We don't live in a question and
answer world. We live. We react to problems, take action in certain events. The
way we live, act, react, speak, shut up, and even help people
are huge part of who we are. In order to truly get to know our characters,
we need to go beyond the fill-in-the-blank worksheets. As writers,
we need to completely uncover what makes are characters who they are, and
if there is no depth, then it's our job to create it.
Is your main
character "normal" enough to relate to your reader? Data from Star Trek The Next Generation
was unlike all the characters in the show because he was an android, but he
faced normal struggles that helped viewers relate to him. Although not human,
he was enough life one to be a likable character.
Does your main character have a
unique element, a curiosity factor to keep your reader interested? Data wanted to know what it was
like to be human. This makes viewers curious. As Data learns and explores
things that make us human, how is an android going to view those things?
Does your main character have flaws
that make them relatable and not just "human?" Data wasn’t even human, but he
struggled with fitting in, dealing with bullies, deciding his future. Data was
rude, inconsiderate, thoughtless at times, and he wasn’t even human at all. But
these struggles and flaws made him relatable.
Where--or with whom--does your main
character feel the most at home? Data felt comfortable around a small group of the
crew that understood his desires and struggles as an android. His actions around
these people are different from the actions he takes around people that don’t
understand as well.
Where--or with whom--does your main
character feel the loneliest? When Data was around people who failed to understand
his desire to become like human, he struggled to communicate and confide
personal information.
How does your main character handle
large scale problems? When the Enterprise was at stake, Data handled the
problem with logical, mathematical analysis. Yes, this is because he was an android,
but he was also always willing to sacrifice himself. This was characteristic of
Data and the viewers knew that it was part of what defined him.
How does you main character handle
small personal problems? When they find the problem? When someone else points
out the problem? Data
constantly looked at himself for ways to improve when things went wrong. He
continually looked to himself as a source of the problem and the solution.
Again, an attitude that characterized Data.
Every
character is going to be drastically different, but these questions should help
you dig deeper in what defines them. Your answers to these questions will also
help you write when you get to certain points of conflict or plot twists. You’ll
have a solid idea of what actions your character is going to take.
~ Alyson
Comments
Post a Comment
Let me know what you think : )