Allison Symes's Blog - Posts Tagged "caring-about-characters"
What Makes a Good Story for You?
For me, a good story is all about whether I care about what happens to the characters or not.
If I do, I will read all the way through, whether that tale is 100 words long (classic flash fiction territory, that one!), or a 100,000 words novel.
I have got to find out what happens to the characters so I need to be able to identify with them in some way or, at the very least, have empathy for the position they find themselves in.
The plot works for me as long as I can believe in the characters, no matter how fantastical they are (or their setting is).
I also love reading (and writing) character dialogue and thoughts which move the story on. You want to feel as if you are in that character’s head and can see exactly where they are coming from.
You want to feel what your character does. That’s the only way to avoid characters being cardboard cut-outs in my view.
If I do, I will read all the way through, whether that tale is 100 words long (classic flash fiction territory, that one!), or a 100,000 words novel.
I have got to find out what happens to the characters so I need to be able to identify with them in some way or, at the very least, have empathy for the position they find themselves in.
The plot works for me as long as I can believe in the characters, no matter how fantastical they are (or their setting is).
I also love reading (and writing) character dialogue and thoughts which move the story on. You want to feel as if you are in that character’s head and can see exactly where they are coming from.
You want to feel what your character does. That’s the only way to avoid characters being cardboard cut-outs in my view.
Memorable Characters
One of my favourite aspects to any kind of story are the characters but they have to be memorable to me.
It can be I remember their witty dialogue. It can be I remember their attitude, whether I like it or loathe it.
But there has to be something about them that makes them stand out to me. I try and do this for my own characters. If I don’t find them memorable, why should anyone else?
When you think back to stories you’ve loved from the past, it will be the characters you remember. You will remember how X did this, then that, and finally Y happened. You focus on the character you care about.
That is a challenge to me as a writer. What is it about my creations which will make readers care about them? Why do I care enough about the character to put them in a story at all? There has to be something.
This is where reading widely helps a writer. You can work out what it is about the various characters you love and loathe and deduce why that is and then apply what you‘ve learned from that to your own creations.
It can be I remember their witty dialogue. It can be I remember their attitude, whether I like it or loathe it.
But there has to be something about them that makes them stand out to me. I try and do this for my own characters. If I don’t find them memorable, why should anyone else?
When you think back to stories you’ve loved from the past, it will be the characters you remember. You will remember how X did this, then that, and finally Y happened. You focus on the character you care about.
That is a challenge to me as a writer. What is it about my creations which will make readers care about them? Why do I care enough about the character to put them in a story at all? There has to be something.
This is where reading widely helps a writer. You can work out what it is about the various characters you love and loathe and deduce why that is and then apply what you‘ve learned from that to your own creations.
