Creating a Character
For Your Novel
By Mary Kole
Mary Kole is a former literary agent, freelance editor, writing teacher, author of Writing Irresistible Kidlit, and IP developer for major publishers, with over a decade in the publishing industry.
If you’re looking for information about creating a character for your novel, you’ve come to the right place. Crafting a memorable fiction protagonist is tough but important work. Without a compelling character, readers won’t care about your story, and they won’t get invested in your plot. So, how do you go about creating a character that people will love (or love to hate)? Here are some tips.
Creating a Character Who Feels Real
Allow your character to have shortcomings. It helps us relate to them, as we all make mistakes and go through difficult times. Nobody wants to read about a character who is perfect—because we likely all feel imperfect or flawed at times. In fact, if you’re creating a character in a novel, see if you can give them some relatable flaws and shortcomings … and make readers love them anyway. A tip to do this is to give them an undeniably good quality, even if some of their other qualities are suspect or dangerous or unlikeable. When you’re creating a character, think about both their strengths and their weaknesses. Ideally, their strengths and weaknesses are multiple sides of the same coin, where mastering their weakness will unlock a surprising strength. This is a great thing to keep in mind when creating a character arc.
Once their main underpinnings are people are ironed out, give them more texture and avoid the dreaded flat character. Give them hobbies and interests, as well as relationships with secondary characters, that set them apart from the crowd. This makes the character more memorable and realistic. Avoid making it seem like your character only exists for the purpose of this story. Ideally, they seem to have the suggestion of a rich and textured life outside of the events you’ve chosen for your plot.
Creating a Character Who Wants Something
The most important part of creating a character who feels real is knowing what drives them. Give your protagonist an objective, or a goal. What does your lead character want? What are they struggling for? Without any ambition, the story will lack interest. But creating a character who desperately wants something and makes choices to accomplish that goal, even in the face of huge plot obstacles, will get readers rooting for their success. (Characters should have an objective and motivation, but they should also have a character need—something that requires healing within them that they might not even know about at the outset of the story.)
Make your character believable. Even if they are bigger than life, they should still appear human with things that make them vulnerable and authentic. There’s nothing more equalizing than wanting something or feeling like you’ll never make it to your dreams. Avoid clichés and stereotypes that could turn readers off. Creating a character involves making a real, three-dimensional protagonist, not someone who feels generic.
Creating a character who is a great lead may require some effort, but it's worth it. A well-crafted protagonist will keep readers engaged and eager for more. So spend the time to fully develop your characters and think through their drivers and foibles, both the good and the bad. Creating a character involves becoming curious about human nature, and being willing to render it on the page in all of its messy glory.
Click here to purchase Writing Interiority: Crafting Irresistible Characters, my book on interiority and character creation. Explore your protagonist’s thoughts, feelings, reactions and interpretations, expectations, and inner struggles to create a rich, immersive experience. This guide will empower you to create characters who live and breathe on the page, fostering an unbreakable bond with your audience.