Evaluating Your Fictional Character

Hey there writers! With all my posts about self-improvement, I like to mix it up and write about writing. Interested in finding ways to add depth to your character? Read on and if you would like to see how this can apply to your own life, scroll down to the bottom.

In my post about character development, I asked you to make a list of books with characters that you connected with the most. Let’s talk about how to deepen your connection between audience and your fictional character.

Whatever story you are telling your audience, you want to make it as real of an experience as possible. J.K. Rowling made me feel like I was right there with Harry, Ron, and Hermione during their wild adventures at Hogwarts. What will move your audience from one page to the next?

How Create a Strong Attachment to your Character

How will they keep pace with your story? Think about how your readers will relate to your character. Make your character flawed. Give them challenges to overcome. Expose their weaknesses. Show their vulnerabilities. This is one of the greatest gifts you can provide your audience. If you can have them empathize what your character is experiencing, you are on the right track. How do you do this?

I have included questions to ask when creating your character through their physical characteristics, speech, and thoughts.

Physical Characteristics

What’s their hair color? Eye color?

Where are they from?

What type of build do they have? Muscular? Thick? Thin? Small?

Do they have distinguishing features like a mole, birthmark, scar, tattoos, or piercings?

How do they style their hair?

Would another person describe them as attractive?

Are their things they do that let your audience know they are deep in thought, bored, angry, or flirty?

What makes them cringe, whine, smile, laugh, or sob? Provide some backstory.

Speech

Do they speak with a lisp? Stutter?

Is there a Southern lilt, or accent from a different country? What words give them away?

Are they using slang or proper English?

Do they swear and too what extent?

Thoughts

Who and what is important to them?

Do they see the world with the glass as half full or half empty? Why?

Are there traits they admire in others? Who do they admire?

What keeps them up at night?

How is their mental health?

What issues do they keep to themselves? How does that affect their attitude towards others?

What are they passionate about?

Conclusion

If you’re feeling stuck on where to take your story next, use the “Thoughts” questions as a guide in a journal entry and make them about you. Sometimes we have blocks in our subconscious that prevent us from allowing our creative self to grow. Give it a try. Your mind will begin to unwind and you will find your flow. Write on, my friends!

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