Copyright 2000 by Richelle Putnam
1,193 words
WHAT IS CHARACTER?

What would Ella Enchanted have been without Ella or The Best Christmas Pageant Ever without the Herdmans? Louis Sachar could never have written There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom without a boy named Bradley Chalkers.
A story without character is like a body without organs. An empty shell. Plot may drive the character, but without character, even the most exciting plot is utterly useless. A hurricane striking an abandoned coastline, or a fire destroying a vacant building are futile stories without characters struggling to survive.
So what is the definition of character?
(a) A person represented in a story
(b) Individuality of a person
(c) Physical features
(d) Moral or ethical qualities
(e) Individual behavior
(f) Personality
(g) Or all of the above
If you guessed all of the above, you are correct. Character is the heart and soul of every manuscript.
Remember Maniac Magee? And Palmer in Wringer? And who could ever forget Stanley Yelnats in Louis Sachar’s Holes? Why does S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders still sit boldly on shelves of bookstores? Characters.
So, how does a writer create full, poignant characters that readers relate to, cry over, laugh with, and cheer on? The task is not a simple one, but neither is it an impossible one.
So let’s create a memorable character step by step, shall we?
(a) The character name – Name is very important. A well-bred princess wouldn’t likely be Twinky, nor would an urchin raised on the docks likely be named Alexander the Great. Choose character names carefully, just as you would your own child. Names define character. Alex might be a strong, athletic type. Jennifer could be a studious, yet dreamy girl. Think about M. C. Higgins the Great. Now that’s a name that defined character. A name powerful enough to be the name of the book. Who can help but remember Beverly Cleary’s Ramona? And what kind of name is Kelly Beans? It’s the kind readers remember.
(b) Individuality – How does your character dress? Does he like what’s cool or does he give a rip? Is he up to date or old fashioned? Maybe he’s colorblind or has extremely bad taste. Are his shoes Nikes, deck shoes, or hiking boots? Does she wear halters, sportswear, frayed jeans, or Capri pants? Allow your reader to visualize your character’s likes and dislikes. Have your character roll her eyes as she bypasses the new white button down blouse hanging in her closet, and dreams of owning the frilly silk one in Barton’s Department Store. Indicate her desire as she flips through the latest fashion magazines, or scrimps on lunch to buy designer jeans. Individuality also includes hobbies, sports, music, and reading your character likes. But don’t tell your readers these things. Have the book, Little Women, sitting on her bedside table, or have him return the Wild Boys CD he borrowed from his best friend. Hanging a Grateful Dead poster on her wall or a Big Purple Barney will describe her without saying anything. Little noticeable things like these allow your readers into your character’s life.
(c) Physical features – What is the color of your character’s hair? Skin? Eyes? Is her nose long? Her cheekbones high? Is your character’s face expressive when he speaks? Do his brows furrow when he’s agitated? Are his fingers short and stubby, or long and slender? How tall is he? And so on. Your readers will want to visualize each character vividly. Remember that. You don’t have to give detailed descriptions in one long, boring paragraph. In fact, that’s a definite no-no. Divvy it out, bit by bit, a little at a time.
(d) Moral/Ethical Qualities – This is how your character feels about issues, large or small. What does she think about drinking and drugs? Is it no big deal? What about premarital sex? Cheating on a test? Taking a quarter off Mrs. Simpson’s kitchen table? Is she judgmental of others because of social status? The character will portray these qualities by actions and choices. Thoughts play a big part, because your character will not give long, parental type speeches. However, don’t create a perfect character, or an evil character that has absolutely nothing good about him. Everyone has a little bad and little good. When we make villains that are hopeless or heroes that are flawless, we are building an unrealistic world that a young audience sees right through.
(e) Behavior – How does your character conduct himself? Is he well behaved around adults and out of control around peers, or is he the class-clown who gets into trouble no matter where he is? Does he treat every adult with respect, except his father? Is he comfortable around the guys and tight as a knot around girls? We know that behavior so much of the time is not the true character and so do children and young adults. Take a boy whose father has left him and his mother. He yells at his mother even though he is angry with his father. He skips school knowing it’s wrong and that his mother will have to face the consequences with him. Guilt and hurt devour him. He protects himself with rage. His behavior is not a true representation of who he truly is, but it is what others see. Your readers will have the opportunity to know the real character, so build him completely, with a behavior that, though it may not be becoming, is realistic in a stressful situation.
(f) Personality – Is your character the bubbly cheerleader type who never quits talking, or a serious type who takes everything personally? Is he a thinker or a doer? Does he let things slide off his back or do things fester like a boil? Is he an over-achiever or an under-achiever? Does he have a good sense of humor? Is she a perfectionist with schoolwork, yet her room looks like a disaster area? “He has a good personality.” What does that mean? Kids say it all the time and you need to know how to show it, not just say it. When you assign personalities to your characters, don’t always make cheerleaders bubbly, or straight ‘A’ students serious, and the wrong-side-of-the-track-kid the one that teachers have trouble with. Avoid labels. Children and young adults are quick to catch that and are to first to avoid labeling. As an author, don’t just throw twists into plot, but into character as well, however, be careful not to go against a character’s nature. Your readers feel as if they know them so well. An author who does well with that is Lois Duncan. Her book I Know What You Did Last Summer is a prime example, but Daughters of Eve is my favorite.
If you really want to learn about great characters, read. The books I have mentioned above are only a few that possess memorable characters one will never forget.
I now maintain a character library of my favorite characters. A new member of my family is Jerry Spinelli’s Stargirl, and though I will share her with others, she will always be returned to her special place on my bookshelf.
Now, go fill your manuscript with heart and soul.

Richelle Putnam is a two-time graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature and a student in the Institute’s Beyond the Basics Course. She has completed Writer's Digest Fiction Course, and Coffeehouse for Writer’s Flash Fiction Course. She’s won many writing competitions, and has been published in World Wide Writers, Beginnings, Lovewords, The Institute of Children’s Literature, Orchard Press Mysteries, Fiction Fix, Mystic-Ink, Novel Advice, The Writing Parent, Gotta Write Network, and Suite 101’s Real People, Real Stories Anthology. Her work will soon appear Wee Ones and Child Author. Her middle-grade fiction, Fallout, was published March 2001. She is also a creative writing instructor and speaker, Children’s and Young Adult Editor for Gotta Write Network, and regional representative for National Association for Women’s Writers. More about her can be seen at www.authorsden.com/richellemputnam






The greatest plot fades away without in-depth characters.

View article at Gotta Write Network