How to Write Compelling Fiction
Create interesting characters., Begin by making a character page for each of your characters., Move on to your character’s backstory., Think about quirks and character traits that could make your characters more engaging., Dig a little deeper with...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Create interesting characters.
One of the main driving forces in a novel is the characters.
People want to read about characters they can make a connection with, especially ones that have flaws just like themselves. -
Step 2: Begin by making a character page for each of your characters.
Start with his or her physical characteristics.
Don’t forget to include diverse characteristics—your characters should reflect the diversity of real life.
What does she look like? What is his hair like? What color are her eyes? Does she have an interesting scar? ‘ How tall is he? , Again, don’t forget to include diversity.
In order to be compelling, you want your readers to be able to relate to and engage with your characters.
What’s his family like? Where does she work? What’s his favorite food? What does she like to watch at night? Does he read a lot of books? What’s her favorite cup of coffee? , These little details help fill out a character and make him or her more relatable.
While thinking about these little details, begin to consider why each character has these little quirks; this will come into play later.
For example:
What weird things does he do with his foods? What makes her crazy? Does he always leave his socks on the floor? Does she forget to load the dishwasher? Maybe she goes crazy when she can’t have her favorite beef jerky.
Maybe he tries to fix everything, but it breaks instead.
Maybe she can’t stand to be in the passenger seat of a car. , These questions address how your character is doing psychologically.
Just like real people, characters should have problems that they don’t know how to deal with.
Flaws are important for a character because the make them believable.
People in real life are flawed, period, so characters need to reflect that.
What keeps her up at night? What causes his skin to crawl? What is traumatic about her past? What kind of childhood did he have? What keeps her heart beating? What makes his breath catch? , Taking details from real life will make your characters more believable in a book.
What does your roommate do that makes you crazy? What does a co-worker do that’s a bit out of the ordinary? -
Step 3: Move on to your character’s backstory.
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Step 4: Think about quirks and character traits that could make your characters more engaging.
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Step 5: Dig a little deeper with each character
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Step 6: especially the main character.
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Step 7: Study real life people to make character traits believable.
Detailed Guide
One of the main driving forces in a novel is the characters.
People want to read about characters they can make a connection with, especially ones that have flaws just like themselves.
Start with his or her physical characteristics.
Don’t forget to include diverse characteristics—your characters should reflect the diversity of real life.
What does she look like? What is his hair like? What color are her eyes? Does she have an interesting scar? ‘ How tall is he? , Again, don’t forget to include diversity.
In order to be compelling, you want your readers to be able to relate to and engage with your characters.
What’s his family like? Where does she work? What’s his favorite food? What does she like to watch at night? Does he read a lot of books? What’s her favorite cup of coffee? , These little details help fill out a character and make him or her more relatable.
While thinking about these little details, begin to consider why each character has these little quirks; this will come into play later.
For example:
What weird things does he do with his foods? What makes her crazy? Does he always leave his socks on the floor? Does she forget to load the dishwasher? Maybe she goes crazy when she can’t have her favorite beef jerky.
Maybe he tries to fix everything, but it breaks instead.
Maybe she can’t stand to be in the passenger seat of a car. , These questions address how your character is doing psychologically.
Just like real people, characters should have problems that they don’t know how to deal with.
Flaws are important for a character because the make them believable.
People in real life are flawed, period, so characters need to reflect that.
What keeps her up at night? What causes his skin to crawl? What is traumatic about her past? What kind of childhood did he have? What keeps her heart beating? What makes his breath catch? , Taking details from real life will make your characters more believable in a book.
What does your roommate do that makes you crazy? What does a co-worker do that’s a bit out of the ordinary?
About the Author
Susan Perez
Enthusiastic about teaching organization techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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