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What makes a good character?
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I know we have a plethora of avid readers and writers on the Chatterbox (I wonder if it's because it's based around a literary magazine...hmm...), and I think one thing that really makes a story come to life is its complex characters. The world of Harry Potter is brimming with fascinating heroes, villains, and regular people. It's hard not to care about even the characters that may seem like supporting roles, such as Fred and George or Dobby. I personally will always love Anne Shirley, from Anne of Green Gables. The series is nearly based around her and her quirky, dramatic, genuine ways and I never grow tired of it. Anne feels like a little sister to me, and I see a lot of myself in her.
So I was wondering, who are your favorite characters of all time, and what you think makes them interesting or lovable? What is the secret to writing a good character?
submitted by Brown Bear, procrastinating
(June 10, 2017 - 8:25 pm)
(June 10, 2017 - 8:25 pm)
Personally, I like characters with an evil side, like Hamlet or Hector. I feel like they are more living and breating than the modern YA hero.
(June 11, 2017 - 12:12 am)
Yeah, while I don't usually write characters with a truly 'evil' side, I do think it's important to explore your character's weaknesses and darknesses in order to make them real. And I think most people love an interesting backstory.
(June 12, 2017 - 9:13 pm)
(June 11, 2017 - 9:42 am)
I think a dramatic pesonality makes a character interesting. Also making a character slightly insane, ha! Like Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter or Angela from The Inheritance Cycle. They're both some of my favorite characters. And a character should always have secrets and unexplained actions, (unless they're the main character,) because it makes them intriguing and makes you want to read more about them.
(June 11, 2017 - 2:58 pm)
I love characters that are flawed, broken, insecure, I love quirky characters, I love diverse characters. In my opinion, the secret to writing a good character is making them relatable. Make them someone your audience can identify with, not someone who's superhuman and perfect.
(June 11, 2017 - 3:56 pm)
True about making them relatable. Two of my all time favorite characters are Brian from Hatchet and The Brian Books and also Wil Neuton from The Island, both by Gary Paulsen. For some reason I really relate to them even though I'm nothing like them.
Speaking of which, definitely read any book by Gary Paulsen you can get ahold of. I consider him an author in the same league as J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien and Madelaine L'engle. But be careful, some of his books may not be so appropriate.
(June 12, 2017 - 8:41 pm)
I love Anne Shirley! I think I love her because she's so relatable and so similar to me. I love characters who are quirky and relatable.
(June 12, 2017 - 3:43 pm)
I wonder if we love the broken, quirky, slightly-insane characters because we see ourselves in them; like you mentioned, they're "relatable." I think there's more value to a relatable character than just an interesting element of the story. Having a character who is like you in at least a few ways can help you understand yourself better - what motivates you, what frightens you, and what you want in life. As young people, this is one thing we all want to learn.
(June 12, 2017 - 9:17 pm)
I tend to get a bit obsessed with backstories, but they are a good way to learn about a character! You should get to a point where you know what they would do in any situation. Another way to do it is make a list of inner characteristics for them. Make sure there's at least 5. Then refer to it while you're writing a story. And make sure to give them a reason to do everything! For example, in Ther Wizard of Oz, Dorothy wants to get home. If she didn't, well just imagine what would happen to the story. One of my favorite characters is Qibli from the Wings of Fire books, because he's so interesting, has this really cool, obscure backstory, a lot of interesting thoughts, and he's funny.
(June 18, 2017 - 12:47 pm)
I like characters like August from Wonder because they aren't perfect. I also like characters that try their hardest, and make mistakes. I agree that we like characters that are relatable.
(June 21, 2017 - 6:58 pm)
Flaws. Flaws that outnumber strengths but can be twisted into strengths in the right situations. Like Tiffany Aching from The Wee Free Men, who uses her selfishness and possessiveness to save her little brother. Humans are very, very complex and faulty beings, and characters that reflect that are realistic ones.
(June 26, 2017 - 10:37 am)
Me personally, I like characters who are dynamic. If the character doesn't change very much through the story, it is kind of disappointing. There are so many examples of characters that do change, and they are my favorite. Edward from The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Hermione from Harry Potter. Willow from Counting By 7's. I also like slightly insane (Dumbledore*) or hilarious characters(Fred and George).
*I say Dumbledore because he is a bit peculiar and Ron is always making references to him being "a bit funny".
(June 28, 2017 - 7:56 pm)
Characters that develop well! If any of you guys have seen the TV show The Office, you would know that every character has a very visible flaw or flaws, but over the course of the show, they grow and change into better people. Sure, some of them might be jerks, but I just thought those characters were very well written. Characters that are fun, have contrasting things about them (for example, being like, a world-class boxer but owning/obsessing over a horde of tiny poodles, or an 80 year old woman who sews her own very modest dresses but listens to punk rock), characters that show emotion, etc.
(July 2, 2017 - 9:17 am)