Q&A for How to Create a Character

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  • Question
    How do you create a character profile?
    Grant Faulkner, MA
    Professional Writer
    Grant Faulkner is the Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and the co-founder of 100 Word Story, a literary magazine. Grant has published two books on writing and has been published in The New York Times and Writer’s Digest. He co-hosts Write-minded, a weekly podcast on writing and publishing, and has a M.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. 
    Professional Writer
    Expert Answer
    Know what drives your character. Your character's motivation is one of the most important elements of the character profile. A novel is essentially a desire in conflict, so write down what your character desires and what is preventing them from attaining their desire. Describe your character's appearance. You need to know what your character looks like so that your readers can picture the character in their heads. Write down your character's background. The character's background is a large element in why they will do what they do. Situate your character in the world. Are they powerful? Or are they weak? Do they make themselves vulnerable? Or are they guarded? Try putting your character through the lens of psychological profiles to better understand them, for example, the Meyers Briggs test. Remember that your character is alive. Ultimately, your character isn't a compilation of descriptions. What's driving the character, what they want, and why they can't get it — that's the story.
  • Question
    Can it just be an OC?
    Wolfepic77
    Community Answer
    Yes, OC means Original Character, so, technically, every character is an OC.
  • Question
    Can my character be a pickle?
    Community Answer
    There are no limitations to your imagination. In Adventure Time, Jake is a talking dog. In Undertale, Flower is a talking flower. You can absolutely have a character that's a pickle if you want.
  • Question
    Is it OK if I imagine my character looks like an actor?
    Community Answer
    Generally yes, but try to change their appearance slightly to make them more unique. Switch their hair, change their chin shape, add a scar or birthmark. This is your character, so make him/her your own.
  • Question
    Should I draw my character even if I'm a bad artist?
    Community Answer
    Of course! Visualizing your character is great, even if you aren't the best at drawing. You don't have to show anybody, if you don't want to - just keep it for personal reference.
  • Question
    Should I make my character not be sophisticated?
    Community Answer
    It's your character, so he/she can be anything you want.
  • Question
    Can my character be a demi human? ( a half human half animal )
    Sarah Battilana
    Community Answer
    Absolutely! That sounds like an incredible, creative idea! Your characters can be anything you want them to be.
  • Question
    Can I make my character like a real person?
    Community Answer
    Of course you can, just make sure that you don't copy a real person. A good character should be believable.
  • Question
    Can I have a few bunnies and their mother for characters?
    Wolfepic77
    Community Answer
    There are no limits to what your character can be. Bunnies are a great idea.
  • Question
    Can I make up a name for my character?
    Community Answer
    Of course you can - it's your character.
  • Question
    My character is in love with the antagonist. Is that okay?
    Sarah Battilana
    Community Answer
    That's definitely okay. That can make for some really interesting writing. Try to dive into the "why" behind their attraction.
  • Question
    Is it weird creating characters based on family members?
    Spottyinviss
    Community Answer
    Not at all. Authors commonly use real people as inspiration for characters, especially those closest to them, such as friends and family members. When you see someone often, you get to understand their personality as you do your own. This makes it easier to imagine how they would act in different situations and how they would make choices. As long as you don't just take someone you know and plonk them into the story, it's actually a really good idea!
  • Question
    I made a hyena OC from the lion king. I wanted the name to sound like one of the hyenas names, so I made the name Menzi, is that a good name?
    Wolfepic77
    Community Answer
    That sounds like a beautiful name. It suits well for a more reserved and quiet hyena.
  • Question
    How do I know if my character is good enough?
    Sarah Battilana
    Community Answer
    Are the compelling? Do they have unique characteristics and motives for their actions? And most importantly, do you like them? A lot of writers often feel that their characters or stories will never be "good enough," but eventually you have to release your writing out into the world (or to your friends and family).
  • Question
    If I am making my character's birth date, is it okay if I use my own birth date?
    Community Answer
    Yes, that's fine. No one will know it's your birth date too unless you tell them.
  • Question
    Do I need to put down my character's age?
    Community Answer
    It would be helpful to add your character's age as a reference for their personality and looks, but it's not absolutely necessary.
  • Question
    I have two characters, they got married, and they are great. Now I want the new character, their baby I have the life story planned out but I want them to look like both parents, how do I do that?
    Sarah Battilana
    Community Answer
    Use some of the physical descriptions you used for the parents and echo them when you describe the baby--like eye color, skin tone, the shape of a chin, etc.
  • Question
    Can I kill off the main character towards the end, or would that create problems later on the book?
    Sarah Battilana
    Community Answer
    You can kill them off--just be mindful of how that might impact your readers. Is there another character they'll be rooting for? Or is the villain taking over? There are a lot of possibilities!
  • Question
    What if my character is similar to someone else's character?
    Spottyinviss
    Community Answer
    It depends on how similar. If your character is almost identical in appearance and personality to someone else's character, you should think about changing it. However, if you just took several qualities or features, then that's fine! It's okay to get inspiration from other people's characters.
  • Question
    What is better for creating an adventurer protagonist? Boy or girl?
    Evans Hale
    Community Answer
    Usually boys are mostly written in adventure novels. But a girl adventurer protagonist will be pretty unique, also a great creative idea! Just make sure the character is very daring, that helps develop the plot easier.
  • Question
    Could I color in my character?
    Community Answer
    Yes, you very much can. There are no limits to colors.
  • Question
    Could I make a dragon and bird fusion as my character?
    Community Answer
    Of course you can! It's your character and you can do whatever you want with them!
  • Question
    Can I use something like an anime character creator to create a visual of my character?
    PreuxFox
    Top Answerer
    You can do that for yourself and to show to your friends. You won't be able to use than image for a book cover or anything that people might pay you for (unless it is allowed in the character creator's terms of service).
  • Question
    What if I want to make a non-human OC?
    Community Answer
    You can make anything an OC, from flying pickles to a talking chimpanzee. Be creative.
  • Question
    Should I write the hair color and eye color down if it's not virtually visible in the drawing?
    DeckTheHalls
    Community Answer
    Yes. Even though you might not see it, you may want to make it visible later in your story, so write it down for future reference.
  • Question
    What kind of Name would be good for a smart black 13 year old girl?
    Sarah Battilana
    Community Answer
    There are lots of different options for names! Try searching online or reading books that feature smart, african american kids to get more ideas!
  • Question
    I based a character on a family member. However I was told I should think about changing them as they don't seem real. What should I do?
    Sarah Battilana
    Community Answer
    You could try modifying the character a bit with some other details. But in the end, if YOU like the character the way you wrote them, then stick with your gut.
  • Question
    What is a good number of characters?
    Sarah Battilana
    Community Answer
    It's really going to depend on what kind of story you're writing, how long it is, and what happens in the story. Generally, you want at least 1 protagonist, several secondary characters, and 1 or 2 antagonist. Some stories only have a few characters while other have dozens!
  • Question
    Should I make my character like a dog or a cat?
    Sarah Battilana
    Community Answer
    It depends--what kind of story are you writing? Are you using animals as your main characters, or are you writing humans who have animal characteristics?
  • Question
    How can I add more details to my character?
    Geeky Panda :3
    Community Answer
    Try and get to know your character more – their physical features and their personality. Do they look unique? Do they have some sort of birthmark, scar etc.? What sort of fashion style do they have? Think about their personality as well. What makes them tick? What hobbies do they have? What music do they like? Are they intelligent, yet short-tempered? Are they brave, yet they tend to be stubborn? Remember to realistically balance positive qualities with some negative ones.
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