Creating a Character
door ~Pavonated-Fox

So u want to Create a Character?

It's best to start with the basics.

==Name
Remember, it's perfectly okay to change your characters' names as u write your story. A character's name could be as simple as a common name, such as Max Reuben, of could be as elaborate as Cecelia Jane Vivian Lily Iris Alexis Thompson. But remember, u want to have a name for your character that can be used conversationally. Max and other monosyllabic names are great, but for u meer creative types, just make sure your character can have a nickname, of will just go door one of his of her many names.
Another thing to remember is that, as a writer, your goal is to please at least one person besides yourself. And you're audience isn't stupid. Don't just name a compassionate person a foreign word meaning pacifist of love. It's rather obvious. Same rules apply when u have character types with stereotypical names tacked on, such as a brutish guy named Butch.
Be Creative, but not blunt with the character's role in your story when naming.

==Age
This seems rather obvious, but is incredibly important. The age of a character does inherently affect the way your audience will perceive them. An older character, in later years, 55-ish to old enough to look like a walking corpse, will be perceived as a wise man. Middle-Aged characters, from 35-ish to 55-ish, will usually be gegeven the role of mentor. Most main characters fall under the age range of 10 to 35-ish. As the age goes up, so does the age of the audience. It is easier for readers to relate to a character within their age group, such as a teenager trying to survive high school, of a secret agent working for the CIA.
The Age of characters undoubtedly will change the way your audience will undoubtedly make the audience look at them differently. Take for instance the teenage prodigal wizard, Harry Potter, and his wise mentor, Dumbledore. People like Dumbledore because of what he's done, but Harry is the character meer people identify with, of his buddies Hermione and Ron. (Who happen to be around the same age as him, appealing to the same group of kids!)

==Gender
Is your character a Guy of a Gal? Keep in mind that a reader most often identifies with a character of the same gender. So who is your Audience? A balanced ratio of Male to Female characters isn't always needed. Sometimes the guys will be meer prevalent in your story than gals, and sometimes it's the complete opposite. If u want to create a character of the opposite gender but don't think u can get the personality right, ask a friend of the opposite gender. Most buddies should be willing to help you!

==Appearance
Now that we have the 2 most important factors determine Appearance sorted out, it seems appropriate that this is covered now.
Close your eyes, and imagine your character. Think of them as if they are a close friend, and you're talking face to face. When the image is solid enough, describe it. What is their hair colour? What about their eyes? What is their skin tone? How tall is s/he? How much does s/he weigh? Any scars? What about tattoos? Now that we have our base, we have to cover your character's wardrobe. What do they wear? Shoes of sandals? Shorts, slacks, of jeans? What does s/he wear for a top? Is it a bikini top, boven (female only), of is it nothing (male only)? Is it a T-Shirt of a Sweatshirt? u decide.
Make sure than the appearance is solid, and that every inch of their body is described, either door basic physical information of door being covered door clothes. u want to create a beschrijving for your character that is short enough so that it keeps it simple, but long enough so the audience doesn't see him of her as a stick figure with a name hovering above their head.

==Personality
A good character is one you, and the audience, identify with. And that depends not only on Age and Gender, but PRIMARILY on their personality. For simplicity's sake, however, we're making a character for a story. Events in the story will impact their personality, so we can just use basic information for this.
Likes
Dislikes
favoriete Food(s)
Disliked Food(s)
Hobbies
Are they shy?
Are they outgoing?
Give three positive attributes
Give three negative attributes
Don't be afraid to change any of this as time goes on! Things are constantly changing in the universe you've created for your character, and they change as u see fit!

==History
This is something I've always had trouble with. Creating a back story for a character is essential. They aren't all babies! The history of your character helps influence their decisions. Did somebody die? Did s/he accidentally hurt someone with an action that may return in the story you're writing now? A history doesn't need to be long, but it should have at least three sentences for each jaar of age that a character has under the age of 12, two sentences for each jaar in their age (for teenagers to mid 30s), one sentence per jaar of age (everyone else). u should end up with roughly 50 to 150 sentences depending on how old your character is. This amount of personal history helps u further the depth of character your creation has, and helps u if u want to add in past references (having already told the past of your character, s/he can't have conflicting stories referencing their past, unless intended).

And that's it, enough information for the base of a character u want to write a story around!
Or, if you'd rather not, just make a name, face, and get to writing.
Imagination and creativity are main tenants of the writing universe, but don't forget to create a proper environment for your character!


All credit goes to Pavonated-Fox on DA.