A novel has no life if it doesn’t have characters. We have all immersed ourselves, at some point, in a story where its protagonists have overwhelmed us, where its villains have made us hate them, and where others forced us to laugh. But how to achieve this goal? If you are writing a book of this genre today, we bring you several tips to start building these profiles and, most importantly, that they reach the hearts of your readers.
This way, you will know how to create unforgettable literary characters with which your novel will have one of the most important ingredients with which to capture your audience. Because as you will see, you have to imagine what they are like and assign them roles, shape them through a scheme, and, most importantly, give them life, even if they are on paper.
What is a literary character?
It is an entity that has a role in the action that takes place in the novel. It does not have to be human, although it must be endowed with characteristics of this species.
To begin with, a literary character must be rational and have a conscience within the plot. In other words, your creation will have to know that it exists within the universe of your novel and be aware of the story it is living in. In this way, they will have physical qualities and use their human capabilities to judge and react, either emotionally or by their morals and ethics.
In fact, these human qualities will also make them express themselves in different ways according to their social stratum, knowledge, etc. We must remember that, together with the narrator and the author’s descriptions, the characters in a novel are the ones who let the reader know how the story unfolds and make them part of it. Thanks to them, it is possible to understand how they feel in certain situations, such as the final fight, or to what extent a passage is serious because of the feelings it generates in them.
How to create a literary character to make it unforgettable?
The first step to designing a literary character is to consider your novel’s plot. Unless you’re going for science fiction, setting an astronaut in the Middle Ages makes little sense. Therefore, when you know what story you want to tell in the pages of your book, you can begin to guess who will be the main characters.
Literary characters should be a reflection of the plot and the environment you are going to narrate. For example, if the plot takes place in a particular town, it is unsurprising that they use some typical words. Another example is if they have specific knowledge about a scientific area, they usually use technical terms.
Always use logic to start building your literary characters. If you don’t know how they would behave in the environment where you want to develop your novel, it’s a good idea to do some research so you don’t make any mistakes in this regard. You must also be consistent with the type of book you are developing.
Again, suppose we are dealing with a fantasy novel. In that case, there will be more room for literary characters such as wizards, dragons and many other beings that only fit in our imagination. Following the example of epic fantasy, these profiles will have very different characteristics from those of a cop in a hyper-realistic crime novel.
What type of literary character is it?
The first point to start creating the character is to know what type he/she is, what weight he/she will occupy in the plot, and the role he/she will play in it:
Protagonist
Someone must be the star of the novel, the character around which everything has to revolve and around which the story to be told in the pages of the work will develop. To put it quickly, developing a story without a protagonist will be tough. There can be one or several, but be careful not to include too many protagonists, which could cause chaos in the reader’s mind. If you choose to include several of them, remember to include a glossary to refer to in case of confusion.
Antagonists
If there is a protagonist, he must find his counterpoint, a person who confronts his ideals. We often confuse the antagonist with the villain, but this does not always have to be the case.
In fact, in some cases, we have seen how a villain has starred in a story, as in the case of Dracula. Always remember that it must be the counterpoint, not an antonym. Perhaps the antagonist and protagonist share ideals, but will they use the same means to achieve these goals?
Protagonists are equally often used not only in novels but also in essays. You can find good examples of the latter at the free essay writer service, Wowessays. It will broaden your vision of what a character should be like and help you create your works.
Secondary literary character
In the foreground, we find protagonists. In the background, we find, obviously, secondary characters. In this case, there is also an extensive catalog of this type of characters:
Helpers of the hero. The Sancho Panza of the protagonist, the one without whom the hero would not be able to reach his goal, but who does not reach his importance.
Villain’s henchmen. If the hero can have help, why shouldn’t the villain be able to have this collaboration? These characters will help the character who seeks evil to achieve his goal. Sometimes they can change sides after having a revelation (just as the opposite path can be taken).
Characters in the third plane.
They have little or no importance in the story. Their passage through the story is almost inconsequential and their presence is ephemeral. Perhaps a blacksmith who sells his weapon to the hero, a shopkeeper who ends up killed by the villain. Mere filler in a plot that far exceeds its importance.
What is the conflict?
If you already have a plot, and you have decided the characters that will be part of it deciding their roles, it is time to introduce them to it. To do this, you will have to determine their conflict and how they will be involved in the plot. This will help you develop their story within the novel and allow you to imagine how they will react to the events in it.
Knowing how to develop unforgettable literary characters involves imagining their reaction when they encounter stones in the road, their relationship with the rest of the characters in the work, and what they feel as a result of these interactions. Of course, avoid falling into excessive descriptions at home.
At this point, it is also interesting to develop what is the past of each of them and what is their goal. Remember that your characters have life even if they come out of nowhere within your novel’s universe. This means thinking about their past, how they have been developing, do they have any trauma. Were they related in any way before the point that starts the plot? Are they facing it again? All this will serve to offer the reader a perspective on the different profiles that will be found throughout the story.
Characterize your literary character
Readers do not know what your characters are like. It is the first time they meet them. Besides, you have to consider two points: on the one hand, you have to imagine them, and on the other hand, you have to bring realism to the work. How to do it? By characterizing them as well as possible:
Physical description: You have to start with the basics, explaining to the reader what the character in question looks like. To do so, a basic description should be made, covering from age to complexion, hairstyle, etc. Everyone will indeed imagine him or her differently, but this is the starting point to create an image in the mind.
Psychological description: Is he optimistic or pessimistic, cheerful or sad, dragged down by his past? This will also help the reader get a picture in his or her head of the characters he or she encounters throughout the novel. You will also have to talk about his morals, behaviors, and how he deals with different situations. You must be very consistent with this decision, although there is always time for him to change his vision.
Social description: What is the origin of this character? We are not only referring to his level of studies or social position but also to his rhythm of life. Is he a father? Has he always lived away from any conflict? Has he already been immersed in other similar situations? What is his job? Again, be consistent with the choices you have made in this regard.
Relate them to each other
Do not build characters independently. Think about the constellation they will form throughout the plot. Establish relationships, imagine their reactions (taking into account the personality you have endowed them with), and insert them into the plot. Of course, it is a highly complex task, but you must consider these three points to succeed.
On the one hand, the main story. On the other hand, the qualities of your characters and, on the other hand, their relationships throughout the plot. Building this kind of link in the story you are proposing tells a lot about the profiles you have created and says a lot about the behavior of the mimes, helping the reader to immerse himself in your novel better.
Twist them, if necessary
As you advance in your plot, you may find that the characters you’ve built don’t work or that something needs to be more convincing. Don’t worry. Calm down and see what’s going wrong. It may be time to make some changes and turn around what you have developed. Nothing is perfect the first time.
Because knowing how to create characters can also mean, sometimes, starting them from scratch or twisting them. You will see how, in the end, it is worth all the effort invested.