NaNoWriMo Prep, Part Five: Character Bios and Design
If you've been following along with us so far, you probably have some idea about what your characters need to be like for your plot to work. This step is to flesh those characters out and give you a reference to look back at while you're writing if you have a question. (If you want something more in-depth you can check out my book here.)
Step One
Character bios. You'll need to know a little about your character's history before you get started, especially if you're going to be doing any kind of references to it. You'll also want them if your character has behaviors that are explained by past experiences. This would include any relevant events from your character's past, like the death of a loved one, a break-up, a significant move, anything that's played a major role in the shaping of your character.
This isn't something you'll necessarily have to include in your book. Maybe your character dislikes sweets because of something that happened when they were a child, but unless that event is central to the plot, you may only need to show that they don't like sweets as a character quirk.
Step Two
Character personalities. It's great to know the biography of your characters, but that can only tell you so much. Your character might have tragedy in their past, but you also need to know how they handled that. Did they grieve quietly and heal, did they suffer? Were they in denial for a long time? Maybe they grew violent, or angry. You'll need to know how they react in different situations.
If, for example, your character has a quick temper, they're not likely to show a great deal of patience when dealing with something or someone that is being frustrating. Someone who has a flighty or thoughtless personality isn't likely to think through consequences well, and as a result will make more mistakes. Someone who thinks things through very well may be on the opposite end of that spectrum, where they miss out and fail to be spontaneous. These things will color how your character behaves through your story.
Step Three
Design. You need to know what your characters look like, how they dress. You need to know something of this in order to describe your characters properly. Their choices in some of these things (clothing, for example) may be affected by their personality or history.
It also may be helpful for you to know what type of clothing they are most comfortable in, and why. A character that prefers jeans and a t-shirt because they don't like anything constricting is unlikely to wear anything form-fitting, for example. But if they like jeans and a t-shirt because they want to blend in and not draw attention to themselves, they'll likely be more willing to wear fancier clothing if it means they don't stand out at a party or a similar situation.
Step One
Character bios. You'll need to know a little about your character's history before you get started, especially if you're going to be doing any kind of references to it. You'll also want them if your character has behaviors that are explained by past experiences. This would include any relevant events from your character's past, like the death of a loved one, a break-up, a significant move, anything that's played a major role in the shaping of your character.
This isn't something you'll necessarily have to include in your book. Maybe your character dislikes sweets because of something that happened when they were a child, but unless that event is central to the plot, you may only need to show that they don't like sweets as a character quirk.
Step Two
Character personalities. It's great to know the biography of your characters, but that can only tell you so much. Your character might have tragedy in their past, but you also need to know how they handled that. Did they grieve quietly and heal, did they suffer? Were they in denial for a long time? Maybe they grew violent, or angry. You'll need to know how they react in different situations.
If, for example, your character has a quick temper, they're not likely to show a great deal of patience when dealing with something or someone that is being frustrating. Someone who has a flighty or thoughtless personality isn't likely to think through consequences well, and as a result will make more mistakes. Someone who thinks things through very well may be on the opposite end of that spectrum, where they miss out and fail to be spontaneous. These things will color how your character behaves through your story.
Step Three
Design. You need to know what your characters look like, how they dress. You need to know something of this in order to describe your characters properly. Their choices in some of these things (clothing, for example) may be affected by their personality or history.
It also may be helpful for you to know what type of clothing they are most comfortable in, and why. A character that prefers jeans and a t-shirt because they don't like anything constricting is unlikely to wear anything form-fitting, for example. But if they like jeans and a t-shirt because they want to blend in and not draw attention to themselves, they'll likely be more willing to wear fancier clothing if it means they don't stand out at a party or a similar situation.
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