When the desire to write a novel arises, the first question future writers ask is where to start? Someone starts with an idea, someone paints the plot in detail, and someone immediately proceeds to describe the landscapes. But, in fact, you can start writing with characters. Moreover, this is how it should be done.
Reading books, you can see how differently the authors pay attention to the characters of their characters. And, if a book with a wonderful plot, but dry and lifeless characters, leaves in memory little memory, then a work with perfectly described and realistic characters will never be forgotten.
In our time great attention The American writer Donna Tartt pays attention to characters in her books. Reading her works, you understand that some characters look more real and interesting than real people. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Tartt deservedly received the Pulitzer Prize for her latest novel.
James Frey talks very well about character creation in his book How to Write a Great Novel:
1. A fictional person must be different from a reasonable person.
One one of the main mistakes of writers is that they “write off” their characters from real people. This is not bad if you take only a part of the qualities, and invent the rest, or exaggerate. The fact is that the reader will be bored watching ordinary people. The fictional person must surpass the real person in everything. It should be more emotional, or, conversely, more boring. His actions are bound to surprise and shock, delight or disappoint. Just do not leave indifferent. The reader will not forgive this.
Very important. Whatever your character is, his actions should be understandable to the reader. If his actions and feelings seem illogical to someone, people will simply close the book and find something better.
Also it is important to understand that a fictional person is easier to describe than a rational person. Why? Because he has a limited storyline, and you only need to describe the feelings and decisions of the character that the plot requires.
Characters are the material from which the entire novel is built.
2. A fictional person - subspecies.
"flat", "cardboard", "one-dimensional". Here we are talking about the characters of the second plan, whom we can meet in the book once or twice, hear a couple of words from them, and no longer remember their existence. These are, for example, bartenders, waiters, etc. We do not care what is happening in their inner world, what losses they have experienced, whom they loved and whom they hated. It does not matter. Such characters can not be painted;
a "full", "multidimensional", or "triangular" character. This is the type of main characters, including villains. The main quality of this type is that no label can be attached to its representatives. They must be interesting personalities, with a complex and complex motivation for actions. These heroes must endure a lot of suffering and know a lot of joys, love, hate, seek and run away, suffer and enjoy ... And, most importantly, they must have a full biography. But more on that later. You must interest the reader so that he wants to get to know your characters better.
3. Getting to know the characters
How to get to know the characters? In his work "The Art of Creating dramatic works"Lajos Egri calls the character "triangular", and highlights the following facets:
physiological. This includes all the physical qualities of your character, such as his weight, height, age, eye color, health status, and the like. Although this line may seem the easiest to create, it must be remembered that it is by appearance that they are judged in the first place. Therefore, it is important that the appearance fits the personality of the character;
sociological. To form this edge, you need to answer the following questions: what social class does your character belong to? What church does he go to? political party does it support? Who raised him? Was he a spoiled child, or did he grow up in strictness and order? Does he have many friends? What are their common qualities? And there can be many, many such questions. The main thing is to find out what your character is socially. It is very important to understand the dynamics of character development. He was not born the way he is now, he became that way. You need to understand the reasons for the formation of his character, only in this way you will get a realistic hero;
psychological. It should immediately be noted that it is not necessary to be professional psychologist to create good and quality characters. It is enough to understand human nature and be observant. Has your employee quit? Find out why he did it. Did a friend quit malnutrition and signed up for sports? Get in touch and find out what caused these changes.
This facet is considered to be the interaction of the social and physiological facets. Here you need to describe the passions, fantasies, complexes, fears, guilt of your character, and the like. It also includes emotions, habits, intelligence, self-confidence and various tendencies.
The greatness of the drama depends on how the author manages to create complex multidimensional images of the characters. thus, the eternal task of self-knowledge turns for the playwright into the task of knowing the characters own work. The old "know thyself" call for the playwright is "get to know the characters as closely as possible." George Baker Drama Technique
4. Making the characters act
Very important advice- do not create inert characters. Have you ever read books that minor characters were more interesting than the main ones? This should not be so, firstly, and secondly, this happens due to the fact that the main character turned out to be inert. In this case, he will avoid conflicts, be afraid of difficulties and struggle. Such characters are of no interest to anyone. Try to keep your main characters dynamic and able to cope with various difficult situations.
5. Create a character biography
Before you start writing the first chapter of the book, you need to fully create each character. The biography of the main characters should consist of 10-50 A4 pages. You should know everything about your character - where he was born, how he grew up, who raised him, with whom he was friends, whom he loved ... In general, everything that can explain to the reader why your hero became the way he is now.
Of course, when you have almost the entire biography in front of you (it is recommended to write it in the first person), you will still have a few questions about the hero, the answers to which you will not know. Then the best option will hold character interview. Since he is a figment of your imagination, all his answers will definitely be honest.
You must paint all the details of your hero's life. Even if you don't use them in the book, and no one but you knows about them, you must write them. After all, you are creating a person.
Write the books you yourself like to read.
If you take all these tips into account when creating your character, you will realize that you yourself begin to believe in his existence. This will be confirmation that you have created a truly high-quality hero.
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For real good book includes not only a carefully thought-out and interesting plot, but also characters that we can’t help but fall in love with, who cling to us to the core and make us experience the events of the book with them. So why are they captivating us?
In this article, I will tell you some simple secrets that you will use to come up with a character for a book.
First of all, we must decide for ourselves what should be our main character and what might interest the reader. Reading a lot of books, you might think that some writers real talent to create unusual protagonists for books that attract attention, that they just once appeared in the head of the author and declared themselves. But, of course, this is not entirely true. Each hero is a personality thought out to the smallest detail, who has his own worldview, some kind of past, carries a certain experience in life. Have you thought about how much work we have to do?
But the work, I must admit, is pleasant and interesting. So, for starters, let's open a brand new notepad that tempts with clean pages (however, you can just start a file on your computer) and write a dossier on our character. There will be many points.
1. Name and surname Acquaintance with your character for the reader begins with his name. Therefore, the name, of course, is better to choose the original. It's great if you're in the habit of writing down ideas that pop up out of the blue on the street or anywhere else, because then you probably already have a couple of pretty names in your pocket. If not, be sure to try it! In the meantime, the all-encompassing Internet is quite capable of helping you. There may even be a story associated with the name. If there is one in your imagination, write it down in the same paragraph. Your character may not need a last name. If, nevertheless, you decide that it is necessary, then do not forget about the relationship between surname and origin. For example, if you write in the fantasy genre, then the names of the representatives different peoples should emphasize their belonging to it. Also especially beautiful surnames found in the descendants of an aristocratic family.
2. Age In this paragraph, indicate the approximate date of birth of the character or how old he is on this moment. You can try to use the astrological signs of the Zodiac and choose a date that matches his desired character.
3. Origin Here write where your hero was born, is there any story connected with this? If he now lives elsewhere, why did he leave? Don't forget nationality. If it matters, then go back two points and see if the character's first and last name match it.
4. Appearance Now that we know where our character comes from and what his name is, let's try to imagine what he might look like. Do not rush to immediately proceed to the description, for starters, just create an image in your head and carefully study it. It should have some special details that will help you and the reader along with you to perceive your character more realistically.
5. Family Here you need to decide who your character's parents were, what kind of relationship he had or has with them. Your hero may have learned something from parenting experience, or maybe he was closer to his mother than to his father, or vice versa. There must be reasons for all this, indicate them too. Family status. If your character is divorced, then talk about his feelings for ex-wife and what is the story behind it.
6. Character This is perhaps one of the most difficult points, and one of those that you will definitely supplement from time to time. Describe here the demeanor, temperament of your character. At first, you may not be able to write anything specific, but the disclosure of the following points will gradually tell you more about this person.
7. Aspirations Your hero may have some kind of dream. Even if there is no dream, he definitely must have some goals in life.
8. Fears There are no people who are not afraid of anything at all. At this point, there may be superstitions that your hero believes, or maybe something in the past is connected with his fears, then this should also be mentioned.
9. Relationships with people First, point out what your character truly appreciates in people. Take this seriously, because this trait sometimes determines the initial relationship with strangers. Here is the hero's views on love and sex. What role do relationships and feelings play in his life? What are his moral qualities?
10. Work and education Where the hero studied and how well, where he worked (works), what kind of relationship he has with his colleagues. Does he like his job? Write.
11. Place of residence Where does your hero live and who lives with him. Why did he settle here, maybe a whole story is also connected with this?
12. Pastime Everyone has a couple of personal hobbies, and your character is no exception, most likely. At this point, you should also talk about how the character prefers to spend free time: walks around the city, friends, bar, books?
13. Friends Friends can tell us something about a person, so this point is also important. We should think about whether our character has many friends, if they have any at all. It may turn out that he really doesn’t have close friends, but he does have a few friends.
14. Bad habits What kind of person has no vices? Describing this item can go a long way in helping you add some personality to your character. Or maybe he repents, and decided to quit everything? However, some little things must be present, he is not an angel.
15. Attitude towards society and the situation in the world Of course, it may be that your character does not care deeply about everything that happens outside of him. own life, but if not, then you should write here how he relates to talking about politics, and which side he usually takes. Does he follow the news?
16. Faith Your character's attitude towards religion can change a lot in his perception of the world. Write what religion he considers himself to be, what he believes in. Is the hero fanatic or is he a convinced atheist? If yes, why?
This is what your character profile will look like. For convenience and clarity, you can use, many of which were discussed by me in a previous article. Be prepared for the fact that the dossier will change and be supplemented. This does not mean that you have to change it completely, just do not be afraid to make changes, they definitely contribute to the development. Of course, the reader will not immediately recognize your character as a whole, and not all the details will be revealed by you in the book. But all these points will create a lively, holistic image, with which it will be much easier and more interesting for you to work later. In the end, who is the reader more likely to love - a superficially described hero, or a real, living person, with his thoughts, emotions, understanding?
Somewhere I read this phrase: if only the hero you invented starts doing things unexpected for you, rejoice, he was a success. This is already a full-fledged personality, about the actions of which you do not have to think deeply. The character takes on a life of his own.
Well latest tips. If you have taken on great work, pay close attention your character's past. Skeletons in the closet are just wonderful, but it’s better if there are more than one of them, and they will appear gradually, step by step. It is very interesting to intertwine two storylines: past and present. By the end of the novel, your character must reconsider some things. Perhaps, for the sake of this, a difficult dilemma will be put before him, which the hero will not be able to solve, adhering to his initial beliefs. As a result, he will change his inner world which is exactly what we are trying to achieve.
Now you know how to come up with a character for a book. On our site you can also read tips on how to avoid and. Good luck!
Heroes and characters play a key role in the story - we look at the world through their eyes, we live with their feelings, we empathize with them throughout the story. However, in order for the image to turn out whole and “alive”, you will have to work hard on it, inventing and prescribing all its elements.
So, what is the image of any character? Two main parts - appearance and inner world. And each of these parts, in turn, consists of several interconnected elements.
Creating the appearance of the hero
1. Visual appearance.
Common elements of the visual image are the color of the eyes, hair and skin, height-weight, complexion, facial features, the presence or absence of any limbs, gait - stooped or with a straight back. Additional items - unusual shape ears or lips, hairstyle, scars, lameness, glasses, moles, mustaches, beards, freckles, etc.
Appearance is a sign. And our consciousness is filled with stereotypes that respond to signs. As with the symbolic word "apple" we imagine the image of the fruit and its taste, so when describing the hero we associate his appearance with his character.
For example, many will immediately consider a plump and undersized person to be a good-natured person, a red-haired and green-eyed woman - a passionate and freedom-loving nature, a limping black-eyed man with a scar - definitely a bandit, a blue-eyed blonde - a close-minded angel. And so on.
Choosing the color of eyes and hair for a character, we not only focus on our own ideal, but also subconsciously attribute to him the features of a stereotype. And you can play on this, making the plump "good man" the main villain, and the blonde angel - a demon, surprising readers with the unexpectedness of perception.
2. Clothing and footwear.
We ourselves dress based on character traits (in everyday life), out of necessity (season or work), out of fashion, out of national characteristics or features of the subculture (emo or goths). We dress and shoe the characters according to the same principles. And we also choose the color and cut of clothes and shoes, accessories like neckerchiefs or hats.
For knowledgeable people, clothing and its color will tell a lot about us - about character, preferences and fears. When working on the image of the hero of knowledge psychological characteristics- at least colors- can be very useful. It is also useful to study local subcultures - they are symbolic, and you can create something of your own based on them.
3. Auditory and kinesthetic (tactile) perception.
TO auditory perception primarily refers to the timbre of the voice. And you can play on the correspondence-inconsistency of voice and appearance, diversifying the image and surprising the reader.
The auditory perception of the image also includes all the sounds made by a person: coughing, grunting, sniffling, exclamation, chuckles. And a tirelessly sniffing or blowing one's nose causes a certain emotional reaction which completes the image. As well as the vocal characteristics of the national characteristics of speech - the well-known dialect "okanye" or "yakany", "swallowing" the last syllable, etc.
The whole gamut of human emotions is reflected in the voice - in a surprised exclamation, in raising the tone with anger, in stuttering with embarrassment, in a scream with discontent, etc. The Russian language is rich in descriptions of emotions, you just need to choose the right ones for your character.
kinesthetic perception are feelings from a person. Smells, intuitive perception, aura sensation. There are famous common expressions- "an aura of danger emanated from him", "he has a heavy energy, and he suppressed himself." And it’s not worth talking much about smells, and so it’s clear. And you should not neglect these feelings, they are an integral part of the character and
Literary course "Creating a hero"
Suitable for those who start writing a book, and for those who want to refine and "revive" an already finished character.
In 14 days you will receive all the necessary theory and step-by-step practical tasks. At the end of the course, you will have full story hero. You will recognize his motives and come up with bright plot twists which will show the development of the character of the hero in the best way.
4. Emotional and behavioral reactions.
Facial expressions, gestures, changes in movements or complexion - all this complements the appearance of the character. Without them, it seems cardboard, painted, fake, inanimate.
Emotional reactions
- this is, in fact, an emotional response to one's own or other people's words, behavior, unexpected meeting, on the feelings that one character has for another, on the attitude to what is happening.
So, the characters turn pale with anger, blush with rage, turn pink with embarrassment, turn green with longing. They smile gleefully or wickedly, wince in displeasure, squint in suspicion, and make faces in teasing.
Behavioral responses- this is visible behavior: in gestures or in movements, habitual or changing in different situations.
habitual reactions- these are mechanical movements, those that the person himself no longer notices, but does constantly.
Someone likes to wind a strand of hair around their finger, someone likes to pinch their earlobe, someone likes to scratch their nose or heel, someone during a conversation reinforces words with gestures and waves his hands. This also includes gait and landing - on the couch or at the table (often found: "habitually lounging on the couch" or "habitually climbing into a chair with your feet").
Changing reactions- these are changes in habitual actions or in actions that depend on situations.
So, a person stoops in a cold wind, shudders and looks around at a sharp shout, shakes his finger or shows his fist, stretches or rubs his tailbone after a long sitting, quickens his step, being late, etc.
Of course, in the initial description of the character, all these elements are not taken into account, but they can be gradually developed, weaving them into the plot on occasion. But first they need to be invented and assembled into a single image. This can help - for yourself, for others, for random passers-by.
Any person is already, consider, a ready-made character of the work, from which you can write off the appearance. Just like borrowing the inner world that will be discussed.
We invite you!
Daria Gushchina
writer, fantasy writer
(page VKontakte
In Literature for the People (1983), Robert Peck gives the following advice: “Being a writer is not easy. Approach the matter in a slipshod manner, and very quickly the moment will come when you have to pay the bills. Therefore, before typing at the top of the virgin clean slate"Chapter I" (and then sit for a week over this sheet, thinking about what to do next), it is necessary to prepare each character.
The phrase "prepare the character" implies the creation of a background, a background for each main character. In other words, the main characters need a biography. For most writers, and no doubt for all aspiring writers, writing character biographies is the first mandatory preliminary step.
Let's say you decide to write a detective story about a murder mystery. You don’t have a well-thought-out plot yet, you just have an idea. First of all, once we are talking about a murder mystery, you need a killer. It is he who will become the main villain, the main negative character your work. The villain's intrigues kick-start the story, so in a sense, the villain is the "author" of your work. What other characters you will have depends on the plans of the villain you create.
Suppose you want to write about a woman who killed her husband because he dishonored the family. He dealt drugs to make money. He always has no money, because he spends everything on the races. He's betting on the wrong horses. You have no idea who this woman is, what she is. The only thing you know is that she is very smart (if not, then she will not make a worthwhile villain). You know that she plans the crime with all care and cunning. Moreover, the speed of solving the crime depends on her intelligence and deceit. Therefore, the smarter you have it, the better.
Now you need main character, the hero who will solve the crime. What if you do not have suitable candidates for this role?
In novels of this genre, there are different types hero detectives. Positive hero or the heroine may be sophisticated professionals (Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade), intellectuals (Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot), gifted dilettantes (Ellery Queen, Miss Marple) or bystanders drawn into the thick of things by the plot (Mrs. de Winter in the novel by Daphne Du Maurier "Rebecca").
Which type is preferable is up to you. The choice depends on your imagination giving birth to the plot. The reader loves detective stories. Some people like to follow the train of thought of an intellectual like Sherlock Holmes, busy investigating a mysterious crime. Someone likes to tremble and experience horror along with an innocent victim caught in the net of bloody intrigues. Someone comes to the delight of a strong courageous investigator, walking through mud and slush along dark dangerous alleys, breaking through heads on the go and dodging bullets.
If you're an avid fan of one type of novel or another, sit down and grab a pen. Write books that you yourself like to read. True, there is one exception: a novel written on behalf of a strong, courageous detective. In such a work, the style of narration will be very specific. Maintaining this style is very difficult, especially for a novice writer. In case of failure, expect accusations of imitation. However, if your detective novel turns into a parody, it will be even worse.
You can choose any type of novel. However, regardless of the choice, you will have to create within the framework of a certain tradition, the rules and canons of which you have already familiarized yourself with if you have read a lot. Famous author free to depart from tradition and break the canon, readers will forgive him. The novice author is deprived of this privilege, so he is strongly advised not to go beyond the traditional.
Let's say you decide to write a novel about professional detectives. You like the novels of Stanley Gardner, Ed McBain, Ross Macdonald, John Dickenson Carr and Robert Parker. The professional detective type is your favorite. But the trouble is, you don't know what your professional detective will be like. Start with a name. This will help to draw in the imagination appearance character.
Avoid the names often given to detectives in novels. No Rockfords, Harpers, Archers or Marlows. You need something special, fresh. No need to go beyond the bounds of reason. Giving the main character the frilly name of Stempsky Shazaks can scare the reader away. The bottom line is that you should create within the generally accepted framework. The architect can change the size of the corners, the number of columns, and the slope of the house's roof, but inside that house there must be exactly as many rooms, bathrooms, and toilets as the clients require.
Let's give our detective a name that detectives don't normally have, say Boyer. Boyer Mitchell, how are you? Sounds like? Most common name. If you can't come up with a name yourself, take the phone book - there are an abyss of names.
The vast majority of detectives are always middle-aged, gray-haired, experienced, have a tough character. Let Boyer be young and inexperienced for a change. Outwardly, he should not look like a detective. Detectives in novels are always daring, tall, stand out with severe male beauty. Let Boyer be of average height, clumsy, round-shouldered, fragile physique, intelligent appearance, with large dark attentive eyes. He moves slowly. He believes in being judged by clothes, so he is neat, and he also has sparkling white teeth, pleasant manners, he is quiet and thoughtful. Many take him for a scientist. He is twenty-six and still single.
Where did the image of Boyer Mitchell come from? Out of nowhere, it was woven out of thin air by the author of the book you are reading. He chose traits that were the opposite of those usually found in detective novels, traits that had long since become stereotyped. Boyer might as well be old, fat, and a hard drinker. The description of the characters is based on two pillars - breaking stereotypes and harmony.
Harmony, according to Egri, is the art of creating bright characters, acting like "instruments in an orchestra, giving birth to a harmonious melody." In other words, don't make all heroes greedy or ambitious. Characters should contrast with each other. If one character is hardworking and diligent, make the other a slacker. Hamlet was indecisive, he lacked willpower, he was more inclined to think than to act. He wandered gloomy, immersed in thought, filled with self-pity. Laertes is a character bred as a contrast to Hamlet, exclusively a man of action.
There is one more important point, which is worth mentioning when it comes to character creation. You, the writer, will have to settle in the minds of your characters for quite a long time. Seriously think about whether you want to work with such characters? Are they interesting to you? Maybe you do not want to work on a young, intelligent and fragile Boyer Mitchell, you need him to be old, fat and drinking? Do as you please, you write the novel. If you are fascinated by your characters, if you like them, then most likely your readers will like them too.
So, we roughly determined physiological facet of Boyer and slightly touched it sociological edge. The image became clearer, but still blurry. He is the main character of our novel, so we must penetrate into his soul, understand him to the marrow of his bones.
Boyer is not like typical detective, so, for starters, let's ask ourselves why Boyer suddenly decided to catch criminals. Maybe his motivation coincided with the motivation of many young people who choose their own path in life - he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps? It's time to let your imagination run wild. Let's imagine that his father was "Big Jake" Mitchell, the man Dashiell Hammett based on Sam Spade. Big Jake is tough, tough, shrewd, and will stop at nothing to protect his client's interests. More than once or twice he had to turn his jaw, being in the service of what he calls "higher justice." Boyer considers "Big Jake" Mitchell a bully, but that doesn't stop him from admiring his father at the same time. He believes in justice as sincerely as his father, but he also believes that social order is based on the observance of laws.
If we find such a father for Boyer, then our hero will have to reach out to the level of Big Jake. People always compare themselves to their fathers. Old enemies, whose hatred is still hot, turn the sons' lives into a nightmare. Big Jake, even in death, will remain a cross that Boyer will carry with him all his life. When creating a character's biography, look for details that can influence his actions and emotions in the novel. Multidimensional characters, like real people, have a past. This past is always with them.
And yet, for now, we only have a rough sketch of Boyer Mitchell. We need to breathe life into it. How? We will write his biography either in the first or in the third person. The biography below contains sketches of yet unrevealed relationships, allusions to some events that are not narrated in detail, etc. The biography does not at all require a detailed and comprehensive description of the character. It's simple short story about his life, which can help the writer better understand his protagonist. The writer creates a biography of the character only for himself and for no one else. Here is a biography of Boyer, written in the first person.
“My name is Boyer Bennington Mitchell. I was born on the first of January. I'm twenty six. I'm not just young, I also look young. With such an appearance in my profession, it is difficult to gain respect, but I have learned to deal with it.
For me, the most important thing is to get things done. As my father said: if you take money, work off every cent.
My father is "Big Jake" Mitchell. This is another problem for me. It is not easy to reach the level of a human legend.
Boyer Bennington was my mother's name. She was born into a family belonging to high society, she's from the Bennington family in Vermont. This is a very ancient family in New England. It so happened that in 1955 her uncle was killed here in San Francisco, and the police never found the criminal.
Let's go to Big Jake. A day later he caught the killer, and a day later he married his mother. She just lost her head. And no wonder: the father knew how to deal with women. They are all crazy about macho. Mom, at least. True, in marriage, the parents were happy as prisoners in a punishment cell.
The reason for all the troubles lay in the fact that the father insisted - one must live on what he earns, although the mother had so much money that it would be enough to buy all of Monaco. Big Jake made good money. But what is "not bad" when you're used to driving Rolls-Royces and spending the winter in the Bahamas? What a childhood I had! My mother wanted me to play the violin. And this is with a complete lack of hearing and a sense of rhythm. I have changed nine teachers. My mother blamed them for my failures. But I never set out to become a musician. When I was about fifteen, I was finally released from music lessons. Now my mother wanted to make me a banker. I didn't even want to hear about it. No, gentlemen, ever since I was a child, I wanted to be a private investigator. And even as a child, I was stubborn as a donkey. If I wanted something, I always tried to achieve what I wanted, no matter what the cost.
My mother said I wouldn't succeed - I don't look like my father at all. She fought me with the desperation of the Boers against the English. But, believe it or not, you don't have to be like Big Jake Mitchell to be a good private eye. His style is not my style. If I behaved like him, I would have been torn to pieces in the first six months.
I believe that a good private investigator should first of all have an excellent training in the field of scientific forensics, and not cast muscles and hefty fists. In college, I scored more courses in chemistry, physics, mathematics, law, forensics, programming. I can say with confidence: I'm good at investigating crimes. When Big Jake was killed in 1982, I was finishing my graduate school. Everything in my life went upside down, I was just about to get married, I had just had an operation, I wanted to buy a house and even looked at some options. Everything had to be abandoned. I took my father's business into my own hands ... "
We now have an idea of how Boyer's life began. For such important characters like Boyer, such a biographical sketch should be ten to fifty pages long. In it, you outline the events of the hero's life from the moment he was born to the beginning of your novel.
So, why did we reflect in the biography exactly these particular events in Boyer's life? As already mentioned, we need elements that will influence the behavior and feelings of the character in the novel. Boyer is young and therefore shy. Some of the other characters don't take him seriously due to his appearance. This means that Bowyer will definitely face additional difficulties. Always look for and create obstacles for your heroes. Neglect some characters to Boyer will prevent him from reaching the level of his father. Boyer's mother, who is still alive, will persuade him to change his profession - here's another obstacle for you. But he gritting his teeth will rush to the goal. As a compensation for external data that, according to the stereotype, does not correspond to the chosen profession, we will reward him with something else: intelligence and diligence. The death of his father not only forced our hero to get down to business when he was not yet fully ready for work. The death of Big Jake forced Boyer to change his plans for his personal life, to abandon the wedding. Here's another hurdle for you.
We could well create a completely different biography. In this case, the character of Boyer Bennington Mitchell would have changed radically. You can make Boyer's father a corrupt cop. Then our hero will have to defend his honest name. We could decide that he does not help in solving crimes scientific approach, but intuition. We could write that Boyer has an old, poor, sick mother and has to pay her bills. How the character appears to the reader depends entirely on the author. Shuffle the options in your imagination, there are an infinite number of them. Your the main task- to create a bright, believable multidimensional character who will brilliantly play the role assigned to him in the novel.
If you carefully work on the biography of your characters, you will know them as well as your brothers, sisters or best friends even before the novel begins. It's impossible to make a list of everything that needs to be included in a character's biography. It's up to you. The biographical sketch should include those events that will affect the feelings and behavior of your character in the novel. Tell us about everything that shaped his habits, beliefs, views, inclinations, attachments, superstitions - in short, everything that affects a person’s behavior, his decision-making in a given situation. You must be clear about the political and religious views his character, what he thinks about friendship, family. You should know what he dreams about, what he is interested in, what he is fond of, what he studied at school, what subjects he liked and what he hated. Does he have prejudices? Which? What will he hide when he comes to see a psychoanalyst? What will he hide from himself? If the character is truly close to you, you will be able to answer any question about him.
It may happen that you have written a biography of your character, but some questions still remain unanswered. Let's say your character found a wallet, and there - 10,000 dollars. What will he do with it? Take it to the police or keep it for yourself? Or, say, your hero finds out that he is terminally ill. How will he act? Commit suicide? Imagine that he has a fire in his apartment and he can save only one thing from the fire. What will this thing be? Can't answer these questions? So, further study of the character is required. This must be done before you start the novel.
Create new file on a computer or take a sheet of paper for notes. Start with a name. It must match the culture or nationality (for example, Gothic characters might be called Arachne Valdor or Hellebor Natrix).
Consider the character's age. Think of a date of birth, and if necessary, a date of death.
Think of its origin. What country is your character from and where does he live now? Has he or she experienced some kind of shock in the past - the death of loved ones, parents, rape, cruel treatment, dislike of parents, loneliness and the need to take care of yourself with young years or something even worse?
Consider how past events have changed the character's life. Perhaps he became a silent and unsociable goth or emo? Or an alcoholic? You decide!
Think about the parents and the rest of the character's family. How did his parents treat him? Was he an outcast in his family or the same as everyone else? Did he have brothers or sisters? If so, how did they get along? Did quarrels rage between them, or, on the contrary, did peace and love reign?
Describe how he treats others. He is cute? Haughty? Harmful? Mysterious? Was he affected by a difficult childhood (if it was such) - for example, suddenly he is cruel to animals? How your character reacts to others can tell readers a lot about him (for example, "Laura avoided walking through the park because the children playground annoyed her" sounds more interesting than "Laura didn't like children").
If you get stuck, try placing your character in certain circumstances (such as a robbery or an earthquake) and see how he reacts. Whine and cower in fear? Fearlessly throw the robber to the ground? Or is he the robber? Will he help rescue people from the rubble of the earthquake? Or will he start robbing abandoned stores and killing bystanders? Remember that actions speak louder than words.
Does the character have a favorite item? Perhaps this is an old hunting knife or a terrible-looking blouse - a gift from a loved one? Or is it not even a thing, but a favorite gold fish? Imagine what a character carries in his pockets: lip balm, Swiss army knife, shiny pebble?
Now think about his values in life. What is the most important thing for the character, what does he believe in (for example, "money is above all")? If you want to give depth to his personality, give him conflicting values. For example, nothing is more important to Bob than his seriously ill dog Nemo. It's fine, but not enough for the story. But let money be no less important for Bob. Now we have a plot twist: Bob loves Nemo, but his treatment is too expensive. How will Bob do it? He can't get rid of Nemo - and he can't afford to keep paying the vet. Perhaps he will get a second job, or start robbing people, or pretend to be blind and beg in the street in his spare time.
