Ever marvelled at the great writers whose characters seem full of life and reality? There are so many aspects to creating a character the exercise can seem daunting, but by following this simple step-by-step formula, you can soon have your character ready to leap off the page.
In a short story, which in practice is normally 1,000 to 3,000 words, you simply haven't got room to fully describe a character to your reader. On the other hand your characters should be real to you personally so that you can make them behave in an authentic way.
1. What do they look like?
Some authors may have a different starting point, but a character's physical appearance always pops into my mind first, so I like to start with that.
Take pen and paper and jot down the following physical characteristics: Hair and eye colour, hair style, complexion, age, build, slim or plump. You can do this in 50 words or less. And remember, once you have the basic description, you can always tweak it later. Get a clear picture of your character in your mind's eye.
2. Background
Where were they born and where did they grow up? Jot down their country of origin, county or state, town, city or village. What were their parents names? What schooling did they have? What jobs have they had, and what job do they have now? Are they married or single? Any children? See all this in your mind's eye so that their background begins to come to life for you. All this stuff will affect how they think and react to different situations. Jot it down briefly to begin with.
3. Likes and dislikes
What food do they like, are they a drinker? Are they into sport, pets, hobbies? What music do they listen to and what movies do they like? What is their favourite food and what can't they stand? Do they have pet hates or phobias? Get this all down on paper, but keep it short.
4. Character
Now we come to what they are like as a person. What is their temperament? Easy going? Short tempered? Anxious, easily vexed? Are they strong willed or easily led by others? Are they forgiving or do they not suffer fools gladly? Are they loving and outgoing or timid and introspective? Jot it all down and try to build inside your head just what kind of person they are on the inside.
Now bear in mind that not all this information may come out in your story. The reader may never know that your character's hobby is needle point, or that they grew up in poverty in a Welsh mining village, but you, the writer, will know and this will help you give your character the proper responses, accent and reactions as they brush up against the other characters in your story.
By this time you should know what their name and age is. You may have known that from the start, but if so do you want to change either one now you know your character better?
As a writer you should try to make your characters living, breathing, believable people. And ideally, your reader should experience an emotional connection with them. How do you want your readers to respond to them? Do you want the reader to love them, dislike them, be amused by them? Getting the details of the character down on paper as we did above will help you to craft the characters your readers will respond to.