Creating Multidimensional Characters

I hate picking up a book or going to see a movie only to feel like I have just met a set of cardboard one-dimensional characters that didn't make me feel anything. It feels like a waste of time where I could have done something productive instead. One of the worst things for a writer is to create characters that readers do not want to get emotionally invested in, nor commit to keep reading about them.
When I sit down to write, making my characters multidimensional is something I have to be constantly conscious of, and work at getting it right. It is not an easy task.

So what makes a character multidimensional?

Well, think about all the people you know in real life. What makes them interesting/different/human? You would be hard pressed to come up with one person in your life who always has the same expression and acts the same way  no matter what the circumstances. Everyone has their own little neurosis, occasional moods swings, periods of depression or anger following a negative event and unbridled joy following life's positive events. Everyone dreams of something, has certain hardships in their daily lives and loves in their own way.

A character who always acts confident no matter what's going on around her may become flat and boring. Make her act confident in public but give her moments of insecurity and doubt in private, and suddenly she becomes more human, and definitely more relate-able. Hey, even super-heroes show weakness from time to time. That's why they are interesting.

Observe the behavior of people that you interact with every day (or on occasion) and note the nuances of their speech, body language and mannerisms. Write these down and keep adding to the list frequently. Then use these notes to make your characters come alive. Infuse all your characters - primary and secondary, protagonists and antagonists - with the traits and behaviors of real, "recognizable" people.

Another way to make characters more multidimensional is to give them a history, a background. It is always easier to understand individual choices and personalities when you know what shaped them in the past and what they want in the future. None of us exist in a vacuum - don't insert your characters into one.

Have fun with writing your characters, explore them and let them tell you about who and what they are as you write them. Allow them to giggle at an inopportune moment because they are nervous, and to have a good snotty cry when life gets too tough. Make them come alive for yourself first. Then they'll come alive for your readers as well.

Creating Great Characters For Your Novels

NaBloPoMo Post #10

What does it take to create a character that is memorable and interesting, someone a reader wants to follow and know more about?

A character might already live in your head. Maybe you know her personality. Maybe you know about something in her past that will help define her personality. Or you might begin your novel not knowing anything about your characters and create them from scratch.

Whatever the case, it is important to know at least the basics of your main characters before you begin writing. That is not to say that you cannot learn about them as you go. No matter how well you think you know your characters, you will learn more about them as you’re writing. Chances are, they will even surprise you a few times.

When I say you should know the basics, I mean knowing at least the following:

Name

Physical description

Where they live

Some background information, such as what their family is like, what is their cultural background, etc..

What are some of their believes

Some of their flaws; this is particularly important to make a character believable. Everybody has flaws. Those flaws will influence the character’s actions in some way, present some kind of a problem that needs to be overcome maybe.

There are tools out there for writers that help with character (and world) building. Here are a few you might find useful.

Character Chart

Character Chart

Character Chart and Great tips on character building  

Many writers, however, use a simple Excel spreadsheet, or even a Word document, to keep track of character traits and background info. Whichever way you chose to do it, think of this exercise as a fun way to get to know your characters better, make them interesting. Another exercise you might consider is character interviews. You can come up with a number of questions and makes them as detailed as you want. Then really get into the character’s head by answering them.

If you need some help coming up with a character questionnaire or interview questions, the following may help you get started.

Katrina Stonoff’s blog offers a 100 character questions list.

Go talk to your characters and have fun. Happy Writing!