By David Akseizer
In a recent interview, I was asked how it felt to hold the very first copy of The Legend of Pearl Cave. My answer, “Though I’ve never given birth myself, on account of being a man and all, I’d have to say the feeling was probably similar to having a baby. You gain weight, lose sleep and at times have mood swings. Every moment leading up to the book release is uncomfortable, nerve racking and painful.But when you finally hold the book in your hands, it’s the greatest feeling ever.
All kidding aside, this has truly been an amazing experience. I hope to relive this incredible feeling every time I release a new novel. Because of the hard work and support from the staff at Figlo Press, we’re just a few weeks away from posting the long awaited announcement that “The Legend of Pearl Cave is Now Available for Purchase!” From the bottom of my heart, thank you Figlo Press.
Last time, I provided a few helpful twisty tips on writing plot twists. Plot twists provide authors with valuable opportunities to trick and fool their audience. Authors can add the type of irresistible twists to their novel simply by keeping an audience guessing.
Lesson 6: Character Development
Most people like to connect with others. Why wouldn’t this concept be the same between a person and the characters from a book? These connections form an unspoken bond between the reader and a character. The reader yearns to feel what a character feels, see what a character sees and hear what character hears. Stop the madness. You get the point.
Character development is an essential ingredient for crafting a well-written novel. Below are some helpful tips to consider when creating a character that everyone will surely want to connect with.
A Few Tips On Character Development:
- Make each character’s voice unique. Whether it’s displayed through dialogue or their inner thoughts, every character I create has a distinct voice. Some have accents some do not. I always say each character’s lines out loud the way I believe they should sound. This ensures that my character’s voice is consistent and translates as intended to my audience.
- Though it doesn’t apply to every character you create, most readers want to know what a character looks like. A reader shouldn’t have to conjure up his or her own illustration regarding a character’s appearance. The author can choose to describe the character through the narrator’s eyes or through the eyes of another character. Is the character tall, short, handsome, or pretty? The tall-lanky man with scruffy brown hair is way better than writing the tall dude. Provide your audience with more than just single word descriptions. Learn to paint a picture of what each character looks like and describe their appearance in full.
- Divulge all the characters deepest darkest secrets. Not all at once! Share tidbits about the character’s past history to help develop the character’s motive, what shaped them into who they are and their overall thought process. How’s the character’s relationship with mom and dad? Are they at war with their girlfriend or wife? By writing about the character’s past and present relationships, the audience will connect with how the character feels and also learn how that character interacts with others.
- Try something different like giving the character a nervous tick. Clearly define each character to make them stand out. What if your character bakes? Does baking keep them calm or do they bake because they are addicted to cake? Maybe the character has a pet peeve, like making people remove their shoes before entering their home or using hand sanitizer to disinfect everything they touch. It’s little nuances like these that can help make a character noticeable.
- Are you still paying close attention? This is the most important tip you will read. Make a character as relatable as possible. If a reader connects to a character it might be because there is something about the way the character acts or handles a particular situation that the reader would probably do themselves. The more realistic and believable the character is, the greater the chance that your audience will be able to relate to them.
Tune in next time when I’ll talk about how to end a scene. Let’s make sure the reader can’t find an excuse to put your book down.
If you have any questions, feedback or feel like saying hi to David Akseizer, please visit www.davidakseizer.com and shoot him an email. You can also follow David on twitter at https://twitter.com/akseizer and send him a message. Until then, BE BRAVE!
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