How to create a work of art character from scratch. Creating a playable character How to create your own character

We have already come up with, today I want to tell you how to create your original and unique character and give some useful recommendations that you will use to describe the hero of your story.

I must say, I was collecting my thoughts for a VERY long time and when I “gave birth” to this article, I thought: “Damn! There would be such a guide when I first started drawing, damn, how cool would it be and not have to go through all these mistakes! ” I hope you will forgive me for such a proud impulse ...

However, do not only read, but also use this knowledge in practice, it is always nice to draw a little in between writing, because in the next article of the cycle we will talk about writing a plot that your readers will like ... and this is again writing ...

Block A: character description

Want or need?

The first question I want to ask is is there already a character in your head? Two situations are possible:

• 1) You “need” to come up with a character to introduce him into the story ( for example, the main villain, or a love interest);
• 2) You “want” to write into the story a person who has been spinning in your head for a long time and who, for you personally, is “super-mega-cool”.

If you are the number one case, then it will be a little more difficult to come up with a character for the story, and right away I would like to give a little non-standard advice - stop and cheer yourself up. I mean watch a movie, play a game, go for a walk, generally get your mood up, then get down to work and try to love the person you are creating at that moment.

From experience I can say that you can’t imagine a good character if you are tired and dissatisfied, all thoughts will be directed to “what the hell is he” ... nothing will come of it.

Another recommendation if you “need” to create a character, but you don’t know how to make it ( no image in mind), then there is nothing wrong with borrowing the basis from other authors. But remember - it should be an idea, a "skeleton", and not a total copy. Take a character, subtract a couple of events from life, add a couple of your own, so to speak "tweak here, twist there ...".

If your case is option number two, then feel free to read the next paragraph.

Personality and character type.

I will not list all types of characters that exist ( like hero, villain, helper, girl hero heads, etc.) because I want the personalities that you create to be unique and inimitable, alive and real.

So, now in both cases we have a certain basis, an image in our head that we will develop further. The first thing to start with is to describe the nature of the character. How to do it? Easier than simple - we ( you and me, yes we are = real people) we show our character in every life situation, whether it is a gray everyday life or an “out of the ordinary” case, in the same way, the heroes we invent have their own line of behavior in certain situations.

Describe how your character will behave when he feels good, when he feels bad, because of what he can feel good or bad, sad or cheerful, place him in circumstances of complete uncertainty ( for example, alone in a strange city / parallel universe / outer space), how will he behave?

Describe his thoughts, feelings, emotions, come up with good and bad habits. If the character is positive, then come up with negative traits and habits that he will strive to correct; if the character is a villain, let him have a couple of positive traits, ( well, let's say he likes cats), to show that he, like all people, is contradictory. Describe the manner of speech, how he communicates with relatives, with strangers, with superiors, with inferiors, take into account his cultural environment ( farmer, worker, scientist, etc.).

Secondary characters usually have one distinguishing feature and almost always adhere to this line of behavior, you can not prescribe a detailed character for them, but do not force them to do things that are not characteristic of them ( be sad for the merry fellow, and be stupid for the wise guy).

I don’t know if there is a dependence of appearance and character as such, but at this stage it is not necessary to describe what your hero looks like, only how he behaves and what he thinks about at this time.

Come up with situations until you have a perfect image in your head and then collect all your handwriting in one file.

Biometrics and biography

Now, after we have decided on the behavior of our hero, it's time to tell why he behaves this way, what is the reason for such behavior.

I note that for the character of a short story, it is not necessary to do all of the following, it is more related specifically to large and developing works.

Now the points that are quite standard for character creation guides will go, note that every The paragraph has its own special meaning and is not done at random:

So, for starters, let's decide who we are "giving birth", a boy or a girl? You probably already decided in the previous paragraph what gender your character will be, but I urge you to think again, perhaps some behavioral traits are not characteristic of one of the sexes.

Keep in mind that there is such a thing as social education and ... how should I say sexual reaction to this education. For example, if a girl was born and raised in a cultural society, then she will behave in accordance with the rules of this society ( so as not to become famous "bad" and have every chance of a successful marriage ... natural selection, that's all), at the same time, the guy may start behaving asocially ( because of the desire to dominate among guys or for the sake of a girl), but if we swap them, then we can say that the girl is “not normal”, and the guy is “nurse”.

Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the behavior of the character and the environment in which he grew up before choosing a gender, and if you get a bias of all the characters in the same direction ( all girls or boys), then all the heroes of the story are of the same type, a good “bell” to introduce a contrasting personality and dilute the story.

Some people believe, some don't I am one of the first) that the date of our birth affects our character. From a purely practical point of view, you should also believe in this, because this way you can create an even more thoughtful hero.

Now you already have a complete description of the character's character, his gender and the cultural environment in which he grew up, now you open the Internet and look at all possible horoscopes and look for a similar description of the personality.

Once you've calculated your zodiac sign, you can go ahead and dig around and choose the day of the month to match the character, or just pick a random date.

Why is this all? So that you yourself would believe in your character, that he would become like a living person for you, that he would have a personality and patterns of behavior in accordance with real life, and if you believe, then your fans will believe, and then to the mass love is not far...

Now about age. Whatever year of birth you choose, you should understand that with age, a person’s character changes. Look at it this way, if a person at 42 leads the same free lifestyle as at 16, then something is clearly wrong with him. Age and cultural environment influence us every year, and we are constantly changing, for better or worse.

Indicating the age is also important to identify the social status of the character. For example, at the age of 16, a person is a schoolboy and he will act accordingly as a young and hot, and not as a wise old man, at 20 years old, usually people are already students and behave differently, responsibility for their lives appears, they want “adult” experiments, but also the punishment in which case is already higher, and at 25 a unit of society is already working and she has no time for “school” pranks, she would feed herself

If they are within the normal range, then they do not play a special role. However, if our comic has a caricature style, then these two factors should be given special attention.

If the character is caricaturely large or small in height and weight, then only then does this leave its mark on the character. For example, tall people are noticeable in the crowd, it is difficult for them to play locks =), short people can be nimble, thin (pretentiously) weak and sick, fat people are funny and slow, etc. ( come up with your own)

Well, this is a very delicate question, choose a color according to your personality or because you like a certain color ... and that's it.

I would make the hair color correspond to the character, and the eyes to match the hair, contrasting or vice versa similar. In general, it's all "taste" so choose for yourself.

This includes all dimensions and curves of the body. Which? Well, for girls, these are secret “90-60-90”, the size of cups and clothes like them ( if you are not an expert, then do what you like), for guys body shape and muscle size.

It should be borne in mind here that certain curves and dimensions are not taken from nowhere and leave an imprint on the character's everyday behavior. For example, muscular guys have such muscles not just by nature, but because they go to the gym or play sports, this can influence their choice between fast food and healthy food. A girl with big breasts will attract the attention of guys and she will either be used by it or it will embarrass her.

So the shape of the body also makes your character "alive".

It is also worth including all the scars and features of the body. Each big or small scar has its own story and the character's reaction to this story, positively or negatively, with irony or nostalgia. The same with the features of the body, a large volume of lungs - runs longer, more convolutions of the brain - smarter, no finger on his right hand - maybe he is clumsy

Eh, a very important point in my opinion, but at the same time, logic recedes into the background if you want to call your hero some cool name and you don’t care that the name also affects a person’s life.

Let's subject ourselves to common sense and define it this way: if the actions take place in our world and in our time, then you climb into the directory and choose a name in accordance with the character; if in our world, but in the past, you give names in accordance with that era and place, it is possible without character, but with meaning; if the action takes place in a fantastic or fantasy world, then here you already have complete freedom of choice.

If you are stuck with inventing a name, then various kinds of geographical, astrological, biological and other reference books will be of great help - you open them, find an alphabetical index and convert the names of places, terms and phenomena into the names of your heroes.

And my favorite part of creating a character is combining all of the above and building a complete person out of it.

The story, well, or biography of the character, this is the “grease” that will allow you to link some character traits with others and make the hero of your story “revive”. In the biography, it is also worth mentioning the parents and how they influenced the character, their personal qualities, something our object could learn from them, refuse something, they could force him to do something, how they spoiled him, how they punished him. .d.

If your character's behavior has any unique habit or feature, it's time to describe the story of its origin here, and make it as vivid and memorable as possible for the character.

In general, having the features described in detail from the previous paragraphs, you are already ready to create a “live” and unique personality, which has no analogues yet. You can do a little test, do all of the above for a character, then take one of your friends and do the same steps, and then let your friends compare and say that one of them was invented by you, and the other is a real person. So let them think who is who, and you will check how much of a real hero you created.

That's all for today, all creative mood friends!

How to create a Persian.
Do you want to create your own character but don't know how?
Prepare a sheet and write it down.
It doesn't matter if you can draw or not. This will be your personal hero. But if you have the ability, then the flag is in your hands. Come up with heroes. Their history. And it is quite possible that you will become famous for this.
Here I will help you refine it in detail. Including even his blood type. All this I will supplement with my own examples.
1. This is the gender of your character.
2. Name.
3.Age.
This I consider the most basic in creation.
1.Pos. Can be either female or male. Unless of course you have a mutant.
2. Name. It already depends on your imagination. It can be short, long, English, Japanese or Russian.
3. Actually, too, as a hand grabs. From 0 to infinity.

My examples.
1.Male.
2. Stas Evans.
3.15 years old.
A more detailed description follows.

Appearance.
1.Hair color.
2. Eye color.
3. Approximate height, weight.
4.Physique.
Fine. If you already roughly imagine the image of the character, or you are guided by the picture. You will feel better.
1. Hair color is more often used standard: blonde, brunette, redhead. But do not forget about colors such as light brown or black. You can also use non-standard colors of the rainbow. It will look interesting.
2. But it’s better not to rush with eye color. It is important that it is combined with hair, but also if your hero has bright green hair. Then you should not make the same eyes. Better to leave them natural.
3. For height and weight, if your Persian has a perfect figure, just take the height. Medium-170cm. and subtract 110. It turns out the weight. That is. Height - 110 = weight.
170 - 110 = 60 kg.
4. If you act according to this formula. Then you can safely write the average. (There is also a full, thin, non-standard.)

My examples.
1. Brunet.
2. Blue eyes.
3. Height - 175, Weight - 65kg.
4. Average.
Character.
1. I think first you should choose the temperament of the hero.
Choleric
It is characterized by increased excitability, actions are intermittent. He is characterized by sharpness and swiftness of movements, strength, impulsiveness, vivid expression of emotional experiences. Due to imbalance, carried away by business, he is inclined to act with all his might, to be exhausted more than he should. Having public interests, temperament manifests in initiative, energy, adherence to principles. In the absence of spiritual life, the choleric temperament often manifests itself in irritability, affectivity, intemperance, irascibility, inability to self-control under emotional circumstances.
sanguine
Quickly adapts to new conditions, quickly converges with people, sociable. Feelings easily arise and change, emotional experiences are usually shallow. Facial expressions are rich, mobile, expressive. He is somewhat restless, needs new impressions, does not regulate his impulses enough, does not know how to strictly adhere to the developed routine of life, the system at work. In this regard, he cannot successfully carry out a task that requires an equal expenditure of effort, a long and methodical effort, perseverance, stability of attention, and patience. In the absence of serious goals, deep thoughts, creative activity, superficiality and inconstancy are developed.
Phlegmatic person
It is characterized by a relatively low level of activity of behavior, new forms of which are developed slowly, but are persistent. It has slowness and calmness in actions, facial expressions and speech, evenness, constancy, depth of feelings and moods. Persistent and stubborn, he rarely loses his temper, is not prone to affects, having calculated his strength, brings the matter to the end, is even in relationships, moderately sociable, does not like to chat in vain. Saves energy, does not waste it. Depending on the conditions, in some cases, a phlegmatic person can be characterized by "positive" features - endurance, depth of thought, constancy, thoroughness, in others - lethargy, indifference to the environment, laziness and lack of will, poverty and weakness of emotions, a tendency to perform only habitual actions.
melancholic
His reaction often does not correspond to the strength of the stimulus, there is a depth and stability of feelings with their weak expression. It is difficult for him to concentrate on anything for a long time. Strong influences often cause a prolonged inhibitory reaction in melancholics (“hands down”). He is characterized by restraint and muffled speech and movements, shyness, timidity, indecision. Under normal conditions, a melancholic is a deep, meaningful person, can be a good worker, successfully cope with life's tasks. Under adverse conditions, it can turn into a closed, timid, anxious, vulnerable person, prone to difficult internal experiences of such life circumstances that do not deserve it.

2. His good character traits.
3. And bad.

Example.
1. Choleric.
2. Kind and caring.
3. Too active in some situations when it is not needed at all.

The rest of the details.
1. Blood group.
2. Habits.
3.Style in clothes.
4. Favorite things (food, drinks, color, etc.)
5. Close relatives.
6. Hobbies.
7.Date of birth.

1. In Japan, it is believed that character is determined by blood type.
The first is activity, leadership, courage. Strong personalities, hardy and authoritative.
The second is patience, perseverance, practicality. They carefully consider their actions.
The third is curiosity, creativity, unpredictability and independence.
Fourth - emotionality, sensitivity, imagination.
2. You also have habits. For example: biting your nails, straightening clothes, biting your lip. Pin up hair.
3. Clothing styles: sports, street, formal, romantic. In addition, you can find a bunch of pictures with clothes. Or come up with and draw your own.
4.Here as you wish.
5. Parents, brothers, sisters. Uncles, aunts. Etc.
6. Fishing, drawing, football or maybe no hobbies at all.
7. Well ... everything is clear here.

My example.
1.Third.
2. When nervous, bites his nails. In class, she often pins up her bangs so that they do not get into her eyes.
3. Style in clothes prefers street. Plain T-shirt, jeans, sneakers and a shirt over.
4. Favorite color is blue.
Food is hot dogs.
Drinks - cocoa.
5. Parents. Sisters, no brothers.
6. Drawing.
7.16. 03. 97.
I hope that at least something helped, I look forward to your feedback. Might be worth adding something.

Categories:

Agree - everyone can describe Sherlock Holmes, but not every reader knows all the vicissitudes of even such well-known works as "The Hound of the Baskervilles" or "The Sign of Four" as well. Jack Sparrow, Robinson Crusoe, Rodion Raskolnikov are examples from the same row. Strong, memorable characters make the book more lively and interesting. How to create such characters - read the article.

Get to know your character

Who would be easier for you to introduce into your story - a well-known friend or a new colleague from a neighboring department? Of course, the first option is more preferable, since a bright character is someone you know more about. Therefore, you must know more about your character than you tell your readers - that's the first rule. How to put it into practice?

Write a biography

This requirement applies to all more or less significant heroes of the work, and especially the main character. A biography can be written in free form or completed in the form of a questionnaire. Be that as it may, try to draw the life of each character in as much detail as possible.

Study the hero in different situations

To get to know the character's character better, use the screenwriter Alvin Sargent's method. While working on the next film, he put his characters in different situations, which, although not related to the main plot, nevertheless helped to better understand the characteristics of the characters. Subsequently, he may or may not include these scenes in the script.

Think about how your hero would have acted in the face of an incurable disease or sudden luck, what he would have done if he lost a good job or vice versa, having achieved unprecedented success. The more such situations you come up with, the more vivid the understanding of the image will be.

Prototypes

Many outstanding book characters had their prototypes. These include the already mentioned Sherlock Holmes and Robinson. This is very convenient, since you already have the lion's share of information about the character. You can, of course, use this literary device, but you should beware of two dangers.

The first is that the prototype (or its environment) can recognize itself in the description, and not everyone may like this, especially if you put it on the wrong side. There have been cases in history when offended readers filed lawsuits against authors.
Another problem that may arise with the prototype is the inability to give it the qualities that the plot requires. On the other hand, some writers do just that, playing on the contrast and endowing it with unexpected character traits. It makes the character more memorable.

Bad vs Good

Most authors make "good" heroes the central figure in the narrative. On the other hand, the forbidden fruit is sweet, and therefore authors such as Patrick Suskind in the novel Perfumer choose not the best representatives of humanity as heroes. But, no matter which side your hero is on, he must be interesting to the reader - only in this case he will be well remembered and attract attention.

Another useful technique can be to contrast positive and negative qualities in one hero, as we see in The Godfather.

Hero evolution

Everyone knows how difficult it is to change yourself and your life - that is why stories about development or degradation are so successful. The same should apply to your work. Throughout the story, your character must gradually change. Passing through trials and overcoming obstacles, he will acquire new qualities or become worse. This should not be too radical a transformation - it will not look too believable. In genres such as detective or spy action movies, the characters usually remain the same, but their evolution as a side effect of the plot only adds to the charm.

Summary

People remember vivid characters much better than well-developed and twisted plots. To create a catchy hero, you first need to get to know him well. To do this, write a biography and study his behavior in different situations. You can also use prototypes, but be careful not to substitute. It doesn't matter if your hero is good or not - the main thing is that he is interesting and evolves over time.

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? The two main parts are the outside and the inside. 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 elements - an unusual shape of the 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 subculture characteristics (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, knowledge of psychological characteristics - at least the color scheme - 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 your nose evokes a certain emotional reaction that will complement 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 well-known common expressions - "an aura of danger emanated from him", "he has 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 the full story of the hero in your hands. You will learn his motives and come up with bright plot twists that will show the development of the character of the hero in the best possible 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, to behavior, to an unexpected meeting, to the feelings that one character has for another, to 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

Creating a character when writing a book, short story, or screenplay can be fun and exciting! But, on the other hand, it's a little scary, because there are so many things to consider. Among other things, when creating a character (whether it be a main character or a villain), it is important to endow it with attractive, unique character traits and find a way that allows you to keep everything under control.

Steps

Create an attractive character

1. Give the characters names that suit your story. Every character in a story should have a name, whether it's the main character or a secondary character. Moreover, each name should fit into this story. For example, if the action takes place in 17th century Ireland, the name "Bob" will sound implausible, but the name "Aidan" is extremely appropriate.

   • Or, if you're writing about a group of close friends, don't give them similar names, like three girls named Manya, Maria, Marie.
   • Even if you don't end up using someone's name in the story, such as a minor character, it's good for you as a writer to know that name so you don't mix up the details when rewriting or editing your work.

2. Give them a rich inner world and characteristic quirks to keep the reader interested. Give your characters personality traits and certain quirks, such as always drinking coffee with honey and cream instead of sugar and cream. Here are a few questions to help you get started on building some features:

   • Are they extroverts or introverts?
   • If they like music, what kind?
   • What do they do in their free time?
   • What do they do before going to bed?
   • Do they have any dietary restrictions?
   • Another fun way to get into character is to take personality tests on their behalf. You may make some amazing discoveries.

3. Give it a unique voice. Most likely, your character's voice will be different from yours, and in order to create a vivid character, you need to decide how it will sound and convey this sound in his speech. Explore different dialects depending on when and where your story takes place, and listen to conversations when you're out in public for inspiration.

   • It can be very helpful to re-read your favorite story and see how the author conveyed the characters' speech.
   • Instead, you can try to record your conversation with a friend to study the various features of speech: how often do you pause when the intonation changes, how fast do you speak? Use these stats to create your character's speech.

4. Make the character vulnerable to evoke empathy in the reader. It could be an emotional or physical vulnerability, like a character coping with a recent loss, or a superhero who loses his hearing when he's exhausted. To create a multifaceted, holistic, endearing character, you need to endow him with vulnerabilities that we all have.

   • You could also try writing a scene in which a character shares something (such as fears or worries) with another character to emphasize their humanity.
   • Even if you're describing a villain, find a way to give them at least a modicum of humanity. If you can get the reader to understand the villain's feelings or motives, it will add tension to the story and make it more interesting to read.

5. Include flaws and failures to showcase the character's human qualities. Perhaps the protagonist is short-tempered or tends to forget about his friends. If it is endowed with only positive traits (such as love, courage, intelligence, and attractiveness), it will become boring and uninteresting for the reader.

   • Think about how you can showcase your flaws without talking about them. For example, if you wrote, “Anna had dinner by herself first, instead of feeding the children first,” you could describe the location where this scene takes place.

6. Give the character motivation and purpose to develop the story. Consider why your story is important to the character. How was he involved in it? Is it a love story, epic adventure, sci-fi thriller? What can the character lose or gain at the end? Character goals are key to writing a compelling story, so work hard to create an active, engaged character.

   • Is your character looking for something? What will he lose if he fails? Did other people influence his failure or success? These are great questions to think about when writing a story.
   • The character must take an active part in the story. It is not enough that things just happen to him. So think carefully about what is at stake.
   • Think about your favorite characters from books, TV shows or movies: what situations do they face and how do they react to good and bad scenarios?

   Create a character profile

   1. Come up with a system to keep track of each character's profile. The character profile is a place where important details and dates are kept associated with each character in the story, from what they are allergic to, to significant dates (when something really important happened). Make a questionnaire for each character, even the most insignificant. There are many ways to organize information:

      • keep a folder with notes for each character;
      • get a notebook where the details related to the character will be stored;
      • use a Word document on a computer;
      • use the "Notes" function on your smartphone;
      • write down the details on sticky notes and stick them on the wall to show character development.

   2. Start compiling a character profile, even if you don't know all the details. Sometimes the details become clear already in the middle of the work on the story. However, write down any elements that you have already decided on. Here's what to include:

      • Name, age, occupation, special skills, education, family information, height, weight, eye and hair color, mannerisms, habits, and important dates.
      • There are so many details to add that many of them may never make it into your story. But the mere fact that you know them will help you create a more versatile and believable character. Search the Internet for more information about what can be included in the profile of the hero.

   3. Consider what type of story your story is in order to guide your characters. Did you start your project with a great idea? Or have you been inspired by an amazing character but haven't quite decided on the plot yet? There is no correct answer here! However, it will be useful to think about where the story will go and how the character lives in this world. Add these details to the character profile.

      • For example, if you have a great idea for a love story and you already know some plot twists, write them down and see if the character fits in. If you want a romantic protagonist who will do extravagant things, then it would be illogical to endow him with forgetfulness or sloppiness.

   4. Before you get started, spend some time creating the world. Whether you're writing something set in the modern world or a story set on a fictional planet, it's important to think about the physical space your character will live in. For example, what does his house look like? Or how does it move from place to place?

      • Here are other aspects that will help determine whether this world is different from ours or whether history takes place in a different time: government, social classes, job structure, economy, cultural norms, modes of transport, living conditions, historically significant events, laws, recreation and nutrition.
      • This is the world in which your character will live. And he can really influence the formation of the hero, so it will be extremely useful to think over some information in advance.

   Make changes as you write

   1. Listen to your character and make changes as needed. No, no exaggeration. Read your work out loud and listen to how your character sounds. Pay attention to the dialogues and how they flow, as well as listen to the descriptions of the characters. When you hear how the writing sounds, you will understand where it might be worth adding details or even removing repetitive passages.

      • In addition, there are some programs that can read your documents to you. Check if there is such a feature in the program you are using to write the story.
   2. if the character gets into unusual situations. Your character needs to be good at what they do, and if you find yourself writing about something you are vaguely familiar with, it will make the character superficial. For example, if you're writing about sword fighting but your character only knows how to shoot weapons, do some research on sword fighting to make your story and your character more believable.
      • Situations like this can arise when the hero needs to go somewhere else or needs a skill that you don't really have experience with, like fly fishing or picking locks.

   3. Be prepared to change details as nothing is permanent. Many science fiction writers believe that their characters are telling a story, and sometimes everything can change dramatically from the beginning to the end of a project. You may find that the main character generally has to be of a different gender (or not at all). Or perhaps you thought that your story would take place in a certain period of time or in another world, but in the process of writing you came to new discoveries.

      • A useful way to not feel like you're losing your thread when you make drastic changes is to copy and paste your original work into another document called "cutouts" instead of just deleting it. This way you will have material in case you want to go back and refer to it as needed.
   • Read more literature in your genre and style. If you write scripts, read paper copies of scripts. If you write science fiction, read more science fiction. Whatever you want to do, become an expert in the field by absorbing as much information as you can.
   • Remember that writing is a creative art form, so feel free to experiment with your characters.

   Warnings

   • In no case do not plagiarize other authors in your work or when creating a character. Of course, you can be inspired by other writers, but let that inspiration lead you to your own unique creations.