Your characters need to appear authentic, whether they are real people or not. Your characters must be real to you, or they will never seem real to your readers. So take time to develop these individuals in your mind. Then develop a character sketch of your main character as well as the secondary characters. Following are 5 of 11 items you may wish to include in your sketches, taken from Chapter 8 of The Complete Guide to Christian Writing and Speaking, available on our website under books/books on writing.
1. A Character’s Physical Appearance: Not just whether he’s tall, dark, and handsome or short, fat, and ugly. Rather, what separates him from the masses and makes him unique, one in a million?
2. His Personality and Temperament: Is he cool and laid back, hot and fiery, aggressive, passive, impulsive, or cautious?
3. His Motivations: What makes him act the way he does? What are his felt, or perceived, needs? What are his real needs? What does he desire more than anything else in the world?
4. His Background and Family History: History tends to repeat itself in generation after generation, as evidenced in the biblical concept of “the sins of the fathers.” Beliefs and actions are deeply rooted in the past.
5. His General Attitude Toward Others and Himself: Does he accept himself and others? Does he have identity and self-esteem problems to work through? Or does he have a healthy self-concept?
Next week will feature items 6-11 that you may wish to include in your character sketches.