How do you create a memorable character? Here are some suggestions and food for thought…
1. Think about where they’re from and what they’ve been through. It doesn’t have to make it into the story, but the answer should shape their personality.
2. They don’t have to be perfectly beautiful. Sometimes, an interesting flaw is actually what draws someone to another. One green eye, one blue eye? It works for David Bowie and Kate Bosworth.
3. Speaking of food for thought…consider their eccentricities. Do they eat the same meal every morning? Do they have any peculiar ticks or habits?
4. Who do they hang with? How does your character’s family and friends affect them?
5. Post man, garbage man, man of steel? What’s your character’s job and how does it make its way into your story?
Most importantly, don’t settle for the first idea that strikes you. If your character faces a dilemma, think of ten ways they could possibly solve it before deciding which one will make it into your story.
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