Q&A for How to Create a Fictional Character from Scratch

I would recommend introducing the character slowly. Don't just drop them into the story in the middle, but don't focus on them too heavily in the beginning either. Let them slowly integrate into more central aspects of the story.

You don't have to draw it. Write down what he/she looks like, and have a friend draw the character.

If the name is used by a company, then chances are it will be copyrighted. But if you randomly find a DeviantArt user with a character with the same name, then it should be okay to use the name.

Yes. That will allow to better see what your character will look like.

Not necessarily. You should give a backstory to your main character and probably one or two supporting characters at least, but you don't have to go into the history of every single character in your story.

Go shopping. Look at different clothing stores and think of adjectives to describe the clothes.

Just create a character sketch. Write down what the character looks like in your head, and apply that to your final project.

Nope! The rules apply to characters that are male, female, genderless or both genders!

Draw the character out. Look online to find outfits that match your character's personality. Make sure to keep the drawing of the character/characters out when writing so you don't go back to the basics.

Try to give examples of their powers, write a scene where they use their abilities to do something. For instance, if you have someone who's able to control fire then you might have a scene like this: "Luke and Cyan sat down on the ground after many failed attempts to start a campfire. Suddenly, Luke looked like he was thinking about something really hard and then he held out his hand and a ball of flame ignited in his palm. 'THAT WAS AMAZING!' Becky cried out in disbelief." Make it a natural part of the scene.

I don't think so. You might want to say something about the character's usual style of dress though. For example, if your character is mysterious or shy, you might want to say that they wear a hoodie with the hood pulled over their face most of the time.

Try researching the common stereotypes for shy people. For example, shy people don't like to be around people, or shy people don't make good public speakers. You could have your character be shy but still like to be around people, or maybe your character is shy but can make a powerful speech.

Absolutely not! In fact, I often make 3 or 4 parts of my character at a time, and then do a few different parts of other characters that might influence the rest of the character I was struggling with. If you build up each character gradually, with influence from other characters in the story, it will also make their interactions a lot more fluid and realistic!

The definition of an archetype is a very typical example or model of something.

Sure. People draw inspiration from influences all the time and it's perfectly fine, as long as you still make it your own unique creation. If you'd like to explain why you're using these names, maybe your characters have some trait in common with their namesakes, or maybe their parents admired those namesakes for some reason?

First, if you are basing it off a real place, find images of the people from that area. Then, write a description of your character that matches the images you've found. Add some specific distinguishing touches that make the character your own.

Either one can work. What really matters is to show people with descriptive language, detail, and passion and remember it is always okay to exaggerate in fictional stories!

There are some great tips in Find Unique Names for Your Characters .

You should introduce them as the story dictates. There is no hard and fast rule for this.

Write a short story or flash fiction. This way the characters don't need to be developed in as much detail as they would for a longer piece. You could also try writing about an everyday event from the point of view of your character to see how they react to the situation.

That is completely up to you!

Yes. You shouldn't give all the information at once, and start off with a very basic kind of description. During the story, you can reveal their relationships with other characters, some of their flaws, and many other character traits.

Yes, this is okay. It's your story, after all. The best stories are based on writing what you know.

Your drawings don't necessarily have to be perfect if you're just sketching them out. You can look up drawing tutorials, or try to draw them digitally if you want. But your friend might be more open-minded than you're giving them credit for. Maybe just ask them?

The programs I use are Vectr and Paint. Paint is good for sketching, but Vectr is great at piecing images together.

No. This applies to any fictional characters you may create. Just follow the steps above.

They're recommended. You don't have to, but they can really help improve your story.

There are some great ideas in Find Unique Names for Your Characters and Name Your Fictional Character .

See the article Describe a Character's Looks Well for detailed steps.

See Name Your Fictional Character and related articles.