He's a Real Fictional Character

I know I've talked about keeping it real when you create a fictional character. As in, making sure your character seems real.

But I haven't really talked about the quirks and twists, the cliches and stereotypes of characterization that make or break a good novel.

So, let's dig out the "rules" and make a few points.


Stereotypes

I'm sure you've read books or seen movies where the characters are more like caricatures. The bad guy wears black. The good guy is blond and blue-eyed. The sidekick is inept and goofy. The woman is weak and weepy, and needs a man to save her. (That one'll bite you in the butt these days!)

If you're writing humor, go for the stereotypes - beef them up until your readers are falling off their chairs with how funny these people are. Or turn them on their heads. Make the hero the weak and weepy one who needs a strong woman to save him.

But if you're writing anything else, avoid stereotypes like they're taboo. They should be. They have no place in good literature. They're the character's twin sister to cliches. Don't do it!

If you're not sure if your fictional character falls into a stereotype, let someone you trust read a few scenes. Ask them if your imaginary friend seems real, and not some silly conglomeration of "good guy" or "bad guy". You can't write a "cheerleader-type" and expect us to believe you.

Dig deeper. Find the flaws and the oddities that make your character who she is.


Do the Twist

My daughter has a few pet peeves about how bad guys are portrayed in teen fiction. When a fictional character comes out in black... yup, he's the bad guy.

As I said above, think about turning stereotypes into something new and different. Find a characteristic that you think belongs to a bad guy (like running around with a scowl on his face all the time to scare people), and give it to the good guy (or girl). Then make sure we know why he's so grumpy-looking.

Is he afraid of others, so he puts on a "stay-away-from-me" face? Is he thinking hard, and his face just falls into a frown when he is? Has something bad happened to make him unhappy?

By twisting what people think is "normal" for good and bad, you get much greater depth to your fictional character, and thus to your novel. If its people seem more real, the story itself will seem more real. And your readers will come back for more in droves.


That's an Exaggeration

Does your fictional character have enough character?

When you're creating your cast, don't forget that all of us have flaws
and failings. Sometimes, it's useful to think about a small flaw and exaggerate it.

For example, if you've seen the "Miss Congeniality" movies, you'll see Sandra Bullock trip up the steps, over the curb, over her own two feet. They've taken clumsiness and made it a humorous part of this character they created.

Now, not every character needs any exaggerated traits like that, nor do you want it to be funny if it's not meant to be. But think about your bad guys (or girls) and give them a characteristic that adds to their badness. (Not a stereotypical trait, please!)

Maybe your antagonist has a son she loves dearly, even while she's busy ruining other people's lives. Let us see her obsess about him. Protect him, half-smother him, if you will. People have traits like that. Let us see them. Use them to make your fictional people more true-to-life.


The Naming Game

Don't forget, while you're creating a fictional character, that a name can make all the difference, too.

Just like with habits and dress styles of your good and bad guys, names can be stereotypical. In case you didn't hear me above, this should be avoided at all costs unless you're writing humor!

I let my family read my first novel after I'd done about three drafts of it. There were parts I didn't like, parts I really liked and parts I just wasn't sure about. I belong to a family full of fiction fanatics, so it was great feedback to ask them where I'd gone wrong.

One of them mentioned that she didn't think I should name my bad guy Jamison, because anyone with that name would be offended.

Wow. What if a bad guy is named David? Or Rachel? Or (gulp) Susie??

I actually played with the names in my novel because it's a fantasy, and I decided that while I understood her point, it wasn't a good idea to name characters with those constraints. If we all did that...

But I did make most of the names more foreign-sounding. Because of
the genre.

Don't fall into this trap. Your antagonist shouldn't be named Judas or Jezebel. That's way too obvious! Nor, in this extreme case, can you get away with naming any other characters with those two particular names. It just wouldn't go over well.

Do think hard about the names you give your most important fictional characters. But don't be lazy or obvious, either. Or your disillusioned readers will be calling you names!


For more on creating characters, see these pages:

Characters
Character
Characterization
Dialogue
Fiction Writing Character Outline
Point of View
POV
Protagonist
Antagonist