Deborah Woehr

Drawing up characters is my favorite part of writing. I’ve tried using the various character charts and software on the market, which helps outline their likes and dislikes, traits, etc. But nothing beats having a “conversation” with them.

Most of the time, these conversations will occur inside my head. Other times, I catch myself talking out loud or gesturing. I caught myself on video once, glaring at nothing. I was imagining a character being pissed off at another. Yes, I’m insane. I was diagnosed as an eccentric at six. Let’s add schizophrenia to the list, shall we?

The first thing I do when creating a character is name them. In order to get to know them, I have to know their name. That gives me a clue to who they are. Strong names (ex. Amanda, Elizabeth, Carl, Grant, Tom, Daniel) depict strong personalities, quiet or subtle.

The softer names (ex. Susan, Cheryl, Vanessa) depict meek, quieter personalities. That’s usually the case, but not always.

Once I have their name down, then I’ll draw up a mental picture of what they look like: body features and language, their clothes, the car they drive.

I’ll ask them general things like where they are from, what their birthdate is, their marital status, if they have children. Then I’ll delve into their pasts and into their headtrips. That’s where the fun starts!

From this point on, I’ll thrust them into situations (sometimes everyday, sometimes plot-related) to see how they handle them. If they prove to be too weak, I’ll give them a grisly death. Nature’s a bitch, isn’t it?

The others get placed in definitive roles inside my story. Sometimes they make it out alive with a changed personality, while others fail because they refuse to change. It’s all in the way they play the game.