Helpful Hints on
Characterization
Characterization
Perfection Does Not Exist
No one is perfect, and that goes for the characters in our stories. The hero can
have a heart of gold, eyes as blue as the sky, hair as black as sin, and a smile that
can make the sun look like it is low on voltage. But come on now, shouldn't he
have some weakness, some part of him that is less than perfect? Maybe he
doesn't trust any woman further than he could toss her. Maybe he is scared of
needles, and faints at the sight of one.
The same holds true for your villain and villainess. Sure they are awful people,
and no doubt their souls are cold and dark, but isn't there even one beam of
good light in there? Of course there is. The villain might hate everybody, but
maybe he has a dog he would give his life for. The villainess probably wishes
death on those who defy her, but the sight of a baby might melt her cold heart,
and maybe she would even sacrifice something to protect a child. I'll never
forget the barkeeper from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. (I know, really old
show.) In lots of ways, he was this awful person, but there were times, when this
softer, good side of him broke free. It made him memorable -- it made him real.
He wasn't just a cardboard character, but a person with both good and bad inside
of him. Yes, more bad, but not all.
The difference between Cody and Egbert
One of the first things we need for a character is a name. It might not always
hold true in real life, but in fiction, it's necessary most times for the name to fit
the character. That's because -- right or wrong -- we all have preconceived ideas
as to who a person is with a given name. If I'm speaking to a female over the
phone that I've never met before, and she introduces herself as Ursula, Scarlett,
Desiree, or Hildegard, I get a picture of that person's appearance and character
in my mind. I might be way off, but it's there. So when I read, I do the same
thing. I find that for me personally, Egbert just doesn't work as a good name for
a hero. In my judgment, Egbert, Egor, or Eugene just does not a sexy hero make
-- although you might know one very sexy guy with one of these names, it's not
the norm. So, what kind of characters do names conjure up in your mind?
Make sure there is at least a good chance that those name will conjure up the
picture you want your readers to see.
Character tags
A tag word, tag look, or action tag can make even a character that has a small
part in your story stand out or be recognized when needed. With a main
character, it can show a little personality, a hint of tension, or just make them
seem more human.
In one of my stories (set in the 1800's and will probably never see the light of
day since it was lost and I doubt I'll try to rewrite it) I have a heroine who always
says "hell's bells" when she is angry. It's her way of cursing. No one else in the
story says this, so if the reader sees that tag in a sentence, they know who is
talking without a doubt. You could also have a character that has a habit of
calling everyone honey. Or a character that talks with slang, uses bad English, an
accent, or whatever fits that character and seems normal for him or her.
Action tags work the same way. I for one, have this habit of playing with my hair,
twisting strands of it around my finger. I notice I do this a lot more if I am
nervous, or even bored. I could have a character in a story who has a slight limp,
or the habit of jiggling loose change in his pocket, sucking on a piece of hard
candy, or maybe drumming his fingers on his desk.
Tag look (that doesn't sound right, but that's what I'm gonna call it) works the
same way. It can make a limited but needed character be remembered when
they pop up again. Say you have a character named Sissy, who only has a small
part in most of the story, but you really need your reader to know her when she
does show up because of some twist you have planned that's going to make her
important later on. Well, those action tags and word tags can do it, but so can a
look tag. If she always has a certain hat on, or too much makeup, or green hair,
chances are pretty good when ever she pops up and you describe that look tag,
your reader will spot her and remember her.
Charlotte Dillon ~ www.charlottedillon.com
Copyrighted 2003 by Charlotte Dillon
No one is perfect, and that goes for the characters in our stories. The hero can
have a heart of gold, eyes as blue as the sky, hair as black as sin, and a smile that
can make the sun look like it is low on voltage. But come on now, shouldn't he
have some weakness, some part of him that is less than perfect? Maybe he
doesn't trust any woman further than he could toss her. Maybe he is scared of
needles, and faints at the sight of one.
The same holds true for your villain and villainess. Sure they are awful people,
and no doubt their souls are cold and dark, but isn't there even one beam of
good light in there? Of course there is. The villain might hate everybody, but
maybe he has a dog he would give his life for. The villainess probably wishes
death on those who defy her, but the sight of a baby might melt her cold heart,
and maybe she would even sacrifice something to protect a child. I'll never
forget the barkeeper from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. (I know, really old
show.) In lots of ways, he was this awful person, but there were times, when this
softer, good side of him broke free. It made him memorable -- it made him real.
He wasn't just a cardboard character, but a person with both good and bad inside
of him. Yes, more bad, but not all.
The difference between Cody and Egbert
One of the first things we need for a character is a name. It might not always
hold true in real life, but in fiction, it's necessary most times for the name to fit
the character. That's because -- right or wrong -- we all have preconceived ideas
as to who a person is with a given name. If I'm speaking to a female over the
phone that I've never met before, and she introduces herself as Ursula, Scarlett,
Desiree, or Hildegard, I get a picture of that person's appearance and character
in my mind. I might be way off, but it's there. So when I read, I do the same
thing. I find that for me personally, Egbert just doesn't work as a good name for
a hero. In my judgment, Egbert, Egor, or Eugene just does not a sexy hero make
-- although you might know one very sexy guy with one of these names, it's not
the norm. So, what kind of characters do names conjure up in your mind?
Make sure there is at least a good chance that those name will conjure up the
picture you want your readers to see.
Character tags
A tag word, tag look, or action tag can make even a character that has a small
part in your story stand out or be recognized when needed. With a main
character, it can show a little personality, a hint of tension, or just make them
seem more human.
In one of my stories (set in the 1800's and will probably never see the light of
day since it was lost and I doubt I'll try to rewrite it) I have a heroine who always
says "hell's bells" when she is angry. It's her way of cursing. No one else in the
story says this, so if the reader sees that tag in a sentence, they know who is
talking without a doubt. You could also have a character that has a habit of
calling everyone honey. Or a character that talks with slang, uses bad English, an
accent, or whatever fits that character and seems normal for him or her.
Action tags work the same way. I for one, have this habit of playing with my hair,
twisting strands of it around my finger. I notice I do this a lot more if I am
nervous, or even bored. I could have a character in a story who has a slight limp,
or the habit of jiggling loose change in his pocket, sucking on a piece of hard
candy, or maybe drumming his fingers on his desk.
Tag look (that doesn't sound right, but that's what I'm gonna call it) works the
same way. It can make a limited but needed character be remembered when
they pop up again. Say you have a character named Sissy, who only has a small
part in most of the story, but you really need your reader to know her when she
does show up because of some twist you have planned that's going to make her
important later on. Well, those action tags and word tags can do it, but so can a
look tag. If she always has a certain hat on, or too much makeup, or green hair,
chances are pretty good when ever she pops up and you describe that look tag,
your reader will spot her and remember her.
Charlotte Dillon ~ www.charlottedillon.com
Copyrighted 2003 by Charlotte Dillon
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and including my name and link, please report the situation to me so it
can be handled. If you are unsure if your use will fall under what is
allowed, please contact me and ask. Thanks!
my site, may be used in a free newsletter or on a free website as long
as 'my name and a link to my homepage' is given. You may not include
my articles in an e-book without asking unless it's a free e-book and my
name and link are included. You may not charge in any way for others
to read or reach these articles. They may not be used in any way for
profit, like in a workshop, class, site where people have to pay for a
membership, ect...
If you find my articles being used in any way that isn't free and open
and including my name and link, please report the situation to me so it
can be handled. If you are unsure if your use will fall under what is
allowed, please contact me and ask. Thanks!
