Crystal started by asking us to think about books with characters that lingered. What a great exercise! Take a few minutes now and think about it – what book had a character that stuck with you? Our answers ranged from Anne of Green Gables to Jane Eyre and more current fictional people like the main character in “The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie” by Alan Bradley. See Bradley’s website at http://www.flaviadeluce.com/.

Once our group of six had planted the focus of great characters in our heads, the learning began. As Crystal explained, details of a character include:

– Physical appearance

– Environmental factors (geography, household structure, etc)

– Core beliefs and values

– Choice and actions under stress (who are they really when there’s no time to think – only respond)

From these points, we explored a number of exercises that helped us to create strong, believable characters. Here are some of the tips I took away:

– You MUST interview your character. Write out questions that reveal critical pieces of who your character is. Once prepared, answer the questions AS your character. So instead of answering “she would smile”, answer, “I would smile”. A sample character interview is available on Crystal’s blog at http://crystalstranaghan.com/?p=188.

– Use different coloured recipe cards or sticky notes to list each character’s traits. Perhaps your young heroine would be on pink cards, her mail sidekick on blue cards and the antagonist, green cards. As you write your story, put a check mark beside each trait as you use it to prevent overuse and ensure you are giving a full complete picture.

– Grab images online or from magazines that represent your character. You’ll find it much easier to visualize them doing, or not doing, certain things when you can see them in front of you.

– It’s best to focus on the whole character. Think about hands, legs, teeth – not just face and hair.

– A unique point Crystal made was that we notice the small things that are different in a person when we’ve seen them a million times. In the case of our female heroine, she would notice a hair cut, a new pair of shoes, or a missing tooth on her sidekick. Use this to your advantage when revealing what your character sees. They can see the things that are different.

– Always be current with your descriptions. Don’t describe your teen as a greaser, Mom as having crimped hair or other references lost in time. The twist to this is that these references are fine if explained or in a historical story.

– The environmental factors a character faces reveals much of how they perceive their situation and how they fit or contrast it. For example, a child whose parents have separated may find themselves living in a very different neighbourhood when living on just Mom’s income.

– Core beliefs and values include religion and how it impacts the character’s thoughts’ physical and emotional safety; a sense of self; their perceived rol in the world and; the internal moral compass.

– As discussed in the workshop, the fun starts when your character is pushed to their “line” of morality. What do they do when they reach that point? You’ll create conflict and interest by applying these stressors to your character. They need moments where something changes within them. Thus, when you interview your character at the end of the piece, there should be some slight variations from the interview at the start.

Now, let’s use Crystal’s examples, and words! Let’s add heat and stir! Ask your character for a response to the following:

– Your family is fighting, what is your response?

– You’re getting a C- in math

– You’ve lost your dog / cat

– Brussel sprouts are being served for dinner

– Your best friend is moving away

While it is difficult to summarize all of the great tips and hints from this workshop, one point that stuck out for me was that you need to know your character – inside and out – so that your reader will too.

Ronda joyfully lives in Maple Ridge BC in yet another renovation project home with her husband and their pets.