A personality is one complicated endeavor but every writer who creates people has to create each one best suited for the story. In my last post I wrote about creating a person (character)…this is the continuation.
When you think of the word personality, what do you think of?
Maybe what you think of first is what makes up a person? What defines them and their character? Are they helpful, friendly? Or are they cruel and standoffish? What makes you, you and how can you translate that into different characters in your story? Without making it seem too much like you and not like a completely different person.
Each person across the planet has their own unique personality. Technically even animals do, really humans are just another species of animal anyways (Our reasoning, understanding, inventing, desire to learn/explore and our high aptitude for emotions, really is what sets us apart.) So when you think of a character you need to think of where they came from and what made them who they are. Each experience through life good or bad can change a person. Make sure you depict that through your story because you want to show reality as well. It’s extremely relate-able for a reader to see how certain events can change a character and you want to have that connection with the reader.
What makes each character sad, happy, angry? These are the things that will carry through your novel as you depict only a small part of their fictional life. Do they have certain quirks? Do they hate waking up early? What kind of foods do they like? Favorite animal? There are so many of these questions and ways that you can describe to the reader what your characters personality is. Each thing we like or dislike tells something about us as well. Even your favorite color is meant to mean something, according to different research.
For example…
- Black: Some people believe that your favorite color being black indicates power, a need to control. Or creativity, artistic, intuitive.
- Blue means you are calm, loyal, trustworthy. That you seek inner peace and always take others feelings into account.
- Purple means need for emotional security but also enjoy helping others. As well as spirituality, mystery and being a perfectionist in some ways.
- Orange means you are a social, vibrant, and Enthusiastic. A need to be accepted.
- White means, you are organized, independent. Need to be logical.
Of course those are just some examples but it can help you with your character by doing a little research and making up what their favorite color is or what their birthday is (in order to find a horoscope, as talked about in a previous post of mine). I am aware however that your favorite color doesn’t always describe you exactly. But for a fictional character it can give you an insight on what you want their personality to be like. Look up which color or horoscope sounds closest to what you are trying to describe and go from there.
Some of you may know the general idea, like that you want to make them strong minded (They are tough and hard headed, the hero), or evil, sadistic (the villain). You have a basic sense of what you want to depict. Think of it this way though…humans are complicated so you should describe your character in a way that may show the reader a little insight to that fact. No, your favorite color or horoscope doesn’t define you but it can help with figuring out a way to describe your characters by figuring out those two things. It’s giving you an insight to help your idea grow and expand so you can share that with the readers as well.
Don’t forget about those faults though, I’ve seen many authors having trouble coming up with faults for their (what they believe) are perfect characters. Here’s the thing to keep in mind, no one is perfect. Not a single person on this world is perfect and that’s OK, that’s what makes us…well…human. So when describing your characters make sure you remember that.
Appearance wise…
- They may have a mole somewhere noticeable
- Or a limp
- A scar
- A tick where they bounce their knee when they’re stressed
- A bad hair cut (something simple but noticeable)
- Their bottom lip is chapped because they chew on it
Personality wise…
- They are jealous
- Controlling
- Cry too easily
- Messy
- Eat the most disgusting foods
- Have this one t-shirt that is falling apart but they wont get rid of.
- Talk too much, or not enough
- Interrupt everyone and then not let them finish what they were saying.
Use ways to relate the readers with the characters. Like I said no one is perfect. If you are writing a Sci-Fi or Fantasy story, even those characters are not completely perfect. Vampires, Elves, etc. are always portrayed as perfect but what is more interesting? A Vampire who is absolutely perfect minus his/her thirst for blood, or a Vampire who has an attitude/affinity for trouble, who strives to still save humans even though they need them for sustenance (Because that’s who they are and what their personalities mean to them).
Mix it up, make your characters interesting, make them normal in some ways (if you could even consider normal, normal lol) and yet different enough to make them interesting. Even identical twins are different in many ways, so your characters should be absolutely unique to the last. We all have certain things that make use who we are so keep that very thought in mind as you create not just people but personalities.
Thank you for reading my blog and if you’d like to subscribe (for free of course) at the bottom to get all future updates on what I post, just enter your email at the bottom of the page. And/or if you would like to follow me on Facebook, the links are below the following image.
Until next time… JUST KEEP WRITING.
Tiffany’s Writing Journey 