Randy Dutton's Blog - Posts Tagged "hero"
Character Development
Creating a character is easy...if you like stereotypes. I don’t, so where then to derive your ideas? Most would tell you to look at friends, family, and co-workers. That’s good for a start, but often they may not be edgy enough to grab a reader’s attention. So stretch your contacts to acquaintances, passersby, and social media. Watch that guy on the street corner hawking wares, doing what it takes to divert your attention so he can make a buck, legally or otherwise. Study the people attired and acting unlike anyone else, who, when society starts imitating them, change again. Pay attention to the random people trying to friend you. Check on their story, sometimes it’s fraudulent and with a hidden agenda. A little research and their true motives may be discerned. In the early 1980s I didn’t understand Neapolitans. I was stationed in Naples, Italy – with three days driving experience, I felt I was in the midst of chaos. I literally pulled over to study traffic at a crazy intersection trying to figure out their driving rules. Finally, it dawned on me, forget the traffic lights, whoever got their fender in front of the other had the right away. From then on I loved Naples. Watch people...figure it out.
Another way to develop a character is to first determine what type of lifestyle, attitude, or pain you want your character to embody – then go to where they congregate. For my book, The Carbon Trap, I chose for the male protagonist what might start off as a stereotypical character, intelligent, star quarterback in college, war hero, then layered on the angst – feeling responsible for others resulting in his violent retribution of a perceived wrong, above the knee amputation and chronic pain, extreme personal risk-taking by having unapproved invasive technology integrated into his body. For this, one doesn’t need to go far, just visit a VA hospital and you’ll see heroes packed into crowded waiting rooms, often treated as cattle by nice but officious staff, and being recipients of less than cutting edge technology. What an area to breed resentment. Then, let your characters breathe, see where they take you. My female protagonist starts off as an extremely amoral antagonist – brilliant, beautiful, talented, and deadly. Then I layered on her angst, backstorying her as a victim who lost faith and turned angry, which morphed into calculating and revengeful. Success turns her cold and selfish, and emotionally alone. A character being rescued, even from themself, should not be a Disneyesque caricature but rather reveal personal struggle that requires time and patience from others. While I was fairly certain my perception of how the character would behave was accurate, I backed it up with considerable psychological research.
After you’ve created your characters, discuss it with someone you know well and who had good insight. Feedback on the reality of your character is important, but don’t compromise on key personality traits just to appease sensitivities or soften the storyline. Being edgy often is what will set your story apart from others, and create the buzz you seek.
Another way to develop a character is to first determine what type of lifestyle, attitude, or pain you want your character to embody – then go to where they congregate. For my book, The Carbon Trap, I chose for the male protagonist what might start off as a stereotypical character, intelligent, star quarterback in college, war hero, then layered on the angst – feeling responsible for others resulting in his violent retribution of a perceived wrong, above the knee amputation and chronic pain, extreme personal risk-taking by having unapproved invasive technology integrated into his body. For this, one doesn’t need to go far, just visit a VA hospital and you’ll see heroes packed into crowded waiting rooms, often treated as cattle by nice but officious staff, and being recipients of less than cutting edge technology. What an area to breed resentment. Then, let your characters breathe, see where they take you. My female protagonist starts off as an extremely amoral antagonist – brilliant, beautiful, talented, and deadly. Then I layered on her angst, backstorying her as a victim who lost faith and turned angry, which morphed into calculating and revengeful. Success turns her cold and selfish, and emotionally alone. A character being rescued, even from themself, should not be a Disneyesque caricature but rather reveal personal struggle that requires time and patience from others. While I was fairly certain my perception of how the character would behave was accurate, I backed it up with considerable psychological research.
After you’ve created your characters, discuss it with someone you know well and who had good insight. Feedback on the reality of your character is important, but don’t compromise on key personality traits just to appease sensitivities or soften the storyline. Being edgy often is what will set your story apart from others, and create the buzz you seek.
