When I first started writing, I found a character
worksheet on the Internet and filled it out. Heroine: Age: 24. Red hair, green
eyes, lots of curves. Hero: Age: 26. Midnight hair, cobalt eyes, plenty of hard
muscle. A few more details and I was ready to write my masterpiece!
I quickly learned that without significant character
detail, my manuscript was plagued with inconsistencies and required continuous
rework. Even worse, my characters didn’t feel real because I didn’t know them
well enough to get inside their heads.
Through research, courses, and good old-fashioned
trial and error, I learned the art of deep characterization.
So what is deep characterization? Deep
characterization entails developing your characters inside and out. It’s
getting to know your main characters as well as you know your best friend.
Deep characterization is not just a physical
description nor is it answering a few easy questions. It’s a detailed
assessment of your character’s personality, strengths, flaws, and wounds. It’s a
comprehensive understanding of his/her childhood, family, friends, pets,
phobias, memories, and so on. It’s how he/she relates to the world, how they
react to stress and other emotions. It’s even about their favorite food, color,
TV show, movie, and book because each of these can offer invaluable nuggets of
information about your characters…that is, if you dig deep enough.
There are many ways to create deep characterization. I
use deep characterization worksheets, character interviews, and the 5-Why
Process. I learned most of these techniques through OIRWA courses taught by
Laurie Sanders. For more information, please visit Laurie at: https://lauriesplace.net/.
5-Why
Process
This easy process can be used to generate a deep
understanding of your character.
Instructions: Take one aspect of your character and
ask 5 questions. Sometimes you may find that you need to ask 5 more and then 5
more!
Example
Character:
AJ Ryan, the hero in my contemporary romance, The Perfect Lap.
What
is AJ’s favorite drink? A shot of Jack Daniels.
Why is
this his favorite drink? It brings back warm memories of
his granddad who enjoyed an occasional shot of Jack Daniels. AJ moved in with his
grandfather when he was 12.
Why
did AJ move in with his grandfather? Because his
mother couldn’t handle him.
Why
couldn’t AJ’s mother handle him? Because AJ got into a lot of
trouble, including smoking, getting bad grades, skipping school, taking a joy
ride in his neighbor’s car, etc.
Why
did AJ get in trouble? It was the only way he could get
attention from his mother. Otherwise, she primarily focused on his younger
half-brother, Sam.
You can see how this 5-Why exercise helped me dig into
AJ’s background. After completing many of these, I gained a deeper
understanding of AJ and what makes him tick.
Completing deep characterization before you start
writing allows your story to flow from your characters. It also enables writing
in a deep point of view. When I start a new story, I complete deep characterization
first—even before I develop themes, plots, and outlines. When I start with deep
characterization, the rest of it flows with effortless ease.
This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author
of romance and women’s fiction novels with new age, spiritual twists.
The
Perfect Lap—His job is to drive fast. Hers is to put
the brakes on him. When sparks fly, will love cross the finish line? To purchase, please click on this link: https://amzn.to/2VkXIkv
Cloud
Whispers—The daughter she gave away. The family she always
wanted. The journey to redefine her fate… To purchase this mind-expanding,
award-winning novel, please click here: https://goo.gl/N9aC38
To sign up for Sedona Hutton’s Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter,
please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/
