Creating Memorable Characters by John Lindermuth
The average person is rarely concerned about technique when
reading a novel. But they’ll know when it isn’t there.
Technique is the business of the writer. It consists of such
varied ingredients as character, plot, dialogue, style and point of view. Think back to the last novel you enjoyed and
considered what it was made it memorable.
Most times that element will be character.
You can’t have a credible plot without believable
characters.
So how does a writer create memorable characters? You might
describe his/her appearance, job, eccentricity, desires, and other such aspects
of personality. Yet all of these are no more than statistics. Statistics are
generally dull and don’t stick in the mind.
The secret is the one ingredient too often overlooked.
Whether your favorite is Emma, Hannibal Lector, Scarlett
O’Hara or Ishmael, they all share one thing in common. They inspire emotion in
the reader. It doesn’t matter if that emotion be love or hate, pity or envy.
The important fact is they stir emotion and that makes us remember them.
Without emotion, a character is lifeless. You can list all
the statistics you want. It won’t do the trick.
So how do you instill emotion in your characters? By having
empathy with them. Consider what it is that stirs emotion in you. Love. Hate.
Fear. Joy. All these feelings are best conveyed in words through verbs. They
are by their very nature active, not passive. Don’t write just what you know,
but what you feel. If the writer shows he cares about what’s happening, the
reader is more likely to care, too.
Instilling emotion in our characters isn’t something which
can be learned from a book or taught. It comes with practice. Lots and lots of
practice.
“Sooner Than Gold,” second in the Sheriff Tilghman series:
It's the summer of 1898. The nation, just coming out of an
economic slump, has been at war with Spain since April. And Sylvester
Tilghman, sheriff of Arahpot , Jordan County, Pennsylvania , has a murder victim with too
many enemies.
There’s Claude Kessler, who is found standing
with a knife in his hand over the body of Willis Petry.
There’s Rachel Webber, Kessler’s surly teen-aged stepdaughter, who admits an act intended to cause him harm.
Then there’s the band of gypsies who claim Kessler is the goryo who stole one of their young women.
If this isn’t enough to complicate Tilghman’s life, add in threats to his job by McClean Ruppenthal, former town burgess; a run-in with a female horse thief; scary predictions by a gypsy fortuneteller, and the theft of Doc Mariner’s new motorcar.
There’s plenty of good eating, church-going and socializing along the way. And, before all is over, Sylvester solves the crime and even comes a little closer to his goal of finally marrying longtime girlfriend Lydia Longlow.
There’s Rachel Webber, Kessler’s surly teen-aged stepdaughter, who admits an act intended to cause him harm.
Then there’s the band of gypsies who claim Kessler is the goryo who stole one of their young women.
If this isn’t enough to complicate Tilghman’s life, add in threats to his job by McClean Ruppenthal, former town burgess; a run-in with a female horse thief; scary predictions by a gypsy fortuneteller, and the theft of Doc Mariner’s new motorcar.
There’s plenty of good eating, church-going and socializing along the way. And, before all is over, Sylvester solves the crime and even comes a little closer to his goal of finally marrying longtime girlfriend Lydia Longlow.
Buy link:
Other places to find J. R. Lindermuth:
Bio: The author of 13 novels and a non-fiction history, J.
R. Lindermuth is a retired newspaper editor and currently serves as librarian
of his county historical society where he assists patrons with genealogy and
research. His short stories and articles have been published in a variety of
magazines. He is a member of International Thriller Writers, EPIC and the Short
Mystery Society. His two children and four grandsons do their best to keep him
busy and out of trouble. When not writing, reading or occupied with family he
likes to walk, draw, listen to music and learn something new everyday.
Comments
Marja McGraw