Creating Characters with Author Kelli A. Wilkins
Welcome to Mary's Garden Blog where imagination blooms. Our quote of the day...
The man who has no imagination has no wings.
~~Muhammad Ali
Now let's welcome Kelli a. Wilkins, she is going to discuss creating characters.
Hi everyone,
When people learn that I’m a writer, I’m
often asked: “How do you create such interesting characters? Where do these
people come from?”
I don’t necessarily “create” my
characters. For me, it’s more like I’m meeting them, or “discovering” them and
their stories. Many times, my characters show up and tell me about themselves.
Other times, something I hear or see gets me thinking, and before I know it, a
new character has emerged. (Shauna Farrow, the heroine from my historical
romance, Dangerous Indenture was
created after hearing the name “Shawna Farrell” in a bakery.)
The characters in a novel or a short story
need to be so realistic that they could step off the page and function in the
real world. As the author of your story, you need to know your characters
better than anyone. (After all, they’re your inventions!)
Before you start writing, spend time
thinking about your characters and learn everything you can about them. How do
you do this? Create a character profile. Some of the most important details you
need to know are:
·
Full
name, nicknames
·
Hair
and eye color/General build & body shape
·
Profession.
What job do they have? No job? High-paying job but hate it?
·
Family
life. Have siblings? Parents together or divorced? Raised by uncle? Are their
relatives dead, alive, missing?
·
What
is his/her role in the story? What lessons do they need to learn?
·
What
do other people think of them?
·
Strengths/weaknesses?
Fears/Phobias?
·
What
secrets do they have? What would happen if people found out these secrets?
·
Dreams,
aspirations, goals, and regrets. Are they happy with their lives or do they
wish they had done things differently?
The more you know about the characters in
your story, the better the reader (and the other characters) will identify with
them through personal details. These details can be used to move the plot
along, add conflict, build dramatic tension, or liven up a love scene. For example,
knowing your character has to overcome his fear of fire to save a child trapped
in a burning barn will bring him to life.
Although you need to know everything about
each character, you don’t have to use all of it in the book. In fact, too much
character information can be worse than not enough. Unless it’s crucial to the
story, readers don’t need to know that Marc was kicked off the football team in
high school because he flunked math. But if your serial killer is stalking old
high school teachers or enemies, then it would be worth mentioning, maybe as a
flashback.
Every character should be a
three-dimensional person, not a flat, stereotypical cardboard cutout who lives
a perfect life. They need to be fleshed out enough so they have quirks, hobbies,
goals, and dreams that take them beyond the current situations they’re in
during the story.
Give your characters unique personalities
and interesting habits to make them stand out. Maybe the heroine loves heavy
metal music and the hero rescues kittens, or does something else that goes
against the reader’s expectations. I like to take bits and pieces of traits,
likes, and dislikes I see in strangers, friends, or whoever, and mix and match
them into a character.
In order to make your characters
believable, step into their world and look around. Notice the details of their
living room, car, bedroom, anywhere they go about their day. Pay attention to
what they wear, how they act, and what makes them tick. All these details will
add a level of depth to your characters and the story.
Be sure your characters have a past, a
present, and a future. After all, they didn’t “show up” on page one; they had a
life before the story started. Dig deep into their pasts and make them
realistic. You can draw on past events to influence their present and develop
their future.
Remember to give your heroes and heroines
flaws. “Too-perfect” characters are boring. Maybe your romantic hero has trust
issues, self-esteem problems, or he feels like a phony. A hero cop could be
plagued by nightmares of not being able to stop a shooting, he feels guilty
about an unsolved murder case, or he drinks too much.
I hope you enjoyed this look at how to
create interesting characters. If you want to learn more about the writing
process, check out my online writing courses on Teachable: https://kelliwilkins.teachable.com/
My latest historical romance, Love,
Lies and Redemption is filled with unique characters—from the
headstrong heroine to the troubled hero, and a quirky group of townspeople—this
western romance set in 1877 Nebraska blends a sensual love story with mystery
and danger.
Love,
Lies and Redemption
Shot and left for dead, Sam Hixton stumbles into a
general store on the Nebraska prairie and
Cassie’s world is turned upside down when the handsome
stranger drops into her life. Sam is another complication she doesn’t need: her
business is dying and her trouble with the townspeople is escalating. Yet she’s
determined to keep the store open — no matter what the cost.
As Sam recovers from his injuries, he hides the truth
about his identity and convinces Cassie to let him work in the store. He’s
attracted to her and admires her independent nature, but quickly realizes
Cassie’s in way over her head. They fight their growing attraction, and Cassie
questions whether she can trust her fragile heart to a mysterious stranger. Will
he accept her once he knows about her troubled past?
Cassie resists Sam’s advances and represses her
feelings until one fateful night when they give in to their fiery passion.
Together, they work out a plan to save the store, but find their efforts are
thwarted — and their lives endangered — by the locals.
Sam’s secret returns to haunt him and pulls him away
just when Cassie needs him the most. Will he regain her trust when she learns
the truth?
Cassie has everything invested in the store — can she
save it and find true love with Sam before it’s too late?
Order
your copy here:
Remember, when you’re writing a story, you
can invent anything you want—so have fun and let your imagination run wild.
Happy Reading & Writing!
Kelli
A. Wilkins
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelli A. Wilkins
is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 20
romance novels, 6 non-fiction books, and 2 online writing courses. Her romances
span many genres and heat levels, and she’s also been known to scare readers
with her horror stories.
In
January 2020, Kelli published Love, Lies & Redemption, a
western romance set in 1877 Nebraska. This novel blends a sensual love story
with mystery and danger.
She
released Romance Every Weekend: 104 Fun Ways to Express Your Love, a
non-fiction guide to romance in November 2019. The book features 104 fun and
easy ways you can express your love to that special someone in your life.
Perfect for men or women, it focuses on tender, everyday
gestures that let your partner know how much you love him or her.
Kelli published Extraterrestrial
Encounters, a collection of 18 sci-fi stories, in August 2019. If you like horror fiction,
don’t miss her disturbing novella, Nightmare in the North.
Earlier
in 2019 she released The Viking’s Witch, a
paranormal/historical romance, and
Dangerous
Indenture,
a historical mystery romance set in Colonial Pennsylvania.
Kelli has authored
two online writing courses: Fiction Basics: Finding Ideas and Fiction Writing for Beginners.
These courses are perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to write. Visit: https://kelliwilkins.teachable.com/ for
more details.
Not just an author, Kelli is also an amateur
photographer. Visit her pages on Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/g/kelli+wilkins
and iStock
https://www.istockphoto.com/portfolio/kelliwilkins to
view her photos.
Kelli posts on her
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins
and Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KWilkinsauthor.
Visit her
website/blog www.KelliWilkins.com to
learn more about all of her writings.
Comments
Happy Writing!
Kelli