In Novel Writing, Creating a Character is Art in itself. The Art of Portraying a Character with Personality, Nuance, Layers & Motivation that drives them through a Story.
Faithful characters are recognizable and three-dimensional. Each of them has genuine personality traits, such as appearance, emotion, and backstory, which consider them believable. The motivations of the character reassure ones actions and decisions, creating a strong portrayal in the tale.
So how do you go about creating characters, one who captivates your audience? Many people use character charts like this their Appearances, Background, Age & their Favorites. But with so many layers to fill, it’s easy to get bogged down by the details of the character’s appearance or their favorite foods and everyday routines.
While these details can make your character feel more three-dimensional in your own mind, they aren’t very relevant to the story itself. Nor your readers will connect with the character. Your plot takes shape around your characters’desires. Because of this, it is better to work from the inside out, and focus on their personality and goals first.
While writing novels, from a mystery to a romance novel, plan to spend much time while creating characters mapping out the nuances as to who the characters are, inside and outside. Your aim is to develop unforgettable characters with the use of narrative methods and writing approaches.
Table of Contents
Rich Personality Traits & Character Quirks
In order for Creating characters to be interesting, they need to have attractive qualities. Intelligence and humor are common but effective ones, as are bighearted and resiliency in times of hardship. They may be honorable in that they stick to their moral grounds no matter what, or they may be endlessly loyal to their friends.
Perhaps they have a special skill, magical or otherwise. This doesn’t need to be a “strength”in the traditional sense; maybe they have a knack for lying or getting into fights. When it comes to identifying attractive qualities, just ask yourself “What about this character will intrigue readers?”
Special Space for the Evolution of the Character
Your character needs Special Space to Evolve that enhances the Narrative arc of the story. In real life, humans are not static beings. Our relationships, our opinions, and our feelings about life changes over time. The Perfect Importance should be given to Backstory or the Origin Story of the Character.
While Creating Characters, you must recognize how everything has shaped your life. How every Place, Every Period, every person in your life, and every action are linked with each other; and How all of them have played a very important role in evolving your life, your mannerism, your maturity, your lookout and your mindset.
For example, a character may be very selfish at the beginning, but after learning to empathize with others, he becomes more altruistic. This change doesn’t always need to be a positive one, however.
Someone who is naive may become more jaded as the story progresses, as in a loss of innocence narrative. It can also be growth in terms of beliefs rather than personality.
Clear Goals & Motivations
Characters must have clear goals. Almost all stories are character-driven, with the protagonist’s actions creating a causal chain of events—but it’s important to pay attention to passive vs active goals. With passive goals, the protagonist is merely reacting to the antagonist. With active goals, the protagonist has agency and is making plans to change the future.
While Creating Character of Protagonist, Goals can come in many forms: survive, defeat the Big Bad, gain wealth and get the girl, redeem oneself; or find meaning and purpose in life. Goals are tied to character growth in that they can shift as a result of a change in perspective or motivation. “What does this character want, and how do they plan to get it?”
Something On Stake – Someone to Loose
In The Process of Creating Character, Character needs something to lose, or there need to be on stakes. The threat of a large loss can work for plot purposes and Character Evolution. There also need to be smaller, more personal stakes. Stakes involves death, a damsel in distress, or the loss of a family.
But stakes are often more relatable when they focus on everyday fears. We’re afraid of being embarrassed in front of our peers. Of our loved ones never granting forgiveness for our mistakes. Of not pursuing our dreams and living a shell of a life in an office cubicle until we’re old and gray. We’re afraid of having regrets.
Creating Characters with the fear that is universal to the human experience, and let it haunt your character.
Character Analysis of Captain America aka Steve Rogers
Let’s Analyse the Character Art of ‘Steve Rogers/Captain America’, The Most Popular Superhero of Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The God’s Righteous Man. The Noble, Idealistic, Leader, and the World war veteran. From being an Ordinary Guy, An Underdog, and The man who is always bullied because of his Appearance later turned out to be the most Powerful and Idealistic Soldier & Superhero.
As Far as, Captain’s Personality traits; Captain proves to be an Ultimate War Commander. His Organization & Strategic Skills, His Idealistic & Leadership Skills lead him to Command the Group of Superheroes like Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye & Hulk.
We also knew, he was always prepared to sacrifice his life for country, for Mankind, even for his friends as well. We all knew the beautiful love story of Steve & Peggy. Steve still carries the compass, which holds the picture of Peggy inside the lid.
As The Evolution of The Character, Captain America is the one Character who have always faces the harder edge. Creating Character of Captain America, that has undergone number of Incidents and leaps that leads him in the Massive Evolution. Be it the Good-Guy becoming Superhero, from Struggling with the fact that He looses all his loved ones, his friends, and even his time back.
To Struggling in the Modern World, and how the Peoples, their Mindset, and Threats have evolved over time. To leading the Avengers against every threat. To take a strong stand against the ‘Sokovia Accord’, favoring 117 countries. Leaving Beside the fact that He is the Living Legend, and the Greatest Soldier of Century in the Universe; He ran as a Fugitive and was living the life of Nomad until Infinity War happens.
Unlike Thor & Tony Stark, Who were living in guilt of losing the battle against Thanos and trying to distract themselves. As Tony was living in the Cabin with wife & daughter, While Thor was living in depression playing Video Games and drinking whole day. Captain Rogers was still Active on his duty to serve, He Counseling & helping Peoples to overcome from all that Happens in the climax of Infinity War.
Captain America’s Goal was Clear, He just wanted to do what is Right. After Loosing his love Interest, His time; All that he was left is with the Team of Superhero ‘Avengers’ which he has to lead. He leads and treats all them as a Family, the family that he don’t want to loose nor wants put on stake.
The Biggest Example of the Character Evolution was when Captain yields Thor’s Hammer, and posses the God Level Strength. We Really Feel Happy for Captain, when he went to his time and stays forever with Peggy.
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