Nano Log: Creating and Developing Characters

The character creation process is, for me, a tricky thing. Because there’s no such thing as a “usual” when it comes to the people who populate my stories or my methods of developing them. Some I have to psychoanalyze before they start to open up to me; others show up, introduce themselves to me, and tell me exactly what they’ll be doing in the story they want me to write. There’s plenty of room for variation in the process.

We’re a third of the way through Camp Nano, and one of my biggest priorities in the past ten days has been adding words to my draft as quickly as possible. But I’ve also been taking all the time I can afford to develop my characters.

Though character creation and development can come in many forms depending on the writer, the type of project, or even the character themselves, there are a few key practices that I follow.

I let my characters form naturally.

When a character idea first comes to me, it can be incredibly vivid or frustratingly blurry. What remains constant is that I get a general “feel” for the kind of person that they are. That character “core” is almost always the first thing that materializes in my mind.

Inspiration can come from anywhere. For me, a character idea can be inspired by something random that I see going about my life, like a stranger that I see on the bus or a cool knickknack I come across at a thrift store. Or a character can suddenly appear to fill an empty spot in my story. For example, if I need a sometime-antagonist that can double as a part-time role model, sometimes someone will just show up who happens to fit those qualifications.

Once a character idea is in my head, I usually leave it alone to incubate for a while. I try not to act too quickly so I don’t lose those core characteristics. Character ideas are elusive when they’re first forming. And if I can’t hold onto them until they’re more concrete, they change on me.

I write down details as they come to me.

Right now, I have a template that I’ve been working off of. I like to use this as a character development exercise and also as a reference sheet that I can look back at during the rest of the writing process. I’ve created the form by collecting and adapting character development material from a variety of different sources. I’ll link to a blank version of this form here.

There are a few of things to remember with this form. The first is that each writer’s process is different. The items on my form may or may not fit your needs. And if that’s the case, feel free to play with it to make it into the tool that best suits your style and your project. That’s how I created this resource in the first place.

The second is that I’ve purposely left certain fields up to interpretation. When I’ve shared this with writers I’ve collaborated with, I’ve had a lot of questions about what’s supposed to go in certain fields. The answer is simple: write whatever makes sense to you. If you’re going to be using it as a reference, it only makes sense to use structure and language that will make your job easier.

Finally, this resources is very extensive but not exhaustive. What you put into this form will not be all there is to your character, but feel free to add fields or categories if you want addition info. Similarly, don’t feel pressured to fill out every detail the form asks for. One writer friend complained to me that there was just too much to fill out. If it’s too much for you or for your character, then just skip over what you don’t want or need.

I track changes with my characters as they occur.

I’ll often continue to develop my characters through personality tests or interview questions. There are a lot of good character development threads on the NaNoWriMo website. Whether I’m giving a character the Myers-Briggs test or the Pottermore Hogwarts house quiz, I learn a lot about them with the questions I ask.

I also like to develop my characters by roleplaying them a little. I might, for example, write a scene where a character has to choose which Divergent faction to join or a scene where two characters from different stories meet and push each other’s buttons a little. I’m also a fan of written roleplaying, so I’ll sometimes throw in characters from works-in-progress to see how they do under completely different circumstances than their own.

Finally, I add to my characters as the plot deems necessary. Sometimes the story will need something very specific to happen and there’s only one person for the job. When that happens, it will usually fit with a character that I already have.

I like to just build on my characters’ core traits as I go. Characters can change within their own arcs or through the writing process. Sometimes storytelling will reveal something about my character that I never knew before. Maybe he’s a closet nerd. Maybe she’s secretly in love with her best friend. When I learn interesting little things like this as I go, I’ll add it to that character’s form.

This might even mean overriding something that I’d thought before. That’s fine, especially if the new information fits the character better or makes the plot more interesting. Don’t resist change. Former Pixar writer Emma Coats says, “Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.”

Whether because of story planning or character arcs, you’ll want to write these changes down so you can remember them.

I trust my characters to reveal themselves to me in due time.

Don’t be afraid to leave blanks on the form! Just because there’s a field doesn’t mean you need to use it. When I write, I only fill half to three-quarters of the fields I’ve provided for myself. Sometimes I put random information in as a placeholder just to test it out.

But don’t force anything that doesn’t fit. If I test run something and it isn’t working, I remove or replace it and continue to develop my character form there.

If you approach character development with the mindset that each person in your book needs to develop organically, both in-universe and out-of-universe, you’ll be setting yourself up to create more believable and relatable characters.

I create and develop my characters by letting ideas form naturally, writing down as many details as I can about each character, keeping track of changes in my characters, and trusting each of them to reveal themselves to me in their own time.