Compelling characters serve as the beating heart of any memorable fiction. They are the vehicles through which readers experience the narrative, empathize with struggles, and celebrate triumphs. The ability to craft strong characters, as an aspiring author or seasoned wordsmith, is both an art and a science you should delve into.
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1. Authenticity and relatability
Creating characters that resonate with readers involves infusing them with authenticity and relatability. This means endowing them with strengths, weaknesses, quirks, and flaws that mirror real-life complexities. Readers connect with characters who mirror their own struggles and aspirations. At its core, fiction is a reflection of the human condition, exploring the depths of our emotions, desires, fears, and aspirations. Allow your characters to evolve and learn from their experiences, driving the story forward with their personal transformations.
Consequently, you [the author] are on a mission to get your readers to invest in the journeys of the characters present in your book and root for them to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. Remember, to craft strong characters that are gripping takes more than just names on a page; they are vessels through which readers experience the joys, sorrows, and complexities of the human condition.
Excerpts of character portrayals by renown authors
“I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once. Despite Hazel’s initial reluctance to let anyone into her world, she finds herself drawn to Augustus Waters, a charming and enigmatic boy whose wit and intelligence match her own. Together, they navigate the complexities of love and loss in the face of terminal illness, finding solace and strength in each other’s company.”
—in “The Fault In Our Stars” by John Green
“I’m the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It’s awful. If I’m on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I’m going, I’m liable to say I’m going to the opera. It’s terrible.”
—in “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger
2. Understanding character arcs
Characters should undergo growth and transformation throughout the story, driven by their desires, fears, and experiences. Delve into your characters’ pasts to uncover their motivations, traumas, and defining moments. From the protagonist to the supporting cast, each character should have a distinct arc that adds layers to the narrative.
The protagonist, as the central figure, often experiences the most pronounced arc, undergoing a journey of self-discovery, redemption, or transformation. Their desires and motivations propel them forward, while their fears and doubts act as obstacles to overcome. Through trials and tribulations, they confront their inner demons, wrestle with moral dilemmas, and ultimately emerge changed by the crucible of their experiences.
“A character is a caricature, not a character, unless it has in it the element of human truth.”
—John Buchan, author of “The Thirty-Nine Steps” (1915)
3. Characters relationships
Explore the dynamics between characters, from friendships to rivalries, to deepen their development. Define antagonists, characters who are opposed to the protagonist(s). Making them as complex and compelling as your protagonists—in other word, multi-dimensional—is an essential part to craft strong characters and your book altogether. Give them motivations, vulnerabilities, and backstories that humanize them and add depth to their conflicts with the protagonist.
Supporting characters, while serving specific roles in the narrative, should also have their own journeys that contribute to the overarching story. Their arcs may intersect with the protagonist’s or diverge entirely, offering new insights, conflicts, and revelations that add layers to the narrative tapestry.
In fact, the distinctiveness of each character’s arc adds texture and complexity to the overall story, creating a web of interconnected narratives that resonate with depth and authenticity. Through their interactions and relationships, characters reveal facets of themselves and others, sparking moments of conflict, camaraderie, and revelation that drive the narrative forward.
Examples of exceptional characterization
- Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling: From the courageous Harry to the complex Severus Snape, Rowling crafts characters with depth and nuance, each contributing uniquely to the wizarding world’s tapestry.
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Atticus Finch stands as a beacon of integrity and moral courage, while Scout’s innocence and curiosity provide a lens through which readers explore complex themes of justice and prejudice.
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Jay Gatsby’s enigmatic allure and Daisy Buchanan’s tragic allure epitomize the complexities of the American Dream and the disillusionment of the Jazz Age.
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: Amy Dunne’s cunning and Nick Dunne’s vulnerability intertwine in a web of deceit and manipulation, challenging readers’ perceptions of truth and deception.
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger: Holden Caulfield’s journey of self-discovery and disillusionment resonates with readers of all ages, capturing the angst and alienation of adolescence.
4. Moral dilemmas and conflicts
Introduce moral dilemmas that force characters to grapple with difficult decisions and ethical conflicts. This adds layers of complexity to the narrative and deepens readers’ emotional investment in the characters’ journeys. Internal conflict is just as significant as external conflict. Explore your characters’ inner struggles, doubts, and insecurities, highlighting the emotional turmoil they experience as they confront their fears and confrontations.
Conflict should not only challenge your characters but also facilitate their growth and transformation. Allow them to learn from their experiences, overcome their flaws, and emerge stronger and wiser by the story’s end.
“Fiction reveals truths that reality obscures.”
—Jessamyn West, author of “The Friendly Persuasion” (1945)
5. Dialogue authenticity
Write authentic dialogue that reveals character personalities, advances the plot, and builds relationships. Dialogue should sound natural and reflect the unique voices of each character, their personalities, backgrounds, and emotional states.
Prominent authors like Alfred Hitchcock and others summed up pretty well how dialogue should be developed in your attempt to craft strong characters and a captivating story as a result.
“Dialogue is a necessary evil.”
—Fredric Brown, author of “Martians, Go Home” (1955)
“The dialogue must be brief, concise, and always in character.”
—Elmore Leonard, author of “Get Shorty” (1990)
“Dialogue should simply be a sound among other sounds, just something that comes out of the mouths of people whose eyes tell the story in visual terms.”
—Alfred Hitchcock, author of “Daring Detectives” (1969)
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