Writing a character-driven novel is an art that few people learn, but it’s well worth the effort. Whether they’re human or not, characters are essential for any story. They can also provide crucial insights into issues that might be difficult to discuss in a nonfiction format.
As a writer, you know that novelists spend years pouring their hearts and souls into creating fictional characters. Creating a character profile template that readers will love is the hardest part of the job. That’s why we’re here to help you get started with these five tips for creating a memorable character:
● Form a strong backstory for every character:
A strong backstory is a key to making any character believable. Knowing their background, motivations, fears, and desires can help you show depth in your characters.
A great backstory is crucial to the success of any novel or screenplay. It helps readers relate to your characters, gives them more depth, and makes them feel more natural.
The essential part of creating a backstory for a character is understanding what drives them. Create compelling characters by asking deep questions about who they are, what they want, and how they react in certain situations. These questions will help you shape your protagonist into someone exciting and realistic enough to keep readers interested in their story.
● Make realistic characters:
Writing character-driven fiction is all about creating believable and realistic characters.
Characters who act convincingly and with believable motivations can help readers connect with them better than human characters ever could. When you write a story, you should create vivid, realistic characters that people can relate to. This is not easy, and it’s not just about the physical appearance. It’s about the way they think and reacts to situations.
● Focus on the character’s inner growth:
It’s never easy to find the balance between a character’s inner growth and a story arc. The best way to approach this is to ensure that the character’s internal growth is a continuous journey and not sudden change.
In short, this is about making sure that your characters feel real. If they’re too perfect, people will struggle with their emotions because it will be hard to relate.
One idea you might want to consider when writing character-driven fiction is using a timeline to show the development of your main character while also having some flashback scenes for more detail on their past experiences.
● Build your character’s point of view
When you’re writing a character-driven story, it’s crucial to think about what your character wants and what obstacles that want have to overcome.
At the beginning of the story, introduce your protagonist as a blank slate. Let them have a goal or something they want to achieve, but don’t give them everything they need to complete it yet. When their purpose becomes clear, so should their personality and traits.
If you’re writing characters who have a point of view, consider exploring their background and history first before giving them dialogue. Let them tell their own story first before giving them an opportunity for dialogue with other characters.
● Make your characters interact with the world:
To make your characters interact with the world, it is vital to think about their interactions with other people.
To create a world that feels authentic, the author needs to contend with the wide range of emotions that their characters feel. This helps them understand the character better and show their motivations more effectively.
Conclusion
Writing character-driven fiction is an art form that can be pretty challenging. It requires a lot of creativity, patience, and attention to detail. In the end, it is all about the story. It’s about character development and how those characters can be anything from your next best friend to your worst enemy.
To create a believable and engaging story, you need to practice writing and improve your writing skills. Prioritizing character development over all other aspects of a novel should be the key to a well-written story.
Character-driven fictions are all about the characters. Let them be the storytellers and tell their own stories in their ways to the readers. Let them make their own decisions and explain the motive behind their actions. Give them challenges and show how they overcome them and become a changed and better person as the story progresses.
