Picking Your Crew

 

You have that great idea for your story. Your plot is masterpiece. There are intimate slices of life, twists and turns, drama, suprises, insight, imagination: everything needed to make a best seller. You've got a pretty good idea of who you want populating this world you have created. 

It's all looking pretty promising. But here's the thing. And you know there's always a thing. 

In order to make your story shine above others, you need these characters to be memorable, unique, witty.

Wait , I hear you say. Do they all need to be positive?

The answer is, not at all.

These beloved characters can be miserly, grumpy, pesty, contrary, and not the kind of person you might choose to be  your BFF.

But what you do next will make them memorable. You will make us care about them. Your readers will turn the pages eagerly to see what happens to these people.

What makes for a good read is not so much the storyline, but the characters who walk that line. From the lead role, down to the cameos, your readers will stick around if they can relate, empathize and feel a connection. 

How do you do that? First, you will give them some redeeming qualities no matter how dastardly they may be. They will be the kind of person you would want to sit down with and see what makes them tick, even if you wouldn't trust them to babysit your cat. 

You've heard the old adage, show don't tell. That's elemental. Don't introduce your character by telling us everything about them in the first meeting. This is not a police line up. 

Sneak the information in as you go. 

Replace descriptions with happenings. He wasn't fat. Instead, he flopped his massive frame onto the couch. He didn't wear a flashy shirt. Rather, when he met his friend, the friend said, "Dude can you turn the colour down?"

His superior attitude towards the waiter in the cafe, shows he is a snob. Her refusal to listen to the good advice of her friends are testimony to her stubborness.

You get the idea. Too much description can be over bearing. Let your character develop over the pages, rather than come completely assembled. That gives the reader more leeway in deciding how they feel about them.

And whether they hate the persona, or love them, the one thing you want them to come away with is that they care and want to see how things pan out.