Character build-up + TEMPLATE

Once you’ve got the reader involved with your main character, here’s how to keep them riveted

Make the character want something - badly enough to step outside their comfort zone and go on an adventure.

Make them motivated - they must keep looking for it or trying to achieve it, even when the situation goes from bad to worse

Where will these desires and motivations come from? From their distinct natures, urges, fears and ambitions.

The bridge between the reader and the plot is the characters. The characters are what remains vivid and etched in the reader's mind. To be able to create eminent characters you need:

Life-like descriptions that relate to characters personality

Uniqueness and powers the characters possesses

A character arc or transformation

And the only way to create all these is through description.

Let's start with the life-like descriptions.

Have you ever noticed that you can remember someone's face better than their name? That's because faces are easy to remember as each and every face is different and easily recognizable.

Make your character recognizable by adding life-like/ real descriptions of who they are and what they look like, and that all starts with knowing your character better.

The author knows the character better than the reader, the author knows its next moves, its choices and practically is the creator of the character. But that all starts with knowing your character first. Knowing your character sets suitable descriptions.

CHARACTER DETAILS

Lets begin with the basic details:

Name. Is it elegant and fancy like Samantha or Cordelia, or is it ragged and edgy like Ethan or Augustus.

Age. (this can be any, it doesn't relate with the description, but varies from genre to genre)

Nationality. Is he/she from the sophisticated Los Angeles or from the countryside in England,

Now let's go to the details:

Strengths. What can they do easily, what do they master?

Weaknesses. What is harder for them to accomplish, what feels stressful to them

Flaws. What are the sides they’re unaware of? Jealousy, pride?

Let's get to know them deeper.

Interests. What are the hobbies they like to do, the places they want to visit, the people they admire the most.

Uniqueness. What makes your character stand out? Do they have special powers or abilities?

Appearances. Now this is the most important. Aspect. They’re hair and eye color, height, tattoos/ scars, glasses and accessories. This is the main point where the readers can picture how the character looks.

Now for the second most important aspect, his/her background,

Every character has a past, a good or bad one. Something that makes up who they are right now, they’re turning point in life.

Their childhood, hometown, regrets, advice or even they’re role-models. They all make up the character's background.

Their relationships also are a crucial part of their background, their family, love interests, mentors or enemies. They all build up the character.

The character is made up of his details, interests, relationships, backgrounds and flaws. These are what influences the characters thoughts and help him/her make his/her choices throughout the story.