Let's Write: Developing Characters
by National Writing Institute (Dave Marks)

In our mythology, both historical and current, we have characters presented to us in satire and fantasy that are not developed as real people. Historically there are Daniel Boon, Davy Crockett, George Washington and Christopher Columbus as examples of one-dimensional characters. This means that they were completely brave or farseeing or virtuous. Our history for children does not tell them that these figures had weaknesses. There are no fear or insecurity or hesitation in actions in most of our historical heroes.

The same is true in our satirical and fantasy heroes. Examples of satirical heroes who are not developed that I remember from when I was young are The Lone Ranger, Tom Mix, The Shadow and Roy Rogers, the singing cowboy and his horse Trigger. Not only did these satirical heroes wear clean clothes, never shot to kill but only wound the black-clad gunfighters who were threats to virtue and goodness but they wore white hats and drank Sarsparilla and never got dirty even as they fought the evils of their day. Spiderman, Superman and Batman are examples or fantasy heroes who don't have doubts or fears and don't hesitate as they fight evil and save the innocent.

Very young writers want to create characters like the ones they see on television and in movies, but when they become ten or so children should be introduced to the idea that only in our religious leaders do we accept perfection. Children should be encouraged to give their characters fears and anxieties. The readers of your children's stories should understand their characters have weaknesses just as the rest of us do.

Ten might be early for most children to try satire, but if a ten year old were to create a young girl who finds a lost and injured kitten and wants to take it home with her and nurse it back to health, that's fine, and it might make a nice story. But a young writer must also have to understand that the girl should be fully developed. Developed means that maybe the girl could be very lonely because she is not from a family that has money and the other kids pick on her for the handed-down dresses she has to wear. Maybe her father doesn't like cats and she has to sneak it into the house and hide it in her room. This means that she would have to deceive her parents. Not a good thing to do. She might identify with the kitten because she has to wear a brace because of a misshapen leg, and the kitten could have a leg that is hurt. She could be very shy and want someone or something to talk to and takes the kitten home to be her friend. This would mean that she would be acting out of self-interest and not just for the benefit of the kitten.

Only in myth, fantasy and satire are there characters who are only good and have no weaknesses. Children as young as ten can be introduced to this idea, and they should be encouraged to develop their characters to be like real people. The following conversation between a mother and her eleven year old son could show you how this idea might be introduced.

Mom: Josh, I like your story about the boy who gets lost while mushroom hunting. You did a really good job with telling how he finds a small cave to spend the night in and builds a fire and how he knows which plants he can eat. I like the way he uses the sun and the time of day to figure out which direction he has to go the next morning to get back to the trail. That was really good. Where did you learn so much about the woods and how to tell directions and build a fire without matches and all that stuff?

Josh: From reading. I like to read about surviving in the woods.
Mom: I could tell you know a lot about it.
Josh: Thanks, Mom.
Mom: I want to talk with you about your character, Little Bear.
Josh: What about him? Indians know all that stuff, too.
Mom: Sure they do, but Little Bear is brave and good and smart and skilled about surviving in the woods.
Josh: But he is.
Mom: Isn't he afraid?
Josh: No, he's an Indian.
Mom: Aren't Indians ever afraid?
Josh: Little Bear isn't.
Mom: But that means that Little Bear isn't like a real person.
Josh: But, Mom, he's not. He's a character in my story.
Mom: Even characters in stories have things about them that aren't all good and brave.
Josh: I've been reading about Indians for history and those braves were never afraid.
Mom: When you write fiction you want your reader to believe your character don't you?
Josh: Little Bear never says anything. There isn't anybody else there. How could my reader not believe him?
Mom: I mean that you'll want your reader to believe that Little Bear could be real.
Josh: How do I go about doing that?
Mom: I think you can tell me. I'm going to ask you some questions and the answers you give to them will tell you how to do that. How's that?
Josh: Fine, go ahead and ask.
Mom: How old is Little Bear?
Josh: I don't know. Maybe my age?
Mom: He's your character. You have to know.
Josh: All right. He's my age, eleven.
Mom: Good. Do you remember when we went Christmas shopping in Chicago and we got separated in the big store?
Josh: Sure.
Mom: Were you just a little bit afraid?
Josh: I knew you would find me.
Mom: That's not an answer to my question, Josh.
Josh: Well, maybe when I first turned around and you weren't behind me I wondered where you were.
Mom: Josh?
Josh: What?
Mom: Answer my question.
Josh: Maybe just a bit at first.
Mom: Was it normal for an eleven year old boy to feel like that?
Josh: Sure, I guess so.
Mom: So why wouldn't Little Bear feel like that when he looked up and didn't know where he was?
Josh: He was an Indian.
Mom: He was an eleven year old boy Indian.
Josh: You mean I have to make him afraid?
Mom: No. You don't have to change him if you don't want to.
Josh: You know, I think he might have been a little bit afraid when it got dark and he could hear the wolves howling in the distance.
Mom: Good. Now how could you tell your reader that Little Bear is afraid like a real person might be?
Josh: I don't know. I can't have him say it because he's alone in the cave.
Mom: Right, good for you. But, you have to show your reader that he is. Is there anything you can have him do that would let your reader see his fear?
Josh: I can't think of anything.
Mom: He has a fire. Why? It's in the summer and hot. He doesn't need the fire to keep warm does he?
Josh: No, but that's what you do when you're alone in a cave at night. You build a fire.
Mom: Why?
Josh: To keep the lions and tigers out of the cave.
Mom: But there are no lions or tigers where Little Bear lives.
Josh: Well, the wolves then.
Mom: He is afraid of the wolves?
Josh: He must have been. He didn't build the fire until he first heard them calling to each other.
Mom: Right there in the story you can show your reader that Little Bear is afraid.
Josh: Sure, but how?
Mom: You'll have to put yourself in your character's spot. What would you be doing just before you hear the wolves? How would you look up at the first call? What would you do as soon as you hear it?
Josh: I'd creep to the mouth of the cave and listen.
Mom: Why?
Josh: I see now. Cause I'd be afraid, wouldn't I?
Mom: Sure, and I bet Little Bear would do the same thing. What do you think?
Josh: He would have to know how far away they were.
Mom: What would you do next?
Josh: Build the fire to keep the wolves out of the cave.

Mom: When you have Little Bear hear the wolves and start the fire, what can you have him do that would let your reader know that he's afraid?

Josh: I know. Thank's, Mom. I'll rewrite that part and show it to you later.

It's easy to tell young writers to do something to improve their writing, but they are very young and inexperienced and need to be shown how to do what we ask of them. Remember to talk with your children about their writing and not to them.

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