I’d delighted to welcome to the blog Terra Harmony who has written a great guest post for us as part of the blog tour for Forbidden Future – A Time Travel Anthology from The Masquerade Crew.
So without further ado here’s the post:
Creating Awesome Fantasy Characters
Characters lack depth? Have no voice? Reader can’t connect? As I an avid reader, I’ve seen a lot of it. As a self-published author, I have been guilty of it. Strong stories can only come from well-developed characters. Here is a few hints to help you create unforgettable people/elves/aliens or whatever the case may be:
1 – Give them goals. Everyone wants something, even if it is to be left alone to watch reruns of Baywatch all day long. Make it clear what they are after, then put some obstacles in their way. This leads us to our next hint…
2 – Show development. Throw the unthinkable at them. How do they react? The readers have got to love them or hate them for these reactions. A ‘meh’ response is not what you want.
3 – Give them an arc. This goes along with hint #2. Just as the plot or storyline follows an arc, so does character development. Characters must evolve, grow, learn, or change as the plot unfolds, and generally the main character ends up in a ‘higher’ or better place than where they started.
4 – Show, well, um – character! Give them a look, an accent, an attitude, and a unique trait. Make them real. If you have to, use examples from real life around you. Remember, everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Give your characters a chance for these to come into play.
5 – Give them a backstory. Fill in the backstory by writing up a brief character sketch. Use hobbies, interests, education, and childhood. Throw in a significant event that shaped who they are today.
Still stuck? Try likening the character to an animal. We all have our quirks – chattering like a bird, grumpy like a bear, sly like a fox. Pick one and run with it! This worked well for me when writing my newest release, ‘The Rising’. With so many mermaids, I had to give each one something to stand out from the rest.
Thank you so much, Michael, for having me on your blog. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the Forbidden Future tour!
Terra Harmony
Terra is author of the eco-fantasy novels in the Akasha Series, ‘Water’, ‘Air’, ‘Fire’ and ‘Earth’, as well as the Painted Maidens Trilogy. Terra was born and raised in Colorado but has since lived in California, Texas, Utah, North Carolina, and Virginia. Terra has served a 5½ year enlistment in the Marine Corp, has earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree and presently runs the language services division of a small business. Terra currently lives in a suburb of Washington, DC with her husband of 14 years and three children.
Thanks Terra, great post. For those of you who have been following Scarlet’s Walk, the next installment is out tomorrow.
