when writing a story how do i make my characters come alive???

Question

writing is another thing i like to do in my spare time

Answer 1

I read this great article called "Creating Four Dimensional Characters" by Stephanie Kay Bendel, and here are my notes:

First Dimension- The Photograph
-physical characteristics you'd observe by looking at their photos like height, weight, body type, age, distinguishing traits like scars/tattoos
-pick what will be most memorable & create a pic in reader's mind
-present them w/out stopping story action ex. NOT "he had blue eyes." BUT "His blue eyes searched for the desk."

Second Dimension - The Videotape
-characteristics you'd observe by watching a video of char.
-descriptive action that might show a way a person moves across a room ex. strolls, lolligags, sprints, limps
-can hear voice, tone, pitch, accent, pace of speech, vocab
-reader can draw more conclusions when observing the chr. in action ex. do they tidy constantly? do they sit on their rear?

Third Dimension - The Stage Play
-traits revealed when you watch people interacting or reacting to circumstances
-get a sense of chr. intelligence, sensitivity level, social type (intro/extrovert, lead/follower, etc.)level of responsibility generally assumed, ethical, political, religious outlook, dependency level, educational background
-traits easily displayed when 2 chr. in conflict
-habitual behavior can be used to show 3D aspect ex. always interrupting means aggressive, controlling
-3D traits are public persona - how chr. is PERCEIVED by observation
-may not be consistent w/ private persona (4th D)

Fourth Dimension - Participatory Theater
-4D traits deal strictly w/ private persona - person stripped of pretense and deception
-reader must enter chars. mind or discover its inner workings
-public & private persona may conflict w/ one another
-author must answer question "Why?" - 2 people may behave exactly the same way for very different reasons, must know their motives
-Does this person have a secret? What is there about this chr no one else knows & how can I reveal info to reader?
-explore chars fantasies to show reader what is going on without intruding on the story

Answer 2

It might help to find a book that you love where the characters really came alive for you. Study the book carefully for hints about how that author made the characters come alive.

Here are some ideas:

Make up a "backstory" for your character -- it won't necessarily go in the story, but you'll know all about your character -- what she likes and dislikes, her birthday, the major trauma of her childhood, her happiest moment, etc.

Make sure your dialogue sounds like something *she* would say. Each character should sound *distinct* -- not like you've got a hand up their backs and you are making them talk with your voice. Give them their own voices.

Observe real people. How do you tell when your best friend is getting angry or sad? How do you tell when your parent is happy? Can you tell a story about two strangers you see on the street, just by observing their expressions and what they do? Do this for practice, then transfer some of the things you see to your characters.

Don't go overboard, but use just the right detail about the character at just the right time.

Good luck with the writing! We need more good books in the world . . . .

Answer 3

First off, each individual has their own unique voice when writing. People will either like your voice, or they won't. If even just one person likes your voice, then you are a 'successful writer'. (though it's much more satisfactory if more than just one likes it...) Secondly, no matter how much it can be a pain, you need a PLAN. No, seriously. I can't tell you how many kids I've run across that have such good potential, and will blaze off to write in a huge flurry of excitement, only to burn themselves out. Or, another common catastrophe occurs: they lose the picture. An author often will write and write and write, building suspense, only to find that they've backed themselves into a corner and completely blow off the ending. So, no matter how much a pain in the *** it is, at least write down a good, steady timeline, and know the structure you want it to take. Let's never forget: the characters. Mary Sues/Gary Stues? Trust me, only the twits who write those... creatures... enjoy that type of story. No matter how much you want your character to be awesome and ***-kicking and whatnot, it will bore the readers to tears when they're all-powerful and get through everything like a duex-ex-machina. *rolls eyes* So, an easy way to start a character is to settle on the name (not something long, complicated and annoying...), and give them one or two powers/specialties ONLY. Halfway through the story, you don't want the character to suddenly, out of nowhere, discover a power and save the day. Granted, some authors DO do that, but the only ones who can pull it off are GOOD. They have experience and there is a LOGICAL EXPLANATION for the sudden plot twist. Also remember, the character is HUMAN (well, usually), and that includes EMOTIONS. Yes, we all hate emotional whiners, but making the character a rock doesn't help anyone. Explain. However, do it in small amounts. Leave some to the imagination, but don't completely confuse people as to where you are. Trust me, when faced with a HUGE paragraph of annoying descriptions of setting/character/blah I skip the damn thing, and so does everyone else (unless they WANT to go into a coma). So, DO NOT WRITE: "she was so perfect in everyway, with perfect shiny black hair exactly shoulder-length with a perfect little flip on the end and perfectly applied makeup and lipstick that just made everyguy in teh area want to kiss her and perfect..." on and on and on, becuase frankly, most people don't care. A better example would be: "he looked past his friend and saw a pretty girl his age with black hair walking his way, looking up at him slightly." and then you can insert some dialogue, slipping in more details as you go. Snag the reader's attention. Not just the first sentence, but through as much of the story as possible. Yes, there will be slightly boring parts no doubt, but even so, try to keep that to a minimum. You want the reader entertained as much as possible, so they don't give up halfway through. This is getting rather long, so I should stop. I hope this helped somewhat, and I wish you good luck.

Answer 4

As much as I agree with Paul P about paying the gypsy, I'll have to say that that is not my approach. To make a character come alive, imagine him or her as a real person. This seems silly, but think of things such as his or her favorite hobbies, what colors she likes, her attitude, what she looks like. You don't need to write all of this down. It will however help you as a writer to know your own character so you will know how he or she will react in certain situations.

Answer 5

Your character has to feel alive to you before he/she will seem real to others. Get to know your character; think about what he/she is like. Think about your character's background, what motivates her/him, and how your character would react in given situations. "Daydream" about the character. Once the character comes alive for you, he/she will almost seem to have free will and you will not be able to maker her/him do things that are artificial or unnatural to his/her personality. Instead of being a puppet, the character will begin to seem like someone real that you are observing, and you are simply writing down what that person does. Then, to make the story, put that person in those situations that cause crises, decisions, and so forth, and see what happens.

Answer 6

I also like to write, and one thing I have been told in regard to creating characters is to give them distinct characteristics (a 'trademark') that sets them apart from other characters in your story. This is meant to make them seem like unique individuals. Another thing I think is key to making characters seem real is to treat them as real people, not just objects you manipulate and create (which sounds corny, I'm sure, but seems to work well for me).

It also may or may not help you to generate lists about them (physical features, likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc) and create 'character maps'. Lastly I would suggest that you reread your stories and try to imagine if a person would actually act like you're describing them to. (Sometimes dialogue that sounds plausible when you read it to yourself, actually seems very stilted when read aloud or by someone else).

Best of luck!

Answer 7

Honestly, if the characters are real and alive to you, it'll most likely already show in your writing. How well do you know them? Do you understand their thoughts and actions? If you don't, no one else will, either.

Answer 8

Margie Lawson has an online workshop called, "Empowering Characters' Emotions." It's amazing. Your characters will jump off the page afterwards. http://www.margielawson.com/

Basically, she shows you how to let your characters experience and react so that the reader can feel it, too. The layers of setting (sensory reactions to the environment), visceral (internal) reactions, believable dialogue, body language, action, and increasing tension have to work together to pull the reader in.

Answer 9

Ask yourself what this person would have on their dresser, in their closet, around their house. Figure out what their favorite color is, favorite book, etc. Pretend your character is a person and describe them to someone who doesnt know them..it will help you think of small details.

Answer 10

well they really come alive when the reader is able to find things in common with the character

i love readin too

have fun!
:)