Where is Waldo?

The most important element of a story is the character, whether animate or inanimate because it carries the plot from beginning to end. Simply put, like Cadbury chocolates, the richer the character, the more delicious the story. There have been numerous posts addressing this issue, so this list is not original by any means, and certainly can be expanded upon. The writer's goal is make characters stand out. They should evoke love, hate, sympathy, some kind of emotion in the reader that will make them stand out in a crowd.

When writing I have this list, along with other technique reminders posted near where I am working. A first draft is like an artist's sketch. Such reminders are the color pallets to give realistic depth and make characters stand out. While it's good to have these around during the draft phase, the best time to review these reminders is when starting the first and subsequent edits.

 Characters should evoke some kind of emotion

Character Development

1) Allow to make mistakes.

2) Stand up and be counted.

3) Struggle with choices. If you can show your character being mentally torn apart,

especially if his choice adversely affects himself or someone he cares about, you've

created a compelling inner conflict that will make readers sympathize.

4) Acting consistent within the world you've created.

5) Struggles.

6) Weave physical details into the story where they legitimately belong.

7) Can smell, hear, feel, taste, and see the environment around him.

8) Universal, human qualities. Does the character laugh or cry? Experience frustration,

disappointment, joy, anger, shame, guilt, ambivalence? Will readers be able to relate to

these reactions?

9) Quirks, idiosyncrasies; funny, little habits.

10) Convictions, ethics and beliefs.

11) Behave logically, use common sense, have worthy goals.

12) Is the character a stereotype or an individual.

13) Arced – shows growth.

14) Direct and indirect characterizations vs. info dump.

15) Take any scene, imagine yourself as the POV character and start telling the story as they would tell it.

Ask yourself these questions as you write:

(a) What does character notice? 

(b) How does character see other people?

(c) What thoughts are running through his or her head as events unfold?

(d) What past events influence my character in the present? What future events does my

character anticipate?

(e) What does my character want? What motivates my character to act?

(f) What is my character’s deepest fear?

16) Using more than one point of view. A single point of view is limiting.

(a) Depart from a single point of view in order to divulge information that the reader

couldn't learn from the primary point of view character.

(b) Drop clues in the environment of your viewpoint character - clues that

the reader would understand, but that the character wouldn't necessarily draw

conclusions from.

(c) It might be a good idea:

(i) to show how the protagonist appears to others.

(ii) the main viewpoint character is unreliable.

(iii) the contrast between your protagonist's viewpoint and another person's

viewpoint is central to the story conflict.

(iv) show precisely how dangerous your antagonist is.