The "Why" Within Your Characters

A question I always ask the authors I'm working with when it comes to their characters is "Why?" Why is this character doing that? Why do you think they would do it? Why do you think they wouldn't? When you're starting to develop your characters and the situations they'll be finding themselves in, these are some of the best questions to ask yourself to really get to know your characters—and by extension, let you readers get to know them.

Be Memorable, Be Real

I always argue that characters are the most important part of any memorable book. Why? Because they touch us in ways nothing else can. How they handle the situations life throws at them can resonate with us, teach us things, make us laugh, make us cry. As writers, we want those reactions from our readers. But, as writers, we also know that writing to get those reactions is hard!

We can't just take a situation from real life and write it. Somehow, that almost never works when plugged into our fictional worlds. It may have been "real" but the reactions in real life aren't necessarily going to ring true for your character. And it's those reactions you need to nail for your book.

Why?

Why is your character doing something? Don't just stop with your first answer, keep asking "why." Dig deep into their psyche, their past, traumas, everything that might motivate them.

Question:Why doesn't your main male character want to be open to a relationship?

Answer: He enjoys playing the field

Question: What if he met someone special?

Answer: Maybe they could have an affair. But no strings!

Question: What if it got serious?

Answer: He'd have to face why he didn't want a relationship

This is the basis for plenty of romance books, where the "why" can be failed past relationships, things with family, not thinking he's good enough, etc. The more whys you ask, the deeper you go into his emotional trauma, the more healing the relationship and the change at the end. It all depends on your story!

Good stories are about change. So if you know where you want your characters to end up, you know that isn't where they are starting when your book opens. Remember that people and outside goals can both drive change. And change can look like a lot of things.

What if your characters aren't going to change, if their story arc stays flat? There's still a "why" there. A fantasy author I did a dev. editor for had characters who were cannibals. Her initial "why" was shock value—she wanted to shock her readers. But what were her characters' "whys"? We delved into her characters and their backstories and she came up with some impressively deep rewrites where cannibalism became not only integral to the story, but deeply symbolic for different kinds of addiction, defeat over enemies, and more. I can't wait until the book is published to share it with you!

Character Sheets

How do you try and sort out who people are, what motivates them, and how they might change?

You can map out each character's arc. Where do they start the book, where do they end the book, what goals do they have, what setbacks do they hit along the way? Don't make it easy for them! If it was easy, it would be boring. What are their biggest fears and how can you incorporate those fears into your story?

Does your character's journey mirror the plot of your book in some way? That's always happening on the mystery shows I watch (think Grace, Vera, Midsummer Murders, etc.) Divide up a piece of paper (or spreadsheet, whatever works for you), have "plot" on one side and "character" on the other so you can track the arc of each to make sure they stay as mirrored as you want them to.

Character sheets can help you build up your characters (always do character sheets for all your major characters—you don't want flat secondary characters!) before you get going. Any internet search will find ones helping you pin down character basics: appearance, job deails, hobbies, etc. And plenty of them are free, so take your pick. I've developed one that gets you to think about some "whys" you might not have considered. Designed as you "texting" with your character, you're taking on the character's role to answer the questions. They may not be things you'll actually use in your story, but it's an exercise that will help you get into your character's mindset as you go forward with them.

Want my free Getting to Know Your Character worksheet?

Click here!

Are you looking for a developmental editor, manuscript evaluator, writing coaching, or marketing coach? Contact me and let's talk about your project!