Creating Powerful Characters for Your Character-Driven Novel or Short Story

Whether you are writing a novel, a short story, or a children’s book your story will fall flat on its face if your characters aren’t believable, strong, or engaging. One of the toughest challenges fiction writers face is developing characters that don’t seem like one-dimensional paper cut-outs.  As a writer, you want true characters not just people playing scripted roles.  But how do you create these kinds of characters? 

 

One of best ways is to give your characters quirks. This doesn’t mean that all your characters have to be absolute weirdoes, but it does mean that they need to be human in a non-superficial way. This is especially important if your novel or short story is character-driven. 

 

Take for instance two very different crime fighting characters—Sherlock Holmes and Barney Fife.  Both have what I would consider definite quirks.  Sherlock is a brilliant detective who has a habit of smoking a pipe and playing the violin while engaging in crime-solving deduction.  His obsession with solving crime keeps him from engaging in a typical life. Doyle created a character that was brilliant yet quirky, a character to remember. 

   

Then there is Barney, the big deputy of Mayberry.  The only problems: Barney is incredibly excitable, and he has delusions of being the big tough cop while coming across like the shakiest gun in the West when confronted with real trouble. What endeared Barney to viewers were his insecurities.  Both Sherlock Holmes and Barney Fife have quirks that set them apart yet make them relatable.

If you enjoy British comedy, you probably are familiar with the character Mr. Bean.  Here is a guy with quirks. Although his social ineptitude is sometimes hard to bear, it makes him the character he has become—Mr. Bean. His social ineptitude and rotten luck give us something to relate to or sympathize with (or even laugh at).  Everyone has an embarrassing moment now and then. If Mr. Bean was perfect and had no flaws, he would have no fans.  

Characters that have it all together aren’t memorable.  Readers want to know that the character has some of the same struggles they do, as well as those little quirks we hope no one notices about us.  Giving your character a quirk or two is the first step in creating a successful character-driven novel or short story.