Characters: Personality, Flaws, and Distinctive Qualities

Writing is a multi-faceted skill that should be seamless and coherent. It should take your reader to new places and meet new people. Good writing includes tension, conflict, and resolution. I am always thinking of an inciting incident to kick things off.

In the Affect of Red, I started with a Prologue where a young girl jumps off a tenth-story balcony. It’s a short piece, about 650 words. It was meant to be a hook to bring the reader into the story, and to create a conflict that would drive the reader onward.

Those were early days, formative years for my writing. Working with Coach has opened my eyes to many techniques to make my readers’ experience full of vibrant colors.

There are many elements to successful writing and today is about characters. These are the people you introduce and use to tell your story. The goal is to give your reader something to like or dislike about your significant characters. To do this, there are some simple guidelines to be thinking of as you create characters

Establish a character’s motivations and goalsChoose a voiceDo a slow revealCreate conflictDescribe a character’s personality in familiar termsPaint a physical picture of your charactersDevelop secondary characters

You’re the writer. You control the scene, and it’s your job to give the reader enough to be a sensory participant in the story.

As an architect, my mind works visualizing images. I create images for every character and every scene. Like the image I used for this article.

There are five people three men and two women. Where are they? Why are they there? Why are they separated into two groups? Is the couple in the background plotting against the others? Or is it as simple as him asking her on a date?

You’re in charge. Give your characters goals and also give them personalities. Give them flaws. In Lies, Deception and the Stealing of Wealth, Jessica Bettin is flawed (enhanced by her friend Caroline). There is good reason for her flaws, and I roll that out over the telling of the story. Caroline is a big help with her sassy comebacks reminding Jessica of these flaws.

I allow my characters to describe themselves through action and dialog. Otherwise, Coach would be on me every time I start to bloviate.

In Stephen King’s book on writing, he provides excellent advise for describing characters.

“For me, good description usually consists of a few well-chosen details that will stand for everything else.”

“If I tell you that Carrie White is a high school outcast with a bad complexion and a fashion-victim wardrobe, I think you can do the rest.”

The celebrated architect Mies van der Rohe is know for the words: “Less is More.”

Coach and I had one whole Zoom session on the Six Word Story. At the time it was a burden to work that hard just to write a description. Do it a few times, it will get easier.

Look for methods used by other authors. I like to read V.E. Schwab because of her descriptive passages. She does bloviate on occasion, but I give her a pass because I like her prose.

Reading from a variety of authors provides context. It’s when I read other indie writers’ work I notice the lack of fluid descriptions with the use of just a few words.

Getting back to the picture with this blog.

A favorite subtlety of dialog is who is talking? Is it a man and a man, a man and a woman, or a woman and a woman? This is an observed science that a writer really needs to be aware of. 

In chapter eleven of Lies, Deception, and the Stealing of Wealth, there is a conversation between  Remy and Dala about this subject. Dala starts…

“She’s friendly and I’ve talked with her a little. Girl stuff, greetings and pleasantries mostly.”

“When did this happen?” Remy started. “And why is she talking to you?”

“I don’t have any friends of my own. There’s nobody to talk to, except you. I…”

“Dala,” Remy interrupted.

“What?”

“It’s for a good reason,” he started. “Catalina has been specific about outside friends.”

 “I’ve been to the Beach Garden alone a few times. She always stops by my table to say hello. She’s nice. I miss my girlfriends, someone to talk to.”

“You talk to me,” Remy said.

“It’s not the same,” she rolled her eyes. “With girlfriends I can be myself. With lovers the conversation is a dance of words.”

My reader, Misha from Wyoming, singled this out in her comments to me. I knew I was on the right track.

The point is to give your character’s gender and personality. And…pay attention to the path discussions take between genders.

And… don’t bloviate.