I have been thinking about my characters a lot. They’re off to my awesome beta readers (–> more on this later, I promise) and it’s like having them going on holidays, wondering how they’re doing.
Then, I read those posts in the recent weeks which highlight the need for the main characters to be fully layered, somewhat unique and “true” to themselves. As writers and readers, we know this but I thought their posts to be quite to the point in reminding us why it’s important. You should go ahead and read them 😀
- August Characters: Intro by Vickie Motter (Agent with Andrea Hurst Literary Management).
- Your Thing by Taryn Albright (writer, reader, lit agency intern, and freelance editor)
And then, I turned back to my WiP ONE TWO THREE and wondered how I would answer Vickie’s question: “What makes this character unique? Why will a reader fall in love with him/her?” And the answer was actually easy. I didn’t have to think much because I know them. Inside and out.
Let me introduce you to Natalja, Antonio, Beverley and James.
Uploaded by Ekabhishek (Wikicommons)
Natalja used to know how to fly. Not anymore. Not since her injury destroyed her ballet career. She loves the piano, Chopin. She does enjoy a bit of sangria from times to times and has issues hugging people. Personal contact, so not her thing. She has some personal issues she doesn’t like to talk about. She can become the music when she dances even if she cannot do much ballet any longer. Her knee hurts when it’s about to rain and she thought of making a career out of this. She can eat a lot of pelmeni but she also enjoys enchiladas. She misses New York, the buzz of people. Oh and her favourite Disney movie is Beauty and the Beast. Because of the dance scene. And the books.
Antonio loves his family. He is short tempered and doesn’t take any crap. He is very helpful, kind and protective. He enjoys cracking jokes and he loves the feel of the wind when he runs. He sometimes likes tequila a bit too much and his little sister has him wrapped around her little finger. His favourite Disney movie – he only admitted to it because of Karina, his little sister – is Sleeping Beauty. Because the guy gets to fight a dragon and wins the girl.
Beverley is Student President. She’s nice and funny and talks to her car to make sure it stays alive. She has a bubbly personality but she can also be very quiet and listen. She thinks she’s too tall to wear any heels no matter what Natalja tells her. She wears her heart on her sleeve. She loves to organize things and to be right. She is always responsible but doesn’t mind breaking the rules from times to times. She’s the best friend one can ask for.
James is tall. No really, he’s taller than Beverley. He is calm and collected unless you cross one of his friends, then you’re in trouble. You can lean on him if you have any issues and he will tell you things as they are. No sugar coating from that guy. James and Antonio are quite funny when they hang together, they’ve been friends only a few years but it seems like they’ve known each other forever. It could be their experience on the soccer field or the fact that both are non-judgemental and just down-to-earth guys.
So, tell me what is the first thing that comes in your mind when you think about your main characters?
or about a character you recently read about?
Elodie Nowodazkij 
Sounds like you have some great characters. 🙂
Thanks Kelly. I love them, I really do but I may be a tad bias toward them 😛
I totally want to read your book! I love ballet (like, LOVE), and these sound like some very interesting, well-rounded characters you’ve created here. Well done! 😉
Thanks SO much Meredith! And if you’re still interested in reading the book after it passes this round of beta reading and revision, I might take you up on it 😀 Let me know!
I like the idea of your characters being on vacation while your beta readers have your novel. I completely understand! I didn’t notice that Vickie was starting a new series this month. I’ll have to check that out.
Thanks Colin 😀 Vickie’s posts are always so helpful! I do check on my characters very often though even if they’re on holidays, I hope they don’t find me overbearing 😀
Great introduction to these four characters! Can’t wait to dig in! 🙂
Thanks so much Sara! Can’t wait to hear your views!
Wonderful intro. Hope they come back soon from their vacation, they sound wonderful
Thanks so much Ednah 😀 I do check on them very often even during their little holidays and I should start querying in the Fall so maybe you’ll get to meet them soon 😀
Funny, I wrote a manuscript last year about a ballerina from a NYC company, who got into an accident, hurt bad, and couldn’t dance anymore. She went back to her little town and into her parents life =P
Bah, I guess I won’t bring back that ms anytime soon lol
Other than that (=P), Natalja and the others sound like great characters!
Hahaha! WOW! They totally could have been best friends…I would love to read your manuscript, it’s funny how ideas can be very similar and though I’m sure we took a different road with it 😀
I read that article on what makes your character unique. Really got me thinking about mine. Great and thought-provoking read.
I love the sound of your characters, especially Beverly. Her little car talking habit makes her quirky. 🙂
Thanks so much Robin! Bev is kind of awesome 😀 I realized that with my previous manuscript, the paranormal one, this was my main issue – not the plot but the characters – they just didn’t have enough layers. And now I’m rewriting it with a fresh new perspective in mind.
Your characters sound really, really great! And I must say that Taryn always has some kick-butt advice and I’m NOT just saying that because we’re best beta friends 🙂
Thanks for another great post, my dear!
Thanks so much Kerri 😀 I am having a lot of fun with those characters and Taryn’s post was really an eye opener for my previous manuscript (the one I just started rewriting)
Your characters sound like people I’d like to meet in real life. 🙂 And ballet.. I LOVE ballet.
“She’s nice and funny and talks to her car to make sure it stays alive.”
I love that description! So rich, and so relateable. I used to drive an ’86 Jimmy, and you can bet I talked to that car if it acted funny on the road! Great introduction of interesting characters.
Thank you SO very much Nickie! Bev does love her car, she has a nickname for it and just a way of handling it that shows how much she cares 😀
Just from reading those blurbs, I feel like I really know them! Great job of weaving in relatable details.
Thanks Rebecca 😀 Plus this little exercise is definitely helping me for a rewrite of an older manuscript (the paranormal one). I shelved it since I thought it needed a rewrite because of the plot. I realized it does need a rewrite but mostly because the characters were not well-rounded enough. I am having a blast rewriting it now 😀
*Waves to the characters* 🙂
I also read that post by Taryn Albright, and I LOVED it. That’s such a great, organic way to think about characters.
It really is a great way to think about characters and it is helping me in the rewrite of a manuscript I just started. For ONE TWO THREE, I think the characters are well-rounded (you’ll let me know what you think at the end of the book :D) but for PLAYING WITH FIRE, the plot was good, some traits were there but they fell flat. Now they don’t anymore and I just finished Chapter one 😀
Oh so I’ve been a bad blog follower as of late but I had some time this morning and wanted to check in. First I love your characters they each sound great and I want to get to know more about them.
Your characters sound so awesome! I hope I get to read their adventures one day 🙂
My sister kissed her car when we got back from the airport last night. Kissed it. So it sounds like she’d get along really well with Beverly.
Oh, your book sounds AMAZING. I love soccer. I love dance. And I LOVE that your mc’s Disney choice is B and B. (MY FAVORITE TOO). Can’t wait to hear more!