As in real life our characters move through their
worlds driven by various motivations, be it, love, anger, greed et al. Having a
basic understanding of Psychology helps us round out our characters making them
more believable to readers.
There are a lot of Character Outline
guides out there, but it's easy to focus on the superficial with them,
particularly since most of them focus on the kind of information you'd find in
a decent dating profile: looks, nationality, age, career, salary, religion,
languages spoken, and turn ons and turn offs.
Which is not to say you can't learn a lot about your
character from such guides, only that I'm not sure they dig deep enough into
character psychology with their vague references to "temperament,"
"likes and dislikes," "fears," and "strengths."
To really appreciate any person, you
have to realize that they're going to be driven—at least in part—by things
they're either not 100% aware of...probably because they don't want to see
their own terrible flaws and weaknesses. But that doesn't mean that you, as the
author, shouldn't know!
The Psychological Profile
Try identifying the following for each of your major
characters:
1. Primary Goal
Psychologist Abraham Maslow argued that human beings
are a "wanting animal." As soon as one want or need is fulfilled, we
move on to wanting something else. So what does your character want more than
anything? What is his character's overarching goal? What is the
purpose that not only gets him out of bed each morning, but also drives him or
her throughout the story?
a. Obstacles to that Goal
Who or what stands in your character's way? Note
that your character may face more than one obstacle, and that other characters'
wants or needs may be in direct conflict, creating a battle of wills.
b. What s/he'll give up or
sacrifice to achieve that Goal
When someone really wants something, she's
willing to make sacrifices. She may not know what those sacrifices are
until push comes to shove, but she will make them. When a goal is just out of
reach, it's tempting to give up just a bit more than one should. And if that
goal stays just out of reach, your character may find herself on a slippery
moral slope, inching across a line she never thought she'd cross.
Sacrifices should be things that cause some conflict
because they're given up only when the character really has to make a choice
between what must truly be a consuming Goal and the rest of his or her life.
It's important that you don't just think about physical things. Also consider
values and morals. What has your character promised herself she'd never do?
And how can you push her past that promise by dangling the Goal in front
of her?
An example of a character who goes too
far in his pursuit of a Goal is Farscape's John Crichton. Astronaut Crichton is
launched into a distant corner of the universe by a wormhole, and he spends
much of the series trying to find another wormhole that will get him home. He
becomes a man truly obsessed, and more than once it becomes clear that he will
do just about anything—including put his friends' lives in terrible danger—to
conquer wormholes. He is, of course, pursued by a villain who wants the
same thing, which makes Crichton's quest even more dangerous. If Crichton
acquires wormhole technology and his nemesis gains that technology through him,
said nemesis will use that knowledge to destroy the Earth.
2. Fatal Flaws
Every great hero has at least one Achilles heel. What
is your character's?
These flaws may be things the character tries to hide
or disguise behind more noble qualities. For example, a character who's afraid
to express who he really is and what he really wants may see himself (or
typically be seen by others) as modest. A character who's terrified of being
hurt again may hide behind intellectuality and assertions that he doesn't need
relationships.
Your character is most likely to recognize his fatal
flaws in those cold dark hours of the night when he's worn down, exhausted, and
out of options. What is it he really wants in those moments? Those wants are
his weakest point, and if your villain recognizes them, she might do your hero
a great deal of damage.
3. Strengths
Be sure to focus on personality characteristics!
Is your character a charismatic leader? Does she persist in the face of
great difficulty? Does her determination help her push through obstacles that
might break a weaker character?
Don't forget to look at each of these things for your
villain as well, including strengths. I strongly believe that the best villains
have admirable qualities, but have simply fallen prey to their own flaws and
wants. In some cases they may have lost their moral compass, but in
others they may be as justified in their wants as your hero or heroine. So
don't forget to give your villain strengths as well.
4. Fears
What is your character most afraid of? A loss of
control? Or just losing the battle against the villain? How can you force
him/her to face that fear in the story?
People do incredible things in the name of fear.
I am particularly taken with the story of Snow White, especially in an
age of Photoshopping and Botox. Do you remember what drives the villainous
queen? She has always been the most beautiful woman in all the land, until one
day the magical mirror says that Snow White has become even more beautiful than
her. Perhaps this is simply Snow White blossoming into a lovely young woman,
but I suspect ageing plays a part in the queen's downfall. And the queen is
willing to do anything—including murder—to regain her status.
Although Snow White seems blissfully unaware of her
own goodness and beauty, at some point she too will age, and people will begin
to treat her differently. What might she do to stay young and beautiful
and keep everyone's attention on her? You might think she would avoid the
kind of evil to which the queen falls prey, but real life suggests that people
often become what they hate most, perhaps because of that hatred.
5. Terrible Secret/s
What is your character hiding from everyone else?
Is Snow White secretly reveling in her power over the dwarves and the
prince, for example? Or perhaps your intellectual hero, who always stands
independent and alone, secretly craves a partner. Or maybe he's miserable
and disillusioned in his leadership role, but has to stay strong because there
is no one to take his place. Maybe he was once close to the villain, and
in spite of himself he still secretly loves/admires him/ her.
Pulling It All
Together
There's a good chance that what you write in the
different categories will be related. For example, your character's greatest
fear may be tied to his/ her Terrible Secret. And she/he may be willing to give
up just about anything to protect that secret.
Hope this helps some-way in developing
your babies, until next time, peace out.
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