If Your Character Isnt Normal, Can We See It?
Human nature is a fascinating thing and its especially fascinating to the writer.
The writers mind is sharp; taking in every detail she sees and hears around her and using it to her advantage to turn it into a story.
Human beings are a favourite subject to the writer. She studies them, she analyzes them, she tries to understand them because only when shes perceptive can she be a true writer.
Every human being is unique and our uniqueness comes from the personality we posses. It comes from our backgrounds, our beliefs and from the way life shapes us.
Some people arent normal.
And what we consider normality is the way the majority of the human race thinks and acts.
There are those that suffer from a mental illness or have mental scars, which make them act abnormal. These types of people dont act like the rest of us. Their frame of mind isnt healthy and that influences their thoughts, their actions, and their speech.
So, if your character suffers from schizophrenia for example, he isnt going to act normal.
Ive read quite a few stories where the character was unbelievable. He didnt come to life because the writer, not knowing much about the illness, didnt bother to research it. Instead, she merely stated the character wasnt normal, instead of showing us what makes him that way, and throughout her story had her character act normal.
If you wish to write about something you arent sure of
Research.
The main objective in your story is to show your character in action. If you dont know how hes supposed to act, how can you write about him convincingly?
Your readers will enjoy your story even more if you give them the chance to experience that abnormality in your character. Readers like to learn new things and the stories, which give them insight into something, are more interesting.
So, absorb your readers in your characters inner world.
If your character has mental scars because of something, which happened to him in the past, then that character isnt going to act normal either. His past will affect his present and youll need to show the readers how and why its affecting him now.
But before you play the psychologist, research. Dont take the chance of losing credibility. If your character isnt in a normal frame of mind then he isnt going to act normal so dont make him.
_____________
Do You Show The Change In Your Character When Hes Experiencing A Different Emotion?
There are several types of emotions and each, in a different way, affects us. Each emotion will affect your character in a different way too He isnt going to be the same all the time.
There may be one dominant emotion in your story. For instance, the character might feel unappreciated. Then something might happen that will change his perception of things. Do you show your readers how he changes? Does his
Body language change?
Facial expression change?
Way of thinking change?
Feelings change?
Or do you still portray him as initially and merely state that a change in events has occurred?
Positive emotions make us feel like the world is our oyster. Negative emotions make us feel like the world has closed in on us.
You know how each emotion affects you. Use it in your story.
_____________
Have You Given Your Character Any Traits?
An ordinary person is one that blends in with the crowd. Your character may be ordinary but there has to be something extraordinary about him, in order to choose him for a main character.
After all, to select him for the important role of main character, there has to be something special about him to impresses us.
That special something might be
A physical feature
Does he have big nose? Does he limp?
An aspect of his personality
Does he have a clever wit or an extraordinary sense of humor or is he ill tempered?
Something about his way of thinking
Does he have vision? Is he wise?
His psychological world
Does he have a mental illness? Does he have psychic powers?
Etc
What trait have you given your character?
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A trait doesnt have to be positive. It can be something negative about the character.
Good or bad, it will distinguish him from any other character and bring him more to life for your readers.
An average character wont do he needs to be larger than life. Traits will enable him to be so.
Therefore, if you give your character a quality, exaggerate that quality.
? If hes kind, make him kinder than the average person.
? If hes brave, make him braver than normal.
? If hes a leader of an army, make him a leader like Alexander The Great, whose name has not been forgotten through the passage of time.
But remember
.
Whatever you choose to do has to be relevant to your story.
Traits are there because we want readers to focus on them.
They play a major role in the story. Dont give your character a big nose if its not a big deal and dont make him extraordinary brave if thats not what hes supposed to be.
_____________
Do You Show How Your Main Character Relates To Other Characters In Your Story?
A real person doesnt relate to everyone equally. He will relate differently to his boss, differently to his colleagues, differently to his spouse, differently to his parents etc.
And in regards to a group of people, say his colleagues, he will relate to each individual differently because therell be some he has a higher regard over others.
How your character relates to other characters in your story will depend on who they are and how he feels about them. But he has to be seen to differently relate to them because thats one of the things that make him real.
So, in the presence of his boss does he
Stand rigid?
Sit awkwardly on the chair?
In the presence of his best friend does he
Joke?
Tease?
Is more open?
In the presence of a colleague he dislikes, does he
Barely speak to him?
Avoid eye contact?
What about when he speaks? How does his voice sound? What is the pitch? The tone?
Whats his posture, mannerisms, facial expressions like? Whats his body language saying?
Does your character relate to everyone equally?
_____________
Does Your Character Reflect?
Action is what keeps our stories moving and the readers interest hooked.
There should be a balance in your story though. All action tires readers and too many quiet moments bore them.
As you write and practice your craft, you will gain a sense of balance. You will know when to pump the readers adrenaline and know when to give them a breather.
Speaking of breathers
After you take the readers for a ride with an action packed scene, then its time to give them a rest. You can do that by having your character reflect – to think of what just happened. In order for your character to grow emotionally, he has to understand what is happening to him. Also, when he thinks things through, he can decide on the next course of action.
Readers are interested in the characters thoughts because they are interested in the character. They want to know all about him and especially like the fact that theyre in his mind, peeking in at his thoughts. So write down his thoughts but
Remember the balance we talked about?
Only have the character reflect when it progresses your story and let him do this when youre in a quiet moment.
_____________
Is Your Character Acting Out Of Character?
Our characters are the driving forces behind our stories. It is they what our stories are all about. So before we sit down to write about these people, we have to take the time to fully develop them till they are real in our minds.
Can you write convincingly about someone you dont know? Of course not. So you shouldnt attempt it because thats when youll have your character acting out of character.
What does it mean when a character is acting out of character? It means that the character doesnt act according to the type of person he is.
Let me illustrate this point in the following example.
Well take three types of personalities…
1. Quick tempered
2. Calm
3. Timid
Now lets place these three characters in a situation…
Theyre driving along a suburban street and someone, backing out of their driveway, smashes into their car. Now, depending on what type of personality your character possesses, he will act accordingly.
If hes quick tempered, he might jump out of his car and start abusing the other driver.
If hes calm, he might approach the other driver and calmly resolve the situation.
If hes timid, he might even start apologizing.
These characters will be acting in character because theyre acting according to their personality.
But in my plot I want this situation resolved calmly. So if I take my quick tempered character and have him calmly get out of the car, calmly assess the damage, and calmly resolve the situation, what will I be doing?
I will have him act out of character because it suits my plot. Ill be manipulating this character to act like I want him to act and not like hes suppose to.
The result is, I would lose credibility in the eyes of my readers because my character is not believable.
As you plot or write, you will have to keep the characters personality in mind. In every event, ask yourself, How would this character act? What would he do? What would he say?
Always consult with your character. You are writing about him after all.
_____________
Can We See What Type Of Personality Your Character Possesses?
For the character to be distinguishable in your story, you will have to make him distinguishable. Weve already covered traits, now lets take this further.
What make us unique are all those little things, which come together, to make us into what we are. The overall of all those little things make up our personality.
Do you show your characters personality in your story?
Is he a three-dimensional figure? Does he ooze life?
You can show your characters personality through several ways
By dialogue
His actions
His reactions
His thoughts
Through narrative
Lets see an example here
Lets say your character is considerate. How can you show this aspect of his personality in the above points?
Dialogue
By what he says, which shows readers he is considerate of others.
His actions
What he does, so we can see hes considerate. How he puts his own needs aside for others.
His reactions
How he reacts when placed in situations. This will bring out his personality more so, if hes placed in a trying situation. When something is important to him but puts it aside to help someone else, we will see his consideration even more.
His thoughts
How he thinks of others rather than just himself.
Through narrative
We can tell the readers hes considerate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For readers to see your characters personality, you have to show it to them. Implement any of the above methods, when appropriate, in your story. Bring your character to life by making him a real person. A real person has his own unique personality.
Previous ArticlePerformance Communication – How Can It Help You
Next Article GLUCOSAMINE CHONDROITIN & ARTHRITIS
idea online
The internet makes it easy to start a business idea but what should you start? Discover the right business idea online for you to start with our definitive list of the best idea online. "Idea" is a fundamental concept representing the inception of thoughts, innovations, and solutions. It encapsulates the spark of creativity that ignites progress, guiding individuals towards novel approaches and discoveries. Idea are the seeds from which great achievements grow, fostering ingenuity, problem-solving, and forward-thinking endeavors across all domains.