Personality Quiz: When I first begin creating characters I find myself going to this exercise frequently. If you are familiar with the Meyer's Brigs Personality test then you may have already thought of this, but if you haven't, let me put it this way: this test is a psychological way of trying to grasp and categorize the many personalities that make up the diverse world we live in.
I like to take this 16 Personalities Test, but as I take this quiz, I answer the questions from the point of view of the character. When I am done, it will generate a basic synopsis of the character's personality. Even if this personality type doesn't line up with what you were envisioning, it is extremely helpful to put yourself in the character's shoes when answering the questions. This really helps to understand different aspects of each character even ones that aren't directly relevant, such as how tidy certain characters might keep their work space,
or how they manage their money.
New Situation: When I get stumped on how a character might react to a situation, sometimes it helps to put them into a completely different scenario or world that has nothing to do with your actual story. This exercise can reveal a lot about how you, as a writer, view your character.
For example, let's say I had a snarky pirate with a famous silver cutlass and a thing for the ladies. We'll name him Robert the Silver Blade. Currently, I have him captured by his rival with his hands in shackles, hanging off the side of the ship upside-down. I have no idea how he might get out of that situation, and I'm stumped with a nasty case of writer's block.
Instead, I begin a new scene in which Robert the Silver Blade is running from a herd of stampeding dinosaurs. Is that ridiculous? Yes. Are dinos in my actual novel? No. Will anyone besides me ever read this? No way! In fact, I would write this in a separate document as well.
This of course is just an example and really you can put your character into any situation you want, you'd be surprised how much it can help. Imagining your characters in unlikely settings can help you connect with them in new ways and shed light on the story that really matters.
Animal Association: This particular exercise is probably the most fun to me. When we look at the animal kingdom, each creature has its own unique personality. They may be caricatures of people we know in real life. Is your character manipulative, quiet, and deadly? They could be like a spider or snake. Do they constantly "talk the talk" but not really "walk the walk?" Sounds like a peacock, strutting around, or a blowfish, puffing up and praying his enemies leave him alone. Maybe they are a high society aristocrat who believes in looking their best, like a poodle or a very distinguished house cat.
This simple trick can really put your characters into perspective and I have found it to be quite useful, especially when I am looking at an extreme side of my characters. It gives me a good idea of where they're headed and a basic outline for who they are. Don't be afraid to be specific and don't settle for "my character is a dog." Ask yourself "what kind of dog? A big, noble English mastiff? Or a feisty chihuahua?"
While these are just a few of my personal methods, you may find them useful in your own writing journey as well. The beautiful thing about the art of words is that we can each have different ways of effectively creating our worlds, characters and ideals. If you have any fun methods of developing characters, please feel free to comment and let me know!
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