Creating Extraordinary Characters––Wrap-Up

It’s been a L-O-N-G series, but I wanted to especially focus in on different tools you can use to identify your characters’ personality types, by looking at least a couple different tools. I started with the D-I-S-C, but you’ll need to finish it. Just Google the DISC personalities, and you’ll find a wealth of information. Giving your characters unique and individual personalities will make them more interesting, plus your readers will care about them.. Click To Tweet #amwriting #characters

Today, I’m wrapping this series up with an encouragement to delve into personality types, characteristics, emotions, and motivations.

Tom Sawyer’s book Fiction Writing Demystified, has a long chapter on creating vivid, memorable, and engaging characters. We looked at a bit of that another time.

I’ll just list a few things to think about as you’re creating your characters.

• Write their backstory, which is their biography. Where and when were they born? Family background? What were the circumstances surrounding their birth?
• What is their emotional makeup? The personalities will help you figure out how your character is wired.
• What does each character want? How far are they willing to go to get what they want?
• How will you work in conflict between characters that drives the story and fuels the plot?
• What are the opinions of the characters? How can you use those to create conflict?
• How can you make your protagonist the kind of character that everyone can root for? Likeable, strong, catalystic, yet identifiable, while still being larger-than-life?

These are just a few of the questions to ask yourself in beginning to creating extraordinary characters. Compelling characters don’t just happen. They are created by you, the author. Click To Tweet #amwriting #characters