Journal / Writing
The Art of Writing an Unforgettable Character
Plots fade faster than people. Ask a reader about a book they loved years ago and they will usually describe a character before they describe an event. So what makes a fictional person worth remembering?
Start with what they want
A character who wants something is already in motion. The want does not have to be grand; it has to be clear, and it has to cost something to pursue.
Give them a contradiction
Real people are not consistent. The generous person who cannot forgive, the cautious one who takes a single reckless risk: these contradictions make characters feel alive and give the writer room to surprise the reader honestly.
Let choices reveal them
Description tells us who a character is said to be. Choices under pressure show us who they are.
Small choices matter too
How someone answers an awkward question or handles a minor inconvenience can characterise them as effectively as a dramatic decision.
Change, or the refusal to change
Readers remember characters who are altered by the story, and also those who stubbornly are not. Either can be powerful, as long as it feels earned. It is often the same quality that makes some stories stay with us.