Characters can make or break even the best of ideas, but where do you start when building great characters?
It might depend on what type of writer you are. Here are a few options for getting started.
Character Profiling
Start with the basics: Who is your character?
- Create a character profile sheet and be as detailed as possible
- Physical characteristics
- Eye/hair color, weight, height, etc.
- Personality traits
- Happy, gloomy, morose, optimistic, etc.
- Likes/Dislikes
- Fears/Dreams
- Talents/Goals
- Secret or otherwise
- Flaws (We’ll talk about this on in more depth later)
Start with a picture
Instead of starting from scratch, find a picture you think is interesting and describe what you see. Go deeper than how they look.
- What motivates these characters?
- What are there goals?
- What are they afraid of?
- How did they end up in this situation?
- What emotions are they dealing with?
- Where will they go from here?
Start making a list of character traits that will help bring them to life.
The key with the beginning stages of character development is to get to know your characters, find out what problems they are facing (there MUST be a problem), and what the first stage of their journey looks like.
If you want to hear the full discussion now, listen to “Episode 5: Creating a Character with Depth” on #WritePublishRepeat Podcast.
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DelSheree
DelSheree Gladden was one of those shy, quiet kids who spent more time reading than talking. Literally. She didn't speak a single word for the first three months of preschool. Her fascination with reading led to many hours spent in the library and bookstores, and eventually to writing. She wrote her first novel when she was sixteen years old, but spent ten years rewriting it before having it published.
Native to New Mexico, DelSheree and her family spent several years in Colorado for college and work before moving back home to be near family. When not writing novels, you can find DelSheree reading, painting, sewing, and working with other authors.
DelSheree has several bestselling young adult series and has hit the USA Today Bestseller list twice as part of box sets. DelSheree also has contemporary romance, cozy mystery, and paranormal new adult series. Her writing is as varied as her reading interests.
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Instead of starting from scratch, find a picture you think is interesting and describe what you see. Go deeper than how they look.
USA Today Bestselling Author DelSheree Gladden 