When creating characters for a novel, is it necessary to create a family tree?

Question

I'm trying to write a western book series, and although its another western horse opera in the likes of TV shows "Big Valley" and "Bonanza". It is set in the 1850s, any advice on how to create these stories appealing and interesting without getting bored with it as i do soo many times.

Answer 1

This Might Help, I am taking a Creative Writing Class and we are doing the same thing:
STEP 1- Aquire 3 characters, or as many as your story may need. Aim for variety! For example: a 45 year old farmer who is a male, a 55 year old nurse, female, and a 20 year old manager at a fast food resturant, a male.
STEP 2- Give each of your own characters a name, a brief physical description. For example: Ned Forbes- a 45 year old farmer is 5''9, 170 lbs, with brown thinning hair, brown eyes, wrinkled tan skin, wearing denim overalls, a plaid shirt, straw hat, and has brown boots. Do this for all your characters. If they are more important characters is would make sense to add more details that characters who are stated briefly in the novel. In order for the readers to know and love the characters they need to know more.
STEP 3-Give each of your important characters a most stricking characteristic. Also to make them more complex you can give them, say, 2 lesser characteristics. For example: Ned Forbes' striking characteristic is that he is hard worker, and the to lesser can be the he is honest, and quiet.
STEP 4- This is the last step, give each character a speech characteristic. If your characters are going to be in a western then it shouldn't hard to find one. Like for example Ned Forbes in a western book setting would talk like this," I ain't got na tractor." or maybe he uses double negatives. When you write you should be able to see it. Don't write that your character has a country accent, but show it whe he talks to other characters.

I hope all this helps. It deffinetly helped me. Sorry if it is long, but in order to write something good and worth reading it takes time. Hey if you don't mind, i would love to read your western when you are done. email it to me.

Answer 2

If you are doing a western horse opera, you should go back about three generations. Your main characters, their parents, and possibly the grandparents. You don't need a lot of info on the grandparents, but you do need to have some flavor if they appear.

Remember in the 1850's California was just getting settled and there was practically nothing in Wyoming, Colorado, and Idaho. The few settlements were around army forts. Kansas and Missouri were being settled as was Oregon. Utah had very few people and only the mountains of Nevada were getting any interest (no settlers, though).

In the 1860s you had more people settling in Idaho, but still very few in Wyoming and Nebraska and almost none in Montana until the late 1860s. Check when the Bozeman Gold Rush happened for early dates in Montana.

Population explosions happened around gold and you might mention that in your story. It could have been the impetus that got your characters out west. Many people came to pan for gold, but others came to feed or supply or victimize the gold hunters.

Answer 3

More is less. Concentrate on action rather than description. The reader doesn't have to know the whole family tree. Just 'pick' one or two illustrous characters (like the grandfather who founded the farm or the grannie who single-handedly fought back an attack of braves with her rifle, aided only by her 5-year-old son (who is NOW the owner of the Ranch) who helped her re-load.
Make these stories appear in narrative form as the family sits around dinner and the youngster ask to 'hear the old story again'....

Answer 4

I think that, at least for yourself, a family tree is a good idea, as back story for yourself, especially if you are doing a series with lots of characters, if only to help you keep things straight and not be inconsistent in your stories.
Also, doing something like this might give you ideas on where to take your stories.

Answer 5

It's not necessary, but you'll find that it opens up possibilities if you do. The more background your characters have, the more 'real' they become, until they can virtually write their own stories. Then it's just a matter of putting them in various situations and watching them react.

BTW, background information on characters is for the writer's benefit; the audience will never see any of it unless it happens to come up.

Answer 6

Personally i rather choose those books that show the family tree hidden on the story, specially by characters introducing them, for example: she suddenly remember the day when her relative show her how to do something or to don't do it, etc, etc.

Answer 7

Yeah if its really a long one - i mean with lotsa characters. And if the timeline - its history involves different kinds. It will help the readers to classify the characters easily.

Answer 8

not for the reader, but certainly for you.