Moar Writing Tips: Original Characterization

[triedunture]

T'S GIANT EXPERT WRITING ADVICE FOR WRITERS
and other people who wanna write good too


Today's topic: OC Characterization
you are what you are


Characterization is probably the most important factor readers use to determine whether they enjoy a book or story. Without interesting characters, even the best plot seems dull. Kind of like watching Keanu play a Shakespearean character. Anyway.

Because fanfiction's characterization is a whole 'nother ballgame, I'm starting this discussion with the basics on OCs, or original characters. By learning how to construct an OC, whether for original fiction or for use in fanfiction, you can better understand the more specific animal that is fanfic characterization. (That will be next week's topic.) So let's begin.

Quick rundown: there are two types of characters, flat and round. Flat characters needn't be fleshed out completely because they only serve a single purpose. They're the coat check girls and the police officers and the waiters whom your main characters might run into. They can be lively and interesting, too. And they can be extremely important. But flat characters don't usually need the kind of depth that round characters do. So for now, let's tackle the characterization of round original characters.

What do we mean when we talk about characterization? Characterization is the literary makeup of your characters, their "thingness" if you will. Characterization is more than just what your character looks and sounds like; it determines their actions. Cowardice, intelligence, loyalty, thrift, humor: all of these factor into a person's character. The most important thing to remember when constructing an original character is you must know each and every facet of their personalities in this way. You should be able to give an answer if someone were to ask, "Does he like cucumbers? Does he close the toilet before flushing? Who's his mother?" You may not actually need to use all this information in your story, but you MUST know it. It's the only way to create a whole and complete character.

How the fuck do you do that? How can you possibly know what Chris likes to eat, or what Fred thinks of his mother? You just made him up 10 minutes ago!

It's one of those things that I can't explain with words. Good thing you came to me for writing advice, huh?

If their story happens to be plot driven, then obviously the characters are going to be molded based on that. If the story is character-driven, meaning that the personality and spirit of the characters is what guides the story, then it gets more complicated.

The best way to describe my process for building a character from scratch is choppa-blocking. I take what I know from other sources (other characters, people I know, people I've seen on the street, a vocal pattern, a gesture, an attitude) and I mix and match. I might give a character my brother's fear of loud noises, my best friend's love of rollercoasters, my aunt's distrust of outsiders. I might give a character my neighbor's hairstyle, my drycleaner's accent, my fruit-stand man's laugh. Jesus Christ, there are characters all around you! It's mostly about understanding human nature and seeing that most parts of it aren't mutually exclusive.

People are both simple and complex. At the very basic level, everyone is alike because we all have something we're striving towards. It might be Truth, it might be Love, it might be a burrito, but everyone is yearning (god I hate that word but it really does fit) for something. If you're lacking the basics of a foundation of a character, start at the motivation. What does he want? What does he need? How is he willing to get it?

Some aspects of your character might pop up unexpectedly. You might be guiding them through a scene that is a little boring, a little lacking, and then suddenly they'll do something that makes you go, "Yes, that's Chris! That's Fred! That perfectly encapsulates them."

Avoid cliches like "the hooker with a heart of gold" because we have seen this character too often to be impressed by the dichotomy. While it is only natural to use archetypes like The Trickster or The Evil Woman, I would encourage you to look through a new lens at these cookie cutter characters and bring something new to the table if you can, and if you need to. The key is multi-faceted characters. More than one aspect, is what I'm getting at.

The most Golden Rule of characterization for me is this: there is a paradoxical relationship in fiction wherein, the more specific and detailed your character, the more people will relate to him. I cannot stress this enough! It's bizarre but true. If your characters are all vague and sort of drab and nonthreatening, that's boring! And no one wants to believe they themselves are boring. But when your character does or says something awful, fantastic, embarrassing, brilliant, or retarded, people will say, "YES, I have felt that way too." Because everyone has, and until reading your story, may have felt they were alone in feeling this way.

Because of this, I am so dead set against main characters that are modeled on yourself. (I say this though I have done it. Should you be listening to me at all?) Most of us, myself included, have no objectivity when it comes to examining our own character. I can say that I think I'm a brave person; there is certainly no evidence against it. But if someone were to fall onto the subway tracks tomorrow during morning rush hour, would I be brave enough to jump down and save them from the approaching train?

I don't know. I've never had the opportunity to test this aspect of my character.

But your characters WILL be tested. They SHOULD be tested. (See the thingy on plot.) And because good original characters are tested like that in a pure, objective way, I wouldn't advise you basing one on yourself. This is a long rambling rant that just means Mary Janes = bad.

If you're still stuck, start at the simplest outward trappings. What do they look like? What clothes do they wear? These things can help inform what sort of person they are on a superficial level and understand who they are on a deeper level.

OK, what do I mean by that? Hold onto your hat because I'm about to get soppy and squishy.

Everyone has a secret heart. A sort of inner working that no one, not their parents, not their lovers, not their closest friends, will ever be able to grasp. Everyone has this. It is an X factor, a piece of the human heart that cannot be measured or quantified. It is what makes people do unexpected things; it is what makes an otherwise ordinary man jump onto the subway tracks to save someone from an oncoming train; it is what makes an otherwise ordinary man stab someone to death in an alley.

Your character should have a secret heart. You don't need to share that heart with your reader; indeed, you probably won't be able to even if you try because a secret heart is unfathomable. It contains all the hopes and fears that cannot be expressed in ordinary language.

God, I sound like a hippy. Think of it this way: imagine the thing that you feel is most true about yourself. The one thing that will never, ever change. No matter what happens. Good or bad. Can you put it into words?

If so, then I don't think you're human. No offense.

But characters, just like people, have this unknowable secret heart, this inner force that isn't quantified by money or sex or height or fame. It's completely dark in a distant jungle. From this secret heart, you can make a character do anything you want to as long as you understand its nature and its foundation. If you are truly successful in creating a round character, your readers will be able to grasp the character's secret heart through the story.

Let's look at an example of a strong original character. I could use Hamlet, but I'll use House.

House is a beloved character despite (or because of) his flaws. We have seen his pain, his struggle, his triumph, his defeat. We feel connected to him not because we are also middle-aged genius cripples (unlikely), but because the secret heart of a middle-aged genius cripple is so close to our own secret hearts. What House experiences as genius manifests as life as an outcast, and we have all felt like outcasts. What House has experienced as a cripple manifests as failure, and we have all experienced failure. What House experiences as a middle-aged man manifests as a need to remain young somehow, and we all wish to remain young somehow. Do you see what I mean about specific details resulting in more people being able to relate to a character?

I guess when I talk about characterization I'm really talking about universal truths. And that's a tough ground to cover!

But remember when creating an OC that you are in control. You dictate what happens to this person, so make the most of it. Be aware of what role they are supposed to play; don't make them bigger than the main character if they are supposed to be flat; don't make them smaller than the supporting cast if they are supposed to be round.

I hope this will act as less of a manifesto for your characterization needs and more of a guideline. Later this week I'll discuss the specifics of writing a character that is already attached to a canon.

Have I forgotten anything? Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Arguments against my flowery language?