Making Your Characters Feel Alive Part I

Let me give you some insight to the Nsibidi Fables writing process: If you want characters to feel real for the reader, you have to hint they have the potential to be the opposite of what they appear.

When getting to know a character, the first step that seems most obvious is to identify who that character is, right?  Wrong.  In fact, Maass proposed the exact opposite approach.  For each of the three types of protagonists, he suggested that we should explore who the character has the potential to be, rather than just who they currently are.

Everyman Character:

For the Everyman character, this involves discovering what makes this character inspiring and what motivates them to rise to the occasion.  Instead of concentrating on how “normal” or average this character appears, the writer should focus on this character’s capacity to be extraordinary, even if it’s in a minor way.  Sometimes, all it takes is a slight nudge, one trigger that you activate to propel your character out of inertia and prompt a response.  For instance, think of the movie Back To The Future.  The main character, Marty McFly, frequently avoids confrontations, but all it takes is for someone to label him as “chicken” for him to spring into action.  With Everyman characters, you often need to discover the equivalent of calling them “chicken,” that pivotal moment that transforms your character from ordinary to extraordinary. Examples of Everyman Characters: Frodo, Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter

To bring an Everyman character to life, consider the following questions:

What would motivate this character to “rise to the occasion”?

What kind of scenario can I create that would encourage this character to exceed expectations?

What is this character’s breaking point, that trigger you can activate to inspire action?

And we’ll go through the other protagonist types next week!