How one pantser develops characters

[SepiaAndDust]

You want to write a book, but you need somebody to write about. Well, there're all kinds of character questionnaires, backstory generators, and Myers-Briggs tests out there. I don't mess with any of that. Because I'm a pantser.

First off, you'll need somebody to write about, and your characters need the written word to thrive, to breathe. So let's find out who they are.


Step 1: Gender
A. What gender is your character? Pick one, even if it's a fluid one. Decide on which pronouns to use (this'll be important later!).

B. How closely does the character adhere to typical gender stereotypes? Is she a tomboy? Is he a crybaby? Is she the perfect debutante? Is he a real macho man? (Kids still say macho, right?) Does she love babies but doesn't want any children of her own? Does he like football as long as he can knit and drink beer while watching the big game?


Step 2: Age
A. How old is the character? Or, if you're writing a paranormal YA romance, how old does your vampire appear?

B. How closely does the character match the stereotypes of people that age? Is she 15 but pays no attention to social media? Is he 93 and taking selfies 93 times a day? Is she 40 with the emotional maturity of a 14-year-old? Is she 12, but wise beyond her years? Are they perfectly 21 in every way?


You really should be writing these answers down. I'd use one of those big index cards.


Step 3: Individuality
A. What's special about the character, something that they are always conscious of? Do they have superpowers? Are they a vampire? Does she have an IQ of 170 or is she developmentally challenged? Does he run a 3-minute mile every day or is he in a wheelchair?

B. How is that special thing integrated into the character's life, personality, and habits? Does the werewolf only work odd jobs so he can lock himself in the basement during full moons? Does the synesthete who can see musical notes avoid music except when she's painting breathtaking portraits? Does the thief change addresses 3 or 4 times a year?

C. How permanent is this special thing? Will the metal rod eventually have to be removed from her leg? If he stops taking the serum, will he lose his superpowers? Will her mental health get better or get worse?


You don't have a story. Not yet. And that's good. You're a pantser, after all. So take this character and write something. Make them do something. Anything. Just use pronouns for the time being. When you get stuck, come on back.


Step 4: Goals
A. How much does the character need to get their way? Are they meek and mild? A cutthroat backstabber? A people-pleaser, a people-user, lost in the clouds?

B. What is the worst thing the character could do under normal circumstances? Could she murder her own mother in cold blood? Would he keep the extra $10 he got in change from the grocery store? Would the character let an innocent coworker take the  blame for a mistake the character made? What if it was a spiteful, nasty coworker?

C. What does your character want? At the beginning of your story, what one thing does your character need in order to be satisfied? To win the dance-off or to save the orphanage from the greedy landlord? To please her mother or to make his dead father proud?

D. What does the character want even more than that? Does family come first, no matter whether they win the dance-off? Is holding strictly to the law, their religion, or the Jedi code more important even than pleasing mom and dad? Does everything else take a back seat to their drug of choice?


Write something about how the character is chasing those goals. When your character gets blocked--and they should!--come back here.


Step 5: Nemesis
A. So what's stopping the character from getting what they want? Is it her classmate? Is it his boss? A rival suitor, an approaching blizzard, the DMV, the massed military might of NATO, cancer?

B. What does this nemesis want? It should in some way be in opposition to what your character wants. Go back and complete steps 1 through 4 for the nemesis.


Write a scene with both characters, even if one is an institution or a force of nature. When you get stuck again, come back here.


Step 6: Resources
A. What resources do the characters have? Rich or poor? Wide circle of friends or a lonely hermit? Have a car, a home, a cell phone, high-speed internet? How about warm clothes, food to eat, medical care? Do they have a job? Do they have time away from the job to spend doing stuff in your book?

B. What talents, education, and training do the characters have? Still in junior high, but learned numismatics from her grandfather? PhD in aviation engineering, but still can't pass his pilot's test? Dropped out of school in 11th grade to have a baby, but she supports herself by drawing greeting cards?


Here's where the characters start to come alive. Write a scene for each character that shows them using their resources, their education, and their talents.


Step 7: Finishing Up
A. Tired of using pronouns yet? Let's give the characters names. You can think up your own, or you can ask in our Character Building forum. You can also pick some from first names and last names at Behind The Name.

B. You'll discover their personalities and backstories as you write their scenes. You may have already learned a few things about your characters. Is she bold and outgoing? Is he afraid of conflict? Does he use highfalutin words? Does she rarely speak? Did he survive the mass shooting by hiding under his dying friend? Did she succeed on talent and hard work (even though everybody says she slept her way to the top)?

C. That's it. You have enough to start writing your story. Start over if you need to. When you're hit by a flash of inspiration--some new thing you suddenly realize about a character--jot it down. Maybe he has long brown hair. Maybe she's a dog person, maybe a cat person. Maybe they have hazel eyes or a scattering of pimples across their forehead. You don't need to know all that right now, but when you do know, write it down so you won't forget.

As the characters' goals, outlooks, and resources change, revisit these questions and meet the new them.

Happy writing!