WHAT MAKES CHARACTERS INTERESTING? by J. L. Greger
What Makes Characters Interesting?
Characters’ appearances don’t make
them interesting. A
physical deformity or tic can catch a reader’s attention initially, but
appearance alone won’t sustain the interest of readers. The importance of the
appearance of a character is more important in visual fiction, i.e. movies,
than written fiction. Certainly, many beautiful/ handsome second-rate actors
have had successful careers.
Characters’ actions make them
memorable, especially
if their actions are the result of being in conflict with the norms of their
worlds. Many authors make the mistake of
making their character too predictable (stereotyping). Real people are a blend
of weird contradictions. An example is action hero, Indiana Jones, faced all
types of killers calmly but was terrified by snakes. I think most villains
should do one kind action, like save a dog, during the course of a story.
Similarly, heroes and heroines shouldn’t always be angelic.
The desires and emotions of characters
make their actions more believable and interesting. A person without desires tends to
apathetic and is seldom worth knowing. Readers are more apt to identify with
characters who react to situations as they would - with anger, surprise, or apathy.
Generally, readers expect to learn more of characters’ inner worlds in literary
fiction or mysteries than in action pieces.
Although most
experts agree on the above basic points about character development, the
methodologies are more debatable. I believe the easiest way to develop vital
characters is to use real people, not
sanitized views of them, as models. That way the characters won’t be too
perfect. Of course, authors should
change the situations and characters to create fiction and avoid lawsuits.
One trick for developing unforgettable
characters is to select the narrator carefully. When I started writing short stories
eight years ago, I quickly realized that I had to develop characters and plots
more quickly in short stories than in novels. To focus my thoughts, I decided I
would write stories about mothers and began to interview dozens of acquaintances about their mothers, aunts, and
grandmothers. In several cases, I listened to stories about the same person
from siblings or spouses. I also knew several of the women described. I quickly
recognized that reality depended on the eyes of the beholder.
Then I wrote The Good Old Days? It’s a collection
of stories about mothers in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. My second collection
of stories about more modern women is called Other People’s Mothers and
was published in April. There’s humor and pathos in these stories – “Shoes,”
“How Old Is the Earth?” “I Won’t Eat Beets,” “Shopping for a Husband,” and
more.
The women in these vignettes made choices. The narrators of the
stories often didn’t understand the basis of the decisions because of
incomplete information or personal biases. Accordingly, they warped the
portraits of the women, and I could develop the characters to be more
memorable.
Even if you don’t usually read short stories, try these tales.
They’re short three to fifteen pages (great bed time reading). They might
encourage you to take a fresh look at your mother and gain a more realistic
understanding of yourself. And you’ll see my attempts to develop memorable
characters succinctly.
Other People’s Mothers and The Good Old Days? would also make a great
Mother’s Day gift for relatives or friends.
The
collections of short stories are available in paperback and Kindle format at
Amazon. Other People’s Mothers: https://www.amzn.com/dp/1544895011
Bio: J. L. Greger likes to include
tidbits of science and foreign locations in her thriller/mystery novels: I Saw You in Beirut, Murder: A New Way to Lose (winner of
2016 Public Safety Writers Association (PSWA) contest and finalist for New
Mexico/ Arizona book award), Ignore the
Pain, and Malignancy (winner of 2015 PSWA contest). In her short stories, she prefers to focus on families. Her
website is: http://www.jlgreger.com
Watch for J.L. Greger's book that will soon be available, Riddled with Clues.
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Janet