5 Character-building Techniques That I Use

“Everything is driven by characters wanting different things, and by those different things colliding. Every moment that one character wants something, and another character wants something mutually exclusive, and they collide—every time that happens, you have a story.” - Neil Gaiman (Good Omens, American Gods, Coraline, etc.)

A story is nothing without its characters, but sometimes figuring out who your characters are proves to be the most difficult part of the drafting process. But all is not lost! Believe it or not, your character lives within you, and, with a little patience and effort, you can bring them to life. Let it be known, and take this as a comfort: this process is different for everyone, so here are a few techniques I use to flesh out my characters

1. Character Charts

Character charts are not for everyone, but for many they prove to be a helpful reference guide. If the few I provide in this article don't really work for you, you can always google "character charts" or "character profiles" and find enough to cover an entire room wall to wall, but I think the ones I have are pretty darn solid.

NaNoWriMo's Character Questionnaire

I stumbled upon this fantastic character profile while in a blind rush to prepare for the annual NaNoWriMo novel writing contest. I, as usual, came up shorthanded in the end and did not write the rough draft of a novel. Instead, I began filling out this question sheet, discovering how much I didn't know about my characters and how much more I needed to be asking. Here are some screenshots of the questionnaire, but I also recommend checking out the novel writing workbook that I took it from which I'll link right here. If you want to be able to edit the document privately, you'll need to download it (but don't worry! It's free. I wouldn't have downloaded it if it wasn't, really). I pray to all things holy that those screenshots aren't blurry because if they are I'm gonna lose my mind. Anyway, here you go.

Now, of course, you don't need to answer every single question because I'm not quite sure that a favorite sports team would be crucial for your story (unless it is. Who am I to assume?). On my first go around, I answered every question (that I wanted to). The second time around, I looked at the questions, and I answered them from memory. If I could remember correctly, then that answer probably mattered most for my character.

In the last screenshot, there are three other sections about supporting characters and antagonists. Like all else, these are optional, but they are quite helpful, too.

Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Chart

It may not seem like it, but Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs chart is quite helpful for brainstorming ideas about your character. I've only recently started using this method, and it helped me draft some of the struggles that my characters face. Characters need struggles and problems or else there's no intriguing story to tell.

But what is Maslow's hierarchy of needs? Who is Abraham Maslow? In short, Maslow was a mid-20th century humanistic psychologist focused on the study of an individual's process of reaching self-actualization (or their best self). For anyone who has taken an introductory psychology course, his name is familiar, and you should pat yourself on the back, you smart human. For those who haven't take a psych class, not only are you missing out on some interesting information and theories, but you're also missing out on this writing tool!

Fortunately, I'm here to explain it the best I can so that you, too, can be a Smart Human™.

Maslow's theory is based on the idea that if the all the needs below one level are not fulfilled, then an individual cannot continue up the pyramid, or they will not be able to reach self-actualization.

How I use this with my character's back story is simply like this:

Level one - Physiological needs: Does my character have access to food and water and a place to rest? If not, why so? In my character's case, he does have food and water because his mother works a part-time job and they receive money from a source unknown to him. Their house is not the most luxurious, but it works.

Level two - Safety needs: Is my character secure and safe? Do they feel that they are safe? If not, why so? For my character, he always feels on edge as if something dangerous could happen at any moment, and his environment plays into this, as well. However, as I wrote this, I suddenly got the idea that his mother is very protective of him, and this is the main reason why he feels unsafe.

Level three - Belongingness and love needs: Does my character feel like they belong? Do they have friends and feel wanted? If not, why so? As I continued to write, I came up with the idea that his mom would make him learn how to shoot guns and fight, and she would have him practice escape drills at night. This has led my character to feel alienated from other children because he knows that this isn't normal. And although I primarily focus on his past, I do take my character's future into account and consider the long term effects of his childhood alienation.

Level four - Esteem needs: Does my character take pride in their accomplishments? Do they even have accomplishments? If not, why so? This level also ties into the previous one and proves that without one level, the other cannot exist. I mean, without the feeling of belonging, how can someone have a high or even stable self-esteem?

Level five - Self-actualization: From a writer's point of view, it is beneficial to think of this level like this: by the end of my story, has my character changed themselves for the better in some way? Have they fulfilled their goals and ambitions? Usually, this ultimately reveals the lesson that you want your readers to leave with. What is being taught if a selfish person has undergone trials and tribulations and came out as someone who is giving and selfless? The same goes for a character who is at first cowardly but finds the courage within them to face their fears.

2. Playlists

Create playlists that are filled with music that describe your characters or with music that fit their tastes.

I absolutely love this because it combines both my love for writing and for music! Of course, this is not for everyone. Some might find charts and graphs more helpful, but if you are more of an abstract type of writer, creating a playlist for your character might bring you closer to them.

I've got a couple playlists for my characters. Here's one example:

It's fun and creative, and it's a break for those who can't quite figure out what's gonna happen next in their story. And yes, this is considered writing. Here's your helpful, random reminder of the day: Many might shy away from doing things like this because they feel that if they aren't writing words on paper, then they aren't writing at all. But I say that you should never feel bad if you're not typing away in a Google Doc and are instead doing something like this. Making a playlist for your character is adding to your story just as much as writing words on a document are. You're doing something, and that's better than nothing.

3. Mood Boards

What is your character's aesthetic? I think that is a vital question to consider when crafting your characters. When a character has an aesthetic, it's easier to imagine what they look like, and it's also just cool to know. As the writer, mood boards can also serve as reminders of what you want your character to look like or represent.

"What's a mood board?" you may ask. Well, here are a few simple examples of my own:

I found most of these images on Pinterest, but you can also use websites like Unsplash or Pexels to look for some nice photos. Then just put the photos into a collage. But you can also get a little fancier with your mood boards, and for inspiration, you can go on Instagram and find some nice mood board accounts (I personally recommend @rainyymoods and @steamingcups because I love their styles)

4. Drawing

If you are artistically inclined, this is a wonderful way to visualize your characters. I have done this a few times, but my drawings shall remain in my sketchbook. There isn't much to say about this because the concept is pretty self-explanatory. Even if you aren't the most skilled artist, simply sketching something can help realign yourself with your story and characters.

5. And finally...Minecraft

Yes, you read that correctly. Minecraft is not only fun but it also a great way to visualize your character's surroundings and environment. You can build their house, decorate their room, or craft that one place where the climactic fight scene occurs. Whatever you desire, let it come alive through digital blocks. I don't have any personal examples on hand, but I think you get the idea.

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That's all. I hope that at least one of these techniques is intriguing or helpful for you because they certainly are for me most of the time. If you have any other methods you use, please let me know!

Good luck writing out there, people!