops, in grocery stores.
Listen to what people say and how they say it.
I speak differently with my best friend than I do with someone I meet at the bus stop.
All of these details go into creating character.
And once you have an idea who you want to write about, then you need shape your characters by giving them goals in your story and having them act according to their motivations.
Writing Prompt
Make a list of 5 to 10 people who interest you such as your children, your siblings, your dentist, the bus driver, etc. Whose lives are you curious by? And why?
Pick one of these people and write a paragraph describing all the objective details that you know about them such as their age, occupation, residence, financial situation, relationship status, etc.
Then write a paragraph including subjective details such as how they feel about themselves and their lives, their jobs, their relationships, the world. What makes them happy or sad? What baggage do they carry around? How do they move through the world? What do they believe in?
Put this character into a situation where they are either literally or psychologically trapped. Perhaps they are in a car and can't get out or they are in a relationship that is no longer good for them. This will be the premise of your short story.
Next describe how they got into this situation at this point in time. This will be your beginning.
Then describe how they try to get out of this situation. Who or what is preventing them from getting what they want? This will be the body of your story where the bulk of the action and conflict will take place.
And finally show us whether or not your character is able to achieve their goal of getting out of the situation in which they are trapped. This will be the resolution or end of your story.
For Inspiration
"The Hostage," by Amelia Gray, The New Yorker
“I Won’t Clean the Tub” from my story collection Anecdotes follows this structure. Original published in Geist Magazine.
About Kathryn Mockler
Kathryn Mockler is the author of the story collection Anecdotes (Book*hug Press, 2023), five books of poetry, and several short films and experimental videos.
She co-edited the print anthology Watch Your Head: Writers and Artists Respond to the Climate Crisis (Coach House Books, 2020) and she runs Send My Love to Anyone, a literary newsletter which was a featured Substack publication in 2023. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Victoria where she teaches creative writing.
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