As soon as I’ve decided on a plot for a new crime thriller, I spend weeks creating my characters and their backstories. Why? It’s because it’s only when I know them that I can tell a tale where they interact believably. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ll reveal every character’s life story in the book. Gradually, the reader will learn as much or as little as they need.
Would you like to know your characters better? Try my 5 top tips below!
#1. Appearance. What is your character’s height, weight, skin/hair/eye colour? What does he or she like to wear? Once you’ve decided, place descriptions in your story, probably when each character appears for the first time.
#2. Background. Everyone comes with baggage. What are their family, educational and work backgrounds? Who are the important people in their lives right now? What significant life events have brought them where they are today? In The Bride’s Trail, Shaun, the son of a professional burglar, has had different choices from rich young Ross.
#3. Values and beliefs. For example, does the character believe “God is more important than anything”, “I always help my friends” or “I look after Number 1”? It goes without saying that such differing beliefs will produce different outcomes for an event like a police investigation.
#4. Forget perfection. It’s people’s flaws that make them interesting, and also lead to conflict between them. You may have read that old classic, Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge, in which the “hero” makes a big mistake in a youthful moment of anger – and later loses everything. In my crime thriller After The Interview, it appears Jed Gardner is heading the same way…
#5. Remember, you don’t have to like them, and perhaps readers won’t either. However, you must help your readers understand them. Aim for empathy, if not sympathy. You owe that much, at least, to your characters, and your readers.
—————————————————————————————————————–
As the writer of three crime thrillers set in British cities, I’ve had the pleasure of dreaming up and writing about many interesting people. Of my three books, After The Interview (now £1.99 on Kindle) probably has the greatest number of dysfunctional characters, and some darkly comic moments as a result!
