Happy Friday everyone! Part of my new posting effort includes making an entry every third Friday regarding different writing mechanics and aspects of creating a vivid fantasy world. In my opinion, the most important aspect of all good fantasy books is character creation, which is why I am opening this series with a post about it. Without further ado, consider this basic outline for creating vivid and memorable characters.
The Process of Character Creation
The first thing to keep in mind when creating any character is to make sure that this character is round. This means that he or she is not just a simple creation following a rigid set of guidelines. Instead, the character must have unique mannerisms, changing moods, and an actual decision making process. To create this level of depth, you must come up with a system to outline the characters in their entirety. My idea of what separates great fantasy books from good fantasy books starts and ends with a unique formula.
My Formula
- A paragraph or more about the history of the character goes first. Put pertinent details such as birthplace, birth year/age, and at least one influence detail that helped form him or her.
- Height
- Weight
- Hair; both color and style
- Eyes
- Body Type
- Features
- Clothes
- Accessories
- At least a paragraph about the character’s personality ends the bio.
Keep in mind that you do not need to follow this formula exactly, but it definitely helps to use this as a guideline. Ultimately, you need to capture every aspect of your character, and this is what works for me.
Closing Thoughts
Overall, it is important that all of your major characters have at least some amount of backstory as well as detailed descriptions of their personality and physical attributes. As for me, I spend a lot of time thinking about how they would react in different situations and setting up a sort of personality profile. I also make sure I have an idea of their lineage, at least to some degree. This level of detail may not be found in all adventure books, but it certainly helps create good fantasy books.
So, the next time someone asks you what separates great fantasy books from good fantasy books, you already know my answer: the characters are key.
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Hailed as the J.R.R. Tolkien of the 21st century, Joseph Macolino is the author of the Evorath series, providing good fantasy books to those looking for heart-pounding action in a magical world.
