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Character development

Some of my favorite characters ended up not being main characters I've written. They're actually supporting characters. Which brings me to the topic of character development.

You have your main character, who the story mostly focuses on, their love interest and supporting characters which include friends, family and anyone else you include. They are the ones that interact with your mains.  Without them, let's face it, the mains would be dead in the water.

The big thing with characters is giving information and backstory on them. Without it, no one is going to know who the hell the main is or is suppose to be.  If you have ever opened a book to any story, you know all characters have a background of some sort. This includes who they are, age, sex, what their purpose is. Without those key details, you don't have much on characters.

Besides background, personality is essential. Pick one. Not many or they will come across with a personality disorder.  Some are serious, smart, funny, sarcastic, horrible. You get the drift. Pick a personality. Nothing says you can't alter it as the character grows.

Character growth is essential for any story. Without it the characters become stagnant and people lose interest in them. The best part of this is you can play with them until you figure out exactly what kind of person you want them to be.

I found some of the characters I've written that people have fallen in love with turned out to be the funniest characters I've written. Frazier, Nixon, and Mack. Each are lovable in their own way.

Personally I love their characters because they are a good way to offset the more serious ones and adds levity to a story. Without balance, then a story becomes singular.

This also brings layers into play with story and characters. Look at it like peeling an onion or fruit. You have to tear away the layers to get to the core.

I could go on and on about characters but that would bore you and let's face it, no one wants to be bored. It's just a tip.