How Do I Create an Original Character?
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| Title: | How Do I Create an Original Character? |
| Creator: | Sharon Nantus/Sharon Martin |
| Date(s): | October 6, 2000 |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom: | The X-Files |
| Topic: | |
| External Links: | How Do I Create an Original Character? |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
How Do I Create an Original Character? is an essay by Sheryl Nantus (formerly Sheryl Martin).
It was posted to the X-Files website Working Stiffs in October 2000.
Some Topics Discussed
- creating and writing original characters
- The X-Files
- her massive series starring her own original character Jackie St. George in Dragon Series
- Mary Sues
The Essay
It's common in fan fiction to run across individual characters that never appeared or will appear in the show; some so unique that you wonder why not and some that are so forgettable that you can't wait to finish the story - if you finish it at all.
As a writer it might seem easy to create and present an original character of your own making into your story, but it's hard to create one that will last and develop alongside the original characters. Here is my set of helpful tips to create and show off your own creation that will hopefully outlast your fan fiction writing.
First, create a backstory for your character. Maybe he was scared in infancy by a group of wild dogs; maybe he just hates roses. You don't have to make him/her and the immediate family dysfunctional to the point of insanity, but sketch out in your own mind or on paper who and where your person is and where they came from. What serious events in their lives created major impacts on their decisions and how they dealt with them.
And then: DON'T TELL ANYONE!!!
This might seem silly; creating a backstory and then not letting the reader in on the history behind your character. But there's nothing worse than reading a story and getting bogged down in a three page diatribe by the special guest character about how they were influenced in childhood by a particular cartoon or how they decided to fight crime with only a spoon since they liked ice cream.
Take your tip from real life - your friends and family have interesting histories and traumatic events in their own lives; but it's likely that you never heard it on your first meeting. It might have taken months or years for them to give out the reason why they hate dark rooms or how they lost that tip of their index finger - rarely do you find anyone who gives you their entire life story on the first meeting, and if they do then you might be wary, to say the least.
Do the same with your own character. If it doesn't impact directly with the story you're telling, don't bother the reader with long discussions of how they came to be. Don't have their first meeting with other established characters personal interviews where they give their life history in forty paragraphs. Only give out what's relevant and if you deem it necessary to the story, more afterwards.
Jackie St. George, my own fanfic character, has a very developed and deep backstory that many readers have only glimpsed parts of through the stories she's been in. Sly hints and comments build the idea of a whole person; not a wide open book for anyone to read and discuss; and that's part of the appeal of a character. You don't need to lay out the entire life story and experiences of your own character at the start, and possibly never in your story. But it helps you, the writer, to make him/her more realistic because they are real, in your own mind.
If you want to give your character special abilities, do so - but at a price. Even Superman has Kryptonite for a weakness, and invulnerable characters tend to be pretty boring. You don't need to make him/her a superhero; just special in some way. Maybe it's the way they live their lives to a certain honor code; maybe it's the way they view the world and their part in it. Maybe it's the way they make tea after every traumatic episode or pray at a certain shrine or temple. It's the little things that make a character special to the reader, not how many tons they can bench press without breaking a sweat.
Figure out before you start writing the relationships between your own character and the other, more established characters. Are they friends, foes or strangers that bump into each other at a bad time? Are they on the same wavelength to get the job done or are they at odds constantly? Are they drinking buddies or only casual acquaintances who meet at work or at a bar and play darts?
Sometimes the best fanfic characters can be bystanders with an unique view on the scene. One of my stories has an unnamed bartender who only sees things through his own perspective and his own life experiences, yet he has an interesting insight into the relationships unfolding in front of him. (Brandy's) Another one is a hot dog vendor who has his own routines and lifestyle, but still has his views on what happens every Friday afternoon. (Friday Date)
On the topic of Mary Sues; or characters specifically created to love or be loved by one of the main characters - if you want to create one, at least make it believable. Again, go to the backstory and create a past that would make a relationship likely or at least plausible. Unless your main character is into one-night stands, it might be pushing the reader's envelope to have him/her suddenly fall in love with your own fanfic character at first glance. Easy to write, yes - easy to sell, no.
In the end your original character will become a real person, at least in your own mind where he/she will have developed a unique personality that you need only turn on and off when you need to in the writing of a story. They will speak for themselves and you need only transcribe the words and finish the story.
At least, that's what Jackie says... when she's not stealing my beer...
;-)