Create Memorable Characters without Boring the Reader

Great books begin with memorable characters. But how do you make your character stand out without putting the reader to sleep?

Avoid overly long and wordy descriptions. In a recent class, author Ann Dee Ellis said writers sometimes give tons of background description, hoping to make characters memorable. But lengthy descriptions make the story drag. She advises, “Details must move the story forward.”

2.       Choose concise details. In place of long descriptive paragraphs, Ann Dee suggests “very powerful words used sparingly,” such as in the short story, Mama Gone. Author Jane Yolen uses small, concise details to create strong characters. Instead of pausing the narrative to describe the father’s sadness over his wife’s death, Yolen describes how “He rubbed his head against the cabin wall over and over and over and made little animal sounds.” This single in-scene detail packs more power than any long description.

Remember, memorable doesn’t have to mean weird. The best details resonate with the reader because s/he can somehow relate. In Mama Gone, we don’t have to possess the characteristic (being a motherless father and child) to understand the common emotion (loss) at its core.

 Prioritize the details you choose. Are your MC’s deep amber eyes as important as his compulsive hatred of haircuts? The protagonist’s long curls, however, might be an important characteristic that hints at parents who insisted on short hair and every other form of pulchritude.

Instead of a kitchen sink approach that catalogs every aspect of height, weight and shoe size, pare your character descriptions by choosing a few succinct details that carry meaning.

3.       Weave details into the action: A recent study reported that the average U.S. attention span is now shorter than that of a goldfish. While I’m optimistic that avid readers have higher spans, you can’t risk putting your story on hold for long.

 As Ann Dee Ellis says, “Writing novels are like writing poetry. Every word matters.” As you keep these tips in mind, your characters will matter more as well.

(Originally posted on the Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Blog)

Plotting Characters: Climb Rather Than Fly

There's one essential rule for plot: by the end of the book, the main character must undergo a recognizable change.

However, this change has to flow naturally in a way that's true to the protagonist's nature. Conflict is another essential plot element, and the events of the story should push the character into difficult situations that act as a catalyst for change. However, the character's reaction to difficulty shouldn't represent a dramatic departure from weakness to sudden strength. If she's used to crawling, for example, she shouldn't suddenly fly.

 For example, if a shy outsider is forced to speak in front of a school auditorium full of his peers, this can't be an easy experience. If his speech has the polish of a presidential address. Otherwise, there's no conflict or believability.

As an article in the January 2013 Writer's Digest puts it, "Characters who demonstrate instant skill or comfort with something they've never tried before resides largely in the realm of shlock. The less familiar the behavior, the clumsier and more uncomfortable it should be."*

That same awkward teen should have an experience similar to a moutain climber's difficult ascent. As he stumbles and stutters through his speech, the scene tension instantly increases, as does reader empathy.*  Then, when he succeeds in rallying the student body, his victory will feel earned rather than forced.

"Push Your Characters to Their Limits," David Corbett, Writers Digest, January 2013, p. 32.