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Character Creation

  • Foto del escritor: Gabriel A. Rancel
    Gabriel A. Rancel
  • 14 jul 2024
  • 5 Min. de lectura

Actualizado: 1 jun



Imagine a Chessboard


To discuss character creation, let's imagine a chessboard. The board represents the plot, and the multiple pieces represent the characters. Additionally, chess is a game of strategy where each piece is crucial to the game and none are superfluous or missing. Character creation is similar.


When I think of a story, I create an outline divided into three parts of the plot: "beginning," "middle," and "end." You need to select the number of characters that will appear in each stage and carefully consider their purpose and role.

Once you've decided on the number of characters, each one will have their own profile that includes information like personality, skills, weaknesses, vital needs, friends, enemies, where they live, how they live, their main occupation, etc. Include all the information you consider necessary to have clear. Notice that I haven't mentioned their physical appearance yet. For now, we won't discuss that.


Once I know each character's role and mission during the adventure, I decide who the main character(s) will be, although I often don't do this at the beginning. Is it essential to do so from the start? It depends. On what? The story and what you're going to write. From my point of view, a crucial question to identify the protagonist(s) is: What do I want to convey with this character? If it's a minor intervention during the story's development, it doesn't make them a protagonist, but if it creates a conflict with another character, which in turn triggers a crucial action for the plot, then they are important characters. A simple action-reaction chain.


So, how do I choose the main character?


In most written stories, the writers focus on one person and what happens to them. I prefer to choose a spokesperson and let the story flow through them, but they don't necessarily have to be the protagonist. An example would be "The Lord of the Rings." And here you might say, "What are you talking about? Everyone knows Frodo is the protagonist." Does this statement convince you? If we review the books (or watch the movies), most of the plot centers on other characters. Some would say Aragorn is the protagonist, and others would argue it's Gandalf. And none of them would be wrong, and at the same time, they would be.

No matter the many reasons you give for who the main character in "The Lord of the Rings" is. Each of them has their own plot, which are pieces of other plots that interact with other characters. All the members of the fellowship (except Legolas and Gimli) have their own personal ghosts and battles. Separately, they have a story unrelated to the destruction of Middle-earth, be it family drama, status, denial of their past and future. And that, from a literary perspective, is magnificent. Why search for the perfect character when you have several that will enrich the story?


What Should the Character Be Like?


There is no single way to answer this question. A character should be, no more, no less, what you need to narrate your story. Some people make a clear distinction between "Good" and "Evil" when creating characters. Besides creating flat characters, there's no mystery in presenting them this way. You know who the "good guy" is because they would never do anything "bad," never commit injustices, and, of course, never be a killer. This is funny because, if we focus on fantasy literature (or really, any other genre), generally that character representing "Good" ends up killing two hundred people during their hero's journey. Ah! But it's justified because they are necessary deaths in battle for them to reach their destination; it falls within the moral and ethical... right? Tell me, what does "Good" represent to you? Let's set aside hypocrisy for a moment and reflect. Do you consider a person who voluntarily decides to kill another to achieve social justice a good person? Heroic and warlike movies have done a lot of damage over the years, turning the lowest acts into heroic deeds. That's overused and burnt out. It's boring.


What you must be clear about at all times is that no character is entirely good and no character is entirely bad. It always depends on who they interact with and the decisions they make on their path to their goal.


The other day, talking about literature with some friends, they told me the following phrase: "No. It's impossible for this person to be the bad guy because he's too good, too noble." Pay attention to the phrase. Well, I'll tell you that the character in the story they referred to had slit the throats of half the characters without batting an eye. They were surprised by the ending, but I found it implausible for other reasons that I'll discuss later. I'm afraid we'll need a second entry for this topic.


Important: a character should not have an extreme personality. That makes them flat, dull, and often boring. Nuances are what make them captivating and keep you from going to sleep even though it's three thirty in the morning. Play with shades of gray, but also with colors. It's not that hard. Look inside yourself; surely there are thoughts you know are not correct, actions that are not appropriate, but you are not a bad person (or maybe you are, but we're not talking about that). The point is that you know how to play chess knowing all the pieces.


You have chosen the characters that will bring the plot to life. You have carried out the difficult selection process. Many characters were left out, that's okay. If you needed ten out of the one hundred and forty-three that applied for the role, that's how it is. You know where to place each character and what their mode of action will be. Perfect. But what if you realize in the middle of writing that this character is weak? You don't get a good feeling. They're missing something. What do you do? No, you don't need to erase all your work or make a dramatic ball of paper to throw it into the trash.

Go back to the board and check where it started to fail. Look at your plot and your characters. Anything that doesn't fit should always be changed. You can fix it. Don't get frustrated. This is usually due to poorly elaborated (or non-existent) planning, but sometimes it also happens because the plot took an unexpected turn when you were on chapter 3 and the new idea caught you by surprise. That's okay. It happens to those of us who write and, generally, in life too. You solve it and move on. This doesn't mean it's easy. Now you will have to check if the changes have created gaps in the story. This takes a lot of time and dedication. Good luck!


I Have Selected the Characters, but I Don't Know if They Are Enough or Too Many


My advice will always be the same: review the plot. The story usually has all the answers. As long as the story remains in editing mode, everything can be improved. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. It's still a game of chess that only ends if you don't correct the mistake.


I hope I've helped you take those first steps. Thanks for reading the blog.





«Sira Ïn is no longer a safe place. Beyond the Crown of Winds, Nara must conceal her identity, exposed to the dangers of Trÿa. While she strives to become the warrior her people need, Tyrhon Zäeh plots to halt her journey, destroy her companions, and prevent her from uncovering the truths hidden behind the legend of the powerful god Zanaán.»


After an initial local release, "Trÿa, the Legend of the God Zanaán" was published for the general public, becoming one of the four finalists for "Best Self-Published Novel" at the Avenida Awards in 2019.


This book is only published in Spanish.*




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