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Sometimes a character drop-kicks the door to your brain, cartwheels in and presents you with his own personal journal detailing every secret, hope, dream and description you could desire. But more often, you’ll be the one drop-kicking doors and interrogating characters who really would rather be going about their private lives without some know-it-all interfering, thank you very much.
I’m on the hunt with you, lads and lasses, and I’ve concocted a short guide to help break down doors.
(Note: These steps don’t strictly have to be in order, but I find they work best this way.)
Five Steps To Unlocking Reluctant Characters
1) Name ’em!
A name transforms your character into someone specific, and that’s the first step to knowing where this character buries her bodies.
My method for naming usually involves a lot of research (on Behind the Name or in my various reference books at home). I compile the names I like and send the list to a writing buddy for feedback. I weigh my friend’s recommendations against my gut feeling, and either pick a name or decide to keep searching.
(For more inspiration, check out a previous entry here on TGNWA that deals with character naming!)
2) Cast ’em!
Take yourself to Tumblr, Pinterest, DeviantArt, IMDB–wherever you go for pictures of people–and begin a quest. Find someone who looks like your character and be ready for a surprise!
When I set out to cast the villain for my current WIP, I wanted someone tough and hard–but I found myself returning again and again to Hugh Dancy, who is really rather adorable and friendly looking. Cahir (my character) knew what he wanted to look like, and he turned out quite different from my original concepts.
Sometimes you won’t find the perfect match, as was the case with the romantic interest in my last manuscript, Blessings. If you get to this point, I’d really recommend writing out a description and finding yourself an artist to commission. Put in $10-$30 to get concept art of your character so you have something to look at when inspiration stalls. There are plenty of talented and inexpensive artists on DevaintArt who’d love to help you out (including some of my favorites: ~Kalyith, Lostie815, Blue-Ten, and Jununy).
3) Interview ’em!
There are hundreds of character interview resources out there. Get yourself a list and get to work! Interview all the major players, including your antagonist. Much of this material will probably not need to appear in your book, but it’s important you know.
Some of my favorite sources for interview material: Ready, Set, Novel! by Lindsey Grant, Tavia Stewart-Streit and Chris Baty, and Crafting Unforgettable Characters by K.M. Weiland.
4) Write ’em!
Enough procrastinating! You won’t really know your characters until you start writing.
If you’re confident, go ahead and tackle the beginning. If you want to ease in, consider scenes from a character’s past or present that might be important (or at least interesting) and write those out. Again, this material might not make it into the novel, but it gives you the freedom to experiment with your character’s voice, attitude, and history without having to worry about plot constraints.
5) Gossip about ’em!
Find a friend or family member and get talking. Share what you know about your character, what you love or hate about them. If you have questions, pose them to your brainstorming companion. I find that some of the things that stump me for days about a character can be very simply solved by an outsider looking in. Get excited about the cast you’ve created, and make other people excited, too!
What methods do you use to make your characters talk? Leave a comment below!
Until next time, avoid talkative dragons and keep being awesome.
– Lys