Creating Characters

by Lauther, Howard

  Doesn't want: mediocrity, imperfection, blunders, negligence, thoughtlessness, carelessness, haphazardness, procrastination, oversights, recklessness.

  POWER

  How does the character define power? Is it being wealthy and having the means to buy what he wishes? Is it owning something and being recognized as the boss? Is it influence, in which he is able to get others, or at least one other person, to do what he wants them to do? Is it fame or reputation, which, as a result of what he has accomplished, automatically opens doors for him? Does he want people to be dependent upon him? Does he want to control their lives? Does he thirst for the favors that accompany power? And what if he does not acquire this power? On the other hand, what if he does?

  Doesn't want: defiance, disobedience, helplessness, impotence, ineffectualness, refusal, resistance, weakness.

  PRAISE

  (See also Recognition) Has the character done something quite specific for which he seeks approbation, or is he on the prowl for any kind of praise he can draw his way for practically everything he does? Is he one to wallow in flattery? Does he always seem to be saying, "Look at me"? If he receives one compliment, does he try to do something to get another? Does he want praise from one person, a few, or a great many? And what will happen if he does not receive the praise he is seeking?

  Doesn't want: contempt, disapproval, disrespect, fault-finding, lampooning, rejection, reproach, ridicule, vilification.

  PRESERVATION

  (See also Prevention) If the character wants to preserve something, is he attempting to prevent something as well? What does the character want to preserve? A way of life, perhaps? His reputation? Possibly something that he believes is not only important to him but to everyone? Does he feel it is something that is in danger of being lost forever? Why is it so important to him to engage in the act ofpreservation? And what will happen if he fails?

  Doesn't want: damage, destruction, neglect.

  PREVENTION

  (See also Preservation) If the character wants to prevent something, is he attempting to preserve something as well? (For example, an environmentalist may want to prevent a redwood forest from being cut down by loggers; in doing so, he is also engaged in act of preservation.) What does the character want to prevent, and why? Is it something that affects him personally, or are his efforts on behalf of either one other person or several? Does he need to enlist the assistance of at least one other person, or does he have the power to do it all by himself? And what will happen if his act of prevention fails?

  Doesn't want: change.

  PROPERTY

  What is the nature of the property desired by the character? Is it land? A factory? An automobile? Diamonds? What tangible thing does he have his heart set upon obtaining, and what meaning does he attach to its possession?

  Do others attach the same meaning or importance to it? How long has he wanted it? And what will happen if he doesn't get it?

  Doesn't want: forfeiture, relinquishment.

  RECOGNITION

  Does he desire recognition for himself? For those he represents? For someone he loves or likes? What is the nature of the recognition desired, and from whom does he want it to come? Does he want one or more people to appreciate that he, or someone else, has noteworthy skills? achieved something? performed a good deed? deserve sympathy? And what will happen if this recognition doesn't come?

  Doesn't want: anonymity, disapproval, indifference, inattention.

  RELIEF

  What kind of relief does the character want or need? Does he want it for himself or another? Is this desire for relief a result of his (or someone else's) having suffered psychological or physical discomfort over an extended period? If he wants relief from (for instance) heat, drought, cold, pain, discrimination, or accusation, and it doesn't come, what will happen? want: continuance, prolongation.

  RESPONSIBILITY

  If the character wants or needs to be responsible for something, or someone, why does he? If he needs it, will his being held accountable help to change him for the better? But if he wants responsibility, will it show determination? Conviction? If, on the other hand, he desires that others accept responsibility for their actions, is he passing the buck or placing a moral obligation upon them?

  Doesn't want: avoidance, irresponsibility, unaccountability,

  SECRECY

  What secret does the character want or need to keep? Is it in relation to him or someone else? Who will benefit by having the secret maintained, and who will not? Is the information important or entirely frivolous? Will keeping the secret force the character to lie? How many people know the secret? To what lengths will the character go to keep the thing concealed? What will happen if the secret is disclosed?

  Doesn't want: publicity, disclosure, confession, acknowledgment.

  SECURITY

  (See also Stability) Does the character want security, or does he need it? or does he both want and need it? If he wants it, does that mean he has absolutely none? How, in fact, does he define security? Is it money in the bank? An excellent job? A good medical report on his physical condition? The support of friends and family?

  What will happen if his security, or the security of someone he loves, is threatened?

  Doesn't want: doubt, exposure, vulnerability.

  SOPHISTICATION

  If a character desires to be sophisticated, it means he isn't—at least by the guidelines he uses as a measurement. What are those guidelines, and in what area does he see himself as lacking? Does he wish he could talk better? Dress better? Exhibit impressive knowledge? But is his notion of sophistication a misguided idea? Whom is he trying to impress? And what will happen if he fails to reach his goal, or if others see his effort as fruitless?

  Doesn't want: inelegance, vulgarity, coarseness.

  STABILITY

  (See also Security) If a character wants or needs stability, is it because his life has been regularly yanked first one way and then the other for far too long? Does he feel that its underpinnings need shoring up? Does he have a need to experience a sense of permanence, which he might discover within a religion or a good marriage? Or does he simply feel comfortable with the status quo and want to keep it, thus spurning any notion of change? Do interruptions to his life send the character spinning? Does he hate ups and downs? Unpleasant surprises? Things that ruin routine? And what will happen if he cannot have stability?

  Doesn't want: instability, change, discontinuity, disarrangement.

  SUCCESS

  How does the character define success? Does he frame it in terms of career? What he owns? What he achieves? Or possibly by the way other people value his friendship and his positive involvement in their lives? If success is a priority, will he be satisfied after reaching the plateau he once desired?

  And what will happen if success eludes him?

  Doesn't want: adversity, demotion, failure, frustration, hardship, hindrances.

  SUPERIORITY

  (See also Power)

  If a character wants to be superior, who does he wish to surpass? Will he do it through achievement, or will he simply assume himself to be better? What steps will he take to prove that he is better, or will he just arrogantly say that he is because he wants to be? Will his desire to be superior make him a competitor or a bigot? And what will happen if his superiority is challenged, or if he finds it does not exist?

  Doesn't want: inferiority, integration, mediocrity, subordination, subservience.

  TRUTHFULNESS

  If a character wants the truth, is he placing a high priority on honesty as a trait, or is he pursuing it through a situation that is otherwise teeming with lies or inconsistencies? The difference is crucial. The former case would show that honesty is a virtue that he values. The latter case may involve investigation and presents numerous possibilities—among them, that he desires to prove a point, or to defeat slander, or to find what would otherwise lie hidden. Does the character seek a truth that is pure and undecorated? Does he just want to
find out what happened? Does he view acknowledgments and admissions as victories along the way? Is skepticism his weapon of choice? And what will happen if the truth can't be found?

  Doesn't want: delusion, dishonesty, dogmatism, fallaciousness, inaccuracy, misconceptions, misinterpretation, uncertainty, vagueness.

  VICTORY

  (See also Justice) If the character wants to be victorious, in what way can he accomplish it? On the battlefield? In the boardroom? In an athletic game? If the desire is born out of a rivalry, will one victory be enough for the character? But if he sees victory as the sweet act of revenge, who will be the victim? And what will happen if victory is not realized?

  Doesn't want: defeat, injustice.

  VIRTUE

  If the character wants to be virtuous himself, is it merely a wish, or does he sincerely strive to achieve that end? Or does he merely want others to view him as virtuous? What does he do in the name of virtue? Does he, for example, see himself as virtuous and thus want someone else to become so as well? Possibly a spouse? A member of his family? Also, because the path to virtue is often harsh and is traveled only by those who, metaphorically, take it upon themselves to wear hair shirts, will the seeker of virtue have a clear view of other people's shortcomings and be unable to see his own? Will this cause him to become a meddler in the lives of other people? (The extent to which this meddling takes place will be dependent upon the extent of power he holds.) And what will happen if the virtue he desires for himself or someone else is not forthcoming?

  Doesn't want: misconduct, vice.

  YOUTH

  If the character wants to be young again, why does he? Does he associate youth with idealism? Optimism? A time free of pain, disappointment, and sadness? Does he pine for the time when he was physically vigorous, resilient, attractive? Free of wrinkles, brown blotches, and gray hair? Will his desire cause him to try to dress and act young? Pile on makeup and dye his hair? Will his craving for youth cause him to do some rather foolish things and, as a result, make him appear ridiculous in the eyes of others? And what will happen when his youth does not return? On the other hand, what will happen if he is, quite miraculously, young again?

  Doesn't want: old age.

  4. What Does the Character Like or Dislike?

  Everyone has something he likes or doesn't like. A character may like streetcars and Van Gogh paintings, while at the same time he may dislike poodles, talking on the telephone, and anything in the color blue. These little revelations by themselves will certainly not create the basis for an interesting fictional character, but if added to his larger internal and external traits, as well as what he wants and needs—much as one might add spices to soup for the purpose of enhancing the flavor—they offer the promise of helping to add just a little extra dimension.

  A character can like hot dogs, and no explanation is needed beyond that. However, in some cases it may not be enough to simply let the reader or viewer know that a character likes or dislikes something, because the audience will want to know why. For example, it will not be sufficient to let it be known that a character hates parades and simply let it go at that. How could anyone possibly hate a parade? On those occasions, of course, the writer will insert the why, and so we may learn that the character marched in hundreds of parades when he was in the army and, as a result, has developed an aversion to them, even if he sees them on television. This is just one example of how a dislike can reveal something significant about the character. It is up to the author to decide when to give a reason for a character's likes and dislikes.

  The writer might also play upon the character's indifference, that barren terrain that lies between like and dislike. If, say, one character likes Thanksgiving or dislikes baseball, imagine the frustration when someone else, in a shrug of indifference, doesn't have an opinion one way or another.

  Now, it would be futile to attempt to list every possible thing that fictional characters might like or not like. Instead, what follows is a listing of several major categories and some attending questions. Perhaps something you find here will inspire you to add a little dash of color to one of your characters. Perhaps that dash will in turn help to further illuminate your character's nature in your own mind.

  You may not find what you are looking for here, but something may put you on the right road to discovering it.

  ACCESSORIES

  Perhaps the character has developed an attachment to any of the following: big front porches, screened-in patios, dusty attics, balconies with a view, big fireplaces, real wood paneling, interesting alcoves, white picket fences, flower boxes, featherbeds, round kitchen tables, walk-in closets, window seats, chandeliers, candleholders, French doors, winding staircases, or Venetian blinds. Maybe he likes or dislikes doilies, plastic-covered furniture, wall-to-wall carpeting, overhead cupboards, telephones, end tables, hassocks, rollaway beds, bunk beds, loveseats, recliners, or linoleum.

  ANIMALS

  Does the character like animals? If so, what kind? The usual kind, such as dogs, cats, birds, or horses? The more exotic, perhaps, like lions, tigers, snakes, lizards, monkeys, apes, bears, kangaroos, or wolves? A character who likes the water might be attracted to sea gulls, dolphins, flamingos, pelicans, seals, penguins, or whales.

  A character who likes to farm might like goats, cows, steers, pigs, rabbits, mules, ducks, bees, sheep, turkeys, chickens, or roosters. One who hates farming would probably have a different view.

  The city dweller might hate pigeons, mice, rats, and cockroaches. And, fictional character or not, practically everyone has a negative opinion about fleas, spiders, worms, ants, cicadas, wasps, bedbugs, chiggers, stinkbugs, and mosquitoes, but a positive one about eagles and butterflies.

  ART

  Does the character like art? If so, what kind? Abstractionism, surrealism, neoclassicism, impressionism, cubism, realism, romanticism, modernism? Does he prefer oil paintings, watercolors, ink drawings, sculpture, photography, engravings, or ceramics? Is he fond of an architectural style such as Greek, modern, Spanish, high Renaissance, medieval, Roman, or Gothic? Does he chuckle at movie cartoons? Political cartoons? Comic strips? Does he like computer art? Are there any of these things he doesn't like?

  CELEBRATIONS, CEREMONIES AND CUSTOMS

  Does the character like weddings, funerals, award ceremonies, commendations, baptisms, birthdays, anniversaries, receptions, swearing-ins, memorials, or christenings? Or does he dislike them? And how about such special days as Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve, Independence Day, Easter, Father's Day, Mother's Day, Saint Valentine's Day, Halloween, Saint Patrick's Day, or Veterans' Day?

  Are there any customs he especially likes or dislikes, such as sending birthday cards, having Sunday dinner at his mother-in-Iaw's house, or wearing a tie to church?

  CHARACTERISTICS OF OTHERS

  There is almost always something that one person will or will not like in another. It happens in marriages and in the best of friendships. A disorganized person will frustrate one who is organized. People in a hurry are annoyed by those who are cautious. And so on.

  Most of the characteristics will be found in Chapter 2 (External Traits). A few typical annoyances include pretentiousness, laziness, indifference, contrariness, avoidance, jealousy, defiance, ingratitude, possessiveness, uncertainty, capriciousness, curiosity, stubbornness, dependence, dishonesty, advice-giving, dawdling, disorderliness, wastefulness, long-windedness, filthiness, unprofessionalism, fastidiousness, vulgarity, standoffishness, evasiveness, exaggeration, impulsiveness, forgetfulness, carelessness, overestimating, underestimating, prejudice, presumption, short-sightedness, gullibility, and skepticism.

  Among the things that characters may tend to like are unpretentiousness, perseverance, courtesy, gratitude, restraint, honesty, orderliness, organization, cleanliness, professionalism, politeness, patriotism, informality, tactfulness, good judgment, and broad-mindedness.

  CLOTHES

  Some people hate to dress up; others enjoy it. One person
may hate girdles but have to wear one; the same may apply to the individual who wears a necktie or high heels to work. Another may have jewelry hanging from nearly every body part; by contrast, a friend of that person may be exactly the opposite, possibly not even wanting to wear undershorts or a brassiere. What are your character's preferences or disinclinations?

  ENTERTAINMENT

  (See also Non-athletic Competition; Relaxation; Sports) Does your character get a kick out of fireworks, parades, or kites? Enjoy a certain radio station or television program? Go to certain kinds of movies or concerts? Hang out at a certain nightclub or bar? Amuse himself by pulling off harmless pranks? Are there any of these things he doesn't like? And if so, why?

  EXPLORATION

  Does the character love doing research at the library? Does he like getting to the bottom of things? To him, does a forest or an old house become something magical? If he's given a clue, will he happily follow it to find another one?