Have you ever stopped to think - who am I? What goes into making a person who he is? One ingredient is character, and the triumphs and tribulations we experience everyday help shape our character. These character building moments can also help writers with their story telling.
A story can be happy, sad, humorous, or serious. It doesn’t matter. What matters is how believable the story is to the reader. In order to tell a believable story, a writer has to have three-dimensional characters. People the reader can relate to and understand. The following story is an example. When you read it, try putting yourself in the characters’ shoes. Ask yourself:
- Is their behaviour plausible?
- Would I behave in a similar manner?
- How would I behave differently?
Monster in my Stroller
In a quiet suburban neighbourhood, a mother walks down the sidewalk, pushing a stroller. The silence is broken as the stroller’s two-year-old occupant yells, “Play monster! Play monster!”
The toddler roars, and Mom plays along, pushing the stroller in a crazy zigzag.
“Oh no! There’s a monster in my stroller!” Mom yells and hears hysterical laughter emanate from the menacing creature.
As Mom pushes the stroller across the street, the monster within continues her roaring rampage. However when a car stops and the driver asks, “Is there a problem?” silence befalls the neighbourhood once more - mom and child reprimanded.
* * *
The above story is exactly 100 words. However, even in these few words we can garnish a lot of information about the characters - both as individuals and as a whole.
The toddler: the little girl in the stroller loves to play and has a vivid imagination. She is not shy and enjoys the attention her mother gives to her make believe worlds.
The mother: encourages her daughter’s imagination by playing along, and she didn’t try to stop her daughter from playing in a boisterous manner.
The driver: someone who has not witnessed much creative play and doesn’t see how pushing a stroller haphazardly down a side walk is fun.
The whole story: There are people who feel freer than others when it comes to expressing their character. However, people who don’t mind acting silly once in a while can still be reigned in quickly when their behaviour is called into question.
* * *
It’s amazing how much of an influence society has on an individual’s character. It only took a single individual to change the behaviour of the other characters in this story. The next time writing a story becomes tedious and hard because one of your characters has gone off and done something stupidly you would never do, you should stop and think about your world. Look at the people built around your character. They have more control over your character’s actions than you do.
If you believe the mother and toddler in Monster in my Stroller, should have continued their game, just change the driver’s reaction and see how differently it reads. Have him stop and say, “You look like you’re having fun”; or “Hey I should try that the next time my toddler gets fussy in his stroller.”
Who we are and who your characters are is shaped by other people. To change a character, look at the society you built around him. Change your world and you are on your way to creating characters people can believe in.
Felix