My 6-Point Character-Building Process
Some authors love starting a new book. I, unfortunately, am not one of those authors. I used to stare at that blinking cursor on my computer screen, never sure where to start. What if I started in the wrong place and I had to start all over again?
So I began “sneaking” into the story by starting with the characters. I open that dreaded first page and, instead of staring at my cursor, I write: HERO, HEROINE, and VILLAIN. Below each of these, have the following subheadings:
Who is he/she? Where did they grow up?Their jobFamily/Friends/CoworkersImportant events in their backstoryFor the villain: Why is he doing this?
Beneath each of these subheadings, I start with bullet points, filling in character descriptions as I go.
Who is he/she?
I don’t usually focus overly much on appearance, unless it’s critical to their character. It’s my experience that, no matter how I describe a character, the reader will concoct their own mental picture, so I don’t usually dwell on appearance. I once had a character who was clearly described as blond, but many readers I talked to said, “It didn’t matter what you said. In my mind he was tall and dark.”
An example of a character whose appearance was important was Deacon Novak, one of the lead characters in my Cincinnati series. He has bone-white hair and hetero-chromatic eyes (blue and brown). These are his defining features and are due to a genetic syndrome that is passed down in his family.
Interestingly, I introduced Deacon in an earlier story and I had no idea why I’d given him such distinct features until I sat down to write his story, two books later. The genetic syndrome he carries is the same that I carry and I said, “Oh. That explains a lot.” It was a subconscious inclusion on my part, but it’s made Deacon a favorite of readers (and a favorite of mine, too).
But most of the time the “Who they are” bullet point are very basic.
Where did they grow up?
This is only important if the location defines them. In my New Orleans series, Burke Broussard, the owner of the investigation firm, was born and raised in New Orleans. He’s of Cajun descent. When his story is told, his background will become very important, so I spent time developing it.
In my Sacramento series, heroine Daisy Dawson was raised in isolation, completely off the grid, by a father who was afraid one of his children would be kidnapped. This isolation had a big impact on her personality—and her relationship with her father. The isolation and paranoia drove Daisy to drink and, in her early 20s, she is a recovering alcoholic with anxiety issues. She has a service dog to help her maintain her sobriety by managing her anxiety attacks. Her upbringing defined her.
Their job (and previous jobs)?
The character’s job is usually what brings them into proximity with the villain and/or the other romantic lead. In Beneath Dark Waters, heroine Val Sorensen is a bodyguard. Hero Kaj Cardozo’s is a prosecutor whose son has been targeted by an individual he’s prosecuting for murder. Kaj and Val come together because he needs a bodyguard for his son. Their occupations are key to the story, so I spend a lot of time on these.
In the first New Orleans book, Quarter to Midnight, hero Gabe Hebert is an award-winning chef. He really could have had a lot of different occupations. I had never had a character be a chef before, and New Orleans is known for its food. It was more for fun.
Family/Friends/Coworkers?
These bullet points are intended to build the character’s world. Did they have a close family or are they alone? Do they have a ton of friends? Will their family members or friends have stories of their own later? These questions get answered when I’m planning a series and its characters.
And sometimes, a character just pops up, surprising me. They say, “I’m amazing, Karen! Give me a story!”
Important events in their backstory?
This can be anything from the loss of a best friend, spouse, or significant other to a lived trauma. Every character has something they’ve lost and are looking to either get past or regain. Val Sorenson in Beneath Dark Waters is a survivor of sexual assault who has also lost her relationship with her family.
The ripple effects of her brother’s murder have forever changed her parents and Val’s relationship with her sister. It’s a critical event in her life. Kaj Cardozo has lost his wife to cancer and is raising his son alone. Val craves family. Kaj craves a partner. These events define their characters.
Sometimes the important event is a crime which has victimized the character and comes back to haunt them, like Caroline Stewart in Don’t Tell. She’s run from an abusive spouse and fakes her own death, but he discovers her escape and tracks her down.
This is always one of the most important bullet points!
Order a copy of Beneath Dark Waters by Karen Rose today.
Bookshop | Amazon
[WD uses affiliate links.]
Why is the villain doing this?
The villain’s motivation is the most critical detail of my thrillers. It must be strong and smart and believable. His/her determination must be strong enough to carry the entire book. He must be smart enough to remain one step ahead of the hero/heroine for many pages. I spend the most time on this bullet point and sometimes I’m still not quite certain of why he’s doing what he’s doing, but I have a good start. The rest will be filled in as I write.
Once I’m done with the character profiles, I start with summarizing what the book is about. By the time I’ve written a few paragraphs, I’m finally writing the story. I’ve eased my way into it by developing the characters first. It works for me and I no longer stare at that blinking cursor. I just start typing “Hero, Heroine, Villain,” and I go from there!
If you want to learn how to write a story, but aren’t quite ready yet to hunker down and write 10,000 words or so a week, this is the course for you. Build Your Novel Scene by Scene will offer you the impetus, the guidance, the support, and the deadline you need to finally stop talking, start writing, and, ultimately, complete that novel you always said you wanted to write. We’ll walk through the entire novel-writing process together, from day one to a completed draft.