Step 3: Create Characters
Now that we’ve discovered a murder and built a story world, it’s time to create our characters. Where to start? You might think we should start with the victim…but you’d be wrong. Think of it this way: who is in every story, especially if you’re writing a series? The sleuth! She might discover any number of victims and reveal numerous killers, but only she will star in every story.
Your Sleuth
Again, you might think you should start with a physical description…but you’d be wrong. Think about it. What characteristics does your sleuth need to unravel a murder? She must be willing and able to pursue a killer, overcoming all the complications that others can throw at her to keep from succeeding. A tall order. Who among us would be willing to track down a killer? Your sleuth is!
Characterizing your Sleuth
She needs to carry the entire story so beyond her skills of detection, she also needs a life. To get to know your sleuth, answer these questions:
What does she value most in the world?
Money
Fame
Family
Reputation
Appearance
What does she fear most in the world?
Loss of what she values most
Abandonment
Sickness
Flying
Dying
What is her secret fault?
Guilt
Shame
Pride
Vanity
Greed
Discovering her strengths and weaknesses
You can see she needs both strengths and weaknesses and these can be categorized as external and internal.
What external strengths does she have?
Black belt in Tae Kwon Do? (useful when she confronts a larger than life killer)
Super intelligent (member of Mensa)
Able to solve puzzles (works the Saturday NYTimes crossword)
What are her internal strengths?
Passion for justice (her motto: right is right)
Can’t stand anyone done wrong (won’t let an innocent man be hanged)
Determined to succeed (won’t let obstacles deter her)
What are her external weaknesses?
Struggling financially (single mother)
Overbearing boss or spouse (interferes with investigation)
Starting new business, class, profession (time consuming)
What are her internal weaknesses?
Grew up poor and fears poverty (will work herself to death if need be)
Caused someone’s death and fears she might again (Adelaide’s weakness in Singular Village Mysteries)
Family killed and fears for own children (Benjamin’s weakness in Singular Village Mysteries)
Have you answered these questions? If you have, you’ve created a rounded person with faults and frailties as well as serviceable powers. One more characteristic is needed: She must be active! She can’t let events happen to her but, if they do, she must act to change the situation. She must take an active role and be resourceful in solving problems, including murders.
Finally, you can give her a name and description. Use her name to reveal her personality. Monika Everhardt stars in my nurse-centered mysteries. Adelaide is a midwife in my Singular Village Mysteries but Gerda works as the evil matron of the girls’ dormitory.
Even your sleuth’s description should make her distinctive. Not a blue-eyed blond but a frizzy-haired, smart-talking woman. She could be tall (indicates strength) but awkward (a weakness). Or short (my fav) but muscular. The list goes on…
Well, sadly, I’ve overwritten this post about creating characters and now I’m out of space to help you create your other characters. So, you’ll need to wait until next week to learn how to create sidekicks, mentors, antagonists, killers, and victims.
