Instititute of Children's Literature

Rx for Writers

Writing Tips - Characterization

Kelley Hunsicker has sold articles to Hopscotch, Boys' Quest, and Fun For Kidz.

"Collecting Characters"

by Kelley Hunsicker

LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!

You're off to a great start. You open with plenty of action and lots of great dialogue. You know your main character well. Everything is going great until…in walks a new character. This one plays a minor role, but however small, it is an important role. This character needs to stick in the reader's mind. With a general idea of him already in mind, you start to write, but soon realize that you don't know the specifics well enough. You haven't figured out that certain something to make him memorable. You reach for your trusty character card file.

CHARACTER CARD FILE

Your character card file is an index card box divided and labeled with different sections. Labels may include eyebrows, chins, noses, lips, hair styles/types, posture, body types, hands, arms, boys, girls, men, women, grandparents, etc. The list of qualities is up to you.

To begin your character file, go through old magazines and cut out pictures of interesting people, glue them to the front of an index card and place the card behind the appropriate divider. This is a good beginning for your character file, but the problem with magazines is that they tend to use beautiful people. Although you will be able to find many distinguishing characteristics and features, if magazines are your only source, your character file will be somewhat limited. To broaden your character file you need to go beyond magazines.

BEYOND MAGAZINES

To create a character file with more dimensions, hunt in different places for your characters. Look for old yearbooks and photos of family get-togethers. Everything is fair game when searching for characters. Maybe you have an aunt who has a very distinct nose or an uncle with a humorous hairstyle. (One advantage of using people you know is that you can use their personality traits as well. Just don't describe them so accurately that they can pick themselves out of your work. It could cause hurt feelings.) Go to yard sales and flea markets. Find cheap books that you won't mind cutting the pictures out of, then add these pictures to your collection. One more way to add characters to your file is my personal favorite. I call them digital characters.

DIGITAL CHARACTERS

If you have a computer, consider investing in a digital camera. You can pick up a good one fairly inexpensively these days. Mine is small enough to fit in the palm of my hand. I carry it in my purse and take it with me wherever I go.

You will begin to find characters everywhere. The little old lady with the large floppy hat, white tennis shoes and red socks rolled down to her ankles sitting on a bench at the park, the small boy with seven cowlicks that makes his hair a natural mess (when collecting photos of children for your file, always ask permission from a parent), the tourist at the amusement park wearing brightly colored mismatched clothes, large sunglasses, and white cream on his nose (you know the one I'm talking about), the pot-bellied police officer who walks around with his thumbs stuck in the waist of his britches, the young disinterested store clerk, etc. Anyone who makes you take a double look is probably someone you will want in your character file.

I take pictures everywhere. If I can't "sneak" a picture of my future character, then I simply ask permission. Many people are willing to have their picture taken by a writer in the hopes of living on through the pages of some book. If you are going for a close-up shot like her huge nose, pock marks, or one eyebrow running across his forehead, don't disclose that. You can secretly zoom your camera in on a feature without giving yourself away. Just tell them you are out collecting characters and would like to add them to your collection. In my experience, this is the most enjoyable way to collect characters.

Your future characters are not dressed and posed for pictures. They are being natural in a real world. You can get some really outrageous fashions, hairstyles, hats, postures and gestures from these photos. I save my photos on my computer until I collect fifteen. Using a sheet of 8 X 10 glossy photo paper I print a sheet of 1½ by 2 inch photos. Then I cut the photos out, glue them to my index cards and file behind the appropriate divider. After printing your characters, you can then delete them from your computer.

YOUR CAST OF CHARACTERS

When it's time to select a character, pull the card you intend to use from your file and tape it to the inside of your story folder. Once the card is gone from your file, that character is no longer available for future stories. The card will provide you with a constant visual aid to ensure consistency throughout your story. You can then write the character's bio on the card if you choose to.

Collecting characters can be fun. Be ready with all kinds of unique choices. If you wait until the moment you need a character, it's like trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat. Make it easy on yourself--and stay in the flow of your writing--by keeping a full character file to choose form.

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