One of my all-time favorite characters is
Jonathan Strange from the BBC adaptation of Susanna Clarke’s Hugo-award-winning novel. At the beginning of the story, he cares for
little but wooing the girl of his dreams, but then he discovers that he has a natural
talent for magic. He fights for the exploration of unknown worlds
and will stop at nothing to save those he loves. He’s earnest and reckless and his passion
for life is contagious. So how do you go about creating a character
like this, one who captivates your audience? Many people use character charts like this
one, but with so many lines to fill, it’s easy to get bogged down by the details of
the character’s appearance or their favorite foods and everyday routines. While these details can make your character
feel more three-dimensional in your own mind, they aren’t very relevant to the story itself. Your plot takes shape around your characters’
desires. Because of this, it is better to work from
the inside out, and focus on their personality and goals first. The acronym ARCS is a good starting place. A character should have an attractive quality,
room for growth, clear goals, and something to lose. Let’s deconstruct each of those. First, in order for characters to be interesting,
they need to have attractive qualities. Intelligence and humor are common but effective
ones, as are kind-heartedness and resiliency in times of hardship. They may be honorable in that they stick to
their moral code no matter what, or they may be endlessly loyal to their friends. Perhaps they have a special skill, magical
or otherwise. This doesn’t need to be a “strength”
in the traditional sense; maybe they have a knack for lying or getting into fights. Usually a character will have multiple attractive
qualities, as with Jonathan Strange, who is not only gifted at magic but also has a strong
sense of creativity, a curious mind, and a loving heart. When it comes to identifying attractive qualities,
just ask yourself “What about this character will intrigue readers?” Second, your characters need room for growth. In real life, humans are not static beings. Our relationships, our opinions, and our feelings
about life change over time. The same should be true for the people you
invent. For example, a character may be very selfish
at the beginning, but after learning to empathize with others, he becomes more altruistic. This change doesn’t always need to be a
positive one, however. Someone who is naïve may become more jaded
as the story progresses, as in a loss of innocence narrative. It can also be growth in terms of beliefs
rather than personality. Maybe they hold a prejudice against a certain
race, or have strong religious views that are challenged, resulting in a shift in opinion
by the end of the story. Maybe their relationship with someone close
to them changes, or they gain a new perspective on the death of a loved one and themselves. When thinking of room for growth, ask yourself,
“How does this character change over the course of the story? What are their initial and end states?” Third, a character must have clear goals. Almost all stories are character-driven, with
the protagonist’s actions creating a causal chain of events—but it’s important to
pay attention to passive vs. active goals. With passive goals, the protagonist is merely
reacting to the antagonist. With active goals, the protagonist has agency
and is making plans to change the future. For example, imagine that a young racecar
driver dreams of winning his local championship, but someone is trying to sabotage him at every
turn—stealing his uniform, messing with his engines. If all the driver does is try to manage these
obstacles, then there’s not much of a story. But, if our racecar driver has an idea about
how to catch the saboteurs in the act and take his revenge, then now he has agency. He is fighting back, taking action, making
his own choices, and facing the consequences of his mistakes rather than having others
force him to make those decisions. Goals can come in many forms: survive, defeat
the Big Bad, gain wealth and get the girl, redeem oneself, find meaning and purpose in
life. Goals are tied to character growth in that
they can shift as a result of a change in perspective or motivation. Going back to Jonathan Strange, he is at first
focused on finding an occupation that will impress his future wife, and later he aims
to put his magic to good use in the war. His goal changes again in the middle of the
story, but I won’t spoil the reveal. Developing clear goals boils down to a two-part
question: “What does this character want, and how do they plan to get it?” In addition to goals, the character needs
something to lose, or as you’ll often hear, there need to be stakes. In genre fiction, these stakes tend to be
huge—the fate of the universe hangs in the balance or a city could be destroyed. The threat of a large loss can work for plot
purposes, but there also need to be smaller, more personal stakes. Oftentimes, the stakes involve death, a damsel
in distress, or the loss of a family member. But stakes are often more relatable when they
focus on everyday fears. We’re afraid of being embarrassed in front
of our peers. Of our loved ones never granting forgiveness
for our mistakes. Of not pursuing our dreams and living a shell
of a life in an office cubicle until we’re old and gray. We’re afraid of having regrets. Think of George Orwell’s dystopian classic
1984. The protagonist, Winston Smith, rebels against
the totalitarian regime by writing in a diary and falling in love with fellow rebel Julia. His goal is freedom of thought and expression,
which comes at the risk of getting caught by government officials and killed. But the stakes are higher than that. In addition to his life and his relationship
with Julia, Winston’s humanity is on the line. If he gives in to Big Brother’s rule, it
is not only his body that will be imprisoned, but also his mind and his values. Think of a fear that is universal to the human
experience, and let it haunt your character. “If the character doesn’t achieve their
goal, what will they lose?” Let’s create an ARCS map for a beloved character
from classic literature: Sydney Carton, of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. I’ll make this example as spoiler-free as
possible. As far as attractive talents, Carton proves
to be a brilliant, quick-witted lawyer. The reader also sees his devotion in his unrequited
love for the beautiful and innocent Lucie Manette. Carton’s room for growth comes from the
fact that he’s a bitter alcoholic filled with self-loathing. He tells another character, “I am a disappointed
drudge, sir. I care for no man on earth, and no man on
earth cares for me.” Carton feels that he has wasted his life,
with the only light in his days being Lucie. Even though Lucie loves another man, Carton
would do anything to preserve her happiness. That is his goal. If he doesn’t achieve this goal, his life
will feel meaningless. Also, his beloved Lucie will fall into despair
if he doesn’t do something to save the man she loves. Sydney Carton displays one of the most memorable
character transformations in all of literature because he is a good-but-flawed man who wants
something desperately enough to go forth and be fulfilled. Which characters captivate you? Tell me all about why you love them in the
comments. Whatever you do, keep writing.
