When writing fiction, it is easy to fall into the mindset of “Well, it’s fiction! It’s not supposed to be real!” Unfortunately, this is an incredibly wrong idea. One of the biggest problems in amateur fiction is cardboard, or flat, characters. Learning to create a realistic fiction character is a big step toward improving your fiction writing.
A cardboard, or flat, character is one that is unrealistic and uninteresting. Of course, there will be flat characters in your fiction writing: the waiter who serves coffee to the main characters, the man standing in line at the bus stop. These walk-on fiction characters need to be flat, or your writing will become bogged down with detail.
But how do you create realistic fiction characters, the type that seems to be genuine, living and breathing people? Creating realistic fiction characters is not that difficult.
1. Write a complete character sketch for your main characters.
This should include not only physical attributes, but likes and dislikes, family structure, schooling, employment, relationship history, and current situation. In order to make a realistic fiction character, you have to make him have as many real-life attributes as possible.
Creating a realistic fiction character is a lot more than deciding that Bill has brown hair and green eyes, likes shellfish and is in love with Darcy, the girl at the corner store. If that is all you know about Bill, he will come across as flat and uninteresting. If you also know that he likes shellfish especially because his ex-girlfriend hated them, and that the love he feels for Darcy is not romantic, and only because she reminds him of his long-lost sister, you have the beginnings of a real person, which is what a realistic fiction character should be.
2. Determine your fiction character’s reactions.
Pick three random events, and write five-minute blurbs about how your fiction character deals with each situation. Play the “What if?” game with your fiction character. What if a man dropped a bag of money right in front of him? What if his best friend died? What if a puppy followed him home? You can tell a lot about a person by their reactions to things. In order to write a realistic fiction character, they must have reactions that fit with their personality. Not only should you know what they do in different circumstances, but why.
3. Give your fiction character a flaw.
Fiction writers tend to creative characters that are too perfect. The beautiful blonde secretary… give her chipped teeth. The dark-haired, hunky cowboy… make him have hay fever. The all-powerful immortal wizard… make him yearn for the quiet farmer’s life.
Creating realistic fiction characters is like bring a new human being to life. There is no one on Earth without a flaw or some psychological baggage. The more you know about your fiction character’s past, the more you will know about how he will act in your story. The more realistic and life-like your characters become, the more likely it will be that they will lead your story into a much more interesting conclusion.
