Character Brainstorming character ideas

[SnugPugg]

So, I've been just writing and not really knowing where it would take me and I'm quite intrigued by the plot I am starting to think about but I'm a little stumped about as characters go.

My go to character especially for a male lead is basically what I hope to have in a future husband one day-incredibly loving, tall, dark, handsome, and just a simp for his girl.

I realized I can't always write the same guy in every new series, lol -.-

This book I really want to make him stand out and write a male lead I haven't before but it's not coming naturally. To summarize the plot a little, my female lead is in a Witcher/Skyrim type world with fantasy creatures and monsters, and she is the adopted granddaughter of the Legion headmaster where she also works completing jobs for the townsfolk by getting rid of beasts in the area, etc. Her grandfather is due back to return from his annual meeting with the government and is quite late which makes her uneasy. Skip forward to her finding out one of his security detail had returned ahead of time extremely injured so she runs out to find him and stumbles upon him attacking a Griffin, but he does not survive.

She makes it her mission to kill the monster responsible but finds out the Griffin isn't a normal monster but actually a shifter, and he can turn to human. Here is where I'm thinking making him an enemy at first, which I'm also not good at. I prefer friends to lovers.

I'm stuck on making his personality and character different than what I'm used too. Should I make him with a sense of humor that is intrigued by her and once he gets to know her better, start to fall in love? Or should he hate her for what her grandfather and her guildmates have done to his clan (to be found out later), but realizes she's not the same as they are?

Maybe I should read some enemies to lovers books (I also don't do that either) but then I also will have to make sure I don't copy another author's character too, I have to make him my own.

 

[Mr Mononoke]

Hello SnugPugg,

I think it is very difficult for others to say what you should do or how you should write a character because I think this has to come from the author. That doesn't help I know, but what I find is a great way to develop your character is literally dream about them. Picture your story with them and see how they respond. There's a technique I like to use when I want to understand more about my character, and it doesn't matter if they are set in 1700s or in the present, I would invite them to a coffee shop for some tea.

It is the perfect setting for me. Treat it like meeting a new person, ask them what they would like to drink, and 'watch' their reactions. Now you have explained that your world is not in our world, and that is in fact perfect. This male character is coming into a completely alien environment so what would he do? Would he look around? Would he be nervous and ask you what to do? What would he ask for a drink? Would he ask you about your drink? Would he be confused... what would he say?

You can learn so much from picturing this scene... and let's say you order him a coffee and he drinks it, but has never had it before... do you think he will like it? What would his reaction be? Seeing this will give you, the writer, a clearer picture of what sort of character he is. And is he comfortable in your company? If not is this because of this alien setting?

I find this exercise really useful when I write a new character and I can't quite picture what sort of person they are, or the mannerisms and oddities they may have, they may not... but I have had lots of chats with my characters as this builds a familiarity for you to build a character that isn't just 'perfect' but help you answer whether he would hate you at the start and you become friends etc...

It all happens over a cup of coffee.

 

[Homer Potvin]

I'm stuck on making his personality and character different than what I'm used too. Should I make him with a sense of humor that is intrigued by her and once he gets to know her better, start to fall in love? Or should he hate her for what her grandfather and her guildmates have done to his clan (to be found out later), but realizes she's not the same as they are?

Either works. I'm not sure what you mean about the "different than you're used to" part. Can you elaborate?

 

[buttercream]

My go to character especially for a male lead is basically what I hope to have in a future husband one day-incredibly loving, tall, dark, handsome, and just a simp for his girl.

My guys tend to fit my ideal in some way, too, lmao. One might ask how many mature, stony-faced gentle giants a girl could possibly want to write. All of them!! I will write them all!!

Switching things up usually means incorporating other traits I'm attracted to at a lesser degree, such as being outgoing/bubbly. Alternatively, I'll sometimes throw in traits I don't like much, like selfishness or aggression (note that being aggressive is different from being assertive, a good quality). I wouldn't ever write a love interest I hate. If I don't like him, why should the MC?

Should I make him with a sense of humor that is intrigued by her and once he gets to know her better, start to fall in love? Or should he hate her for what her grandfather and her guildmates have done to his clan (to be found out later), but realizes she's not the same as they are?

Either could work in the context, and really, you could combine them if you wanted to. I would definitely expect some hostility at first, and maybe that could soon turn to a humored interest, then to attraction? That way, the "enemies" part won't last too long and there'll be plenty of time for the love to build.

 

[sianablackwood]

Even if they start from the same base, wouldn't the characters' behaviour and personality be modified by their lived experience? Any number of male leads could be tall, dark, handsome and a simp, but a man who's grown up in a shifter clan persecuted by humans, he won't immediately react the same way as (just as an example) one who grew up in a protected village, with the expectation of eventually taking a leadership position.

I guess basically I think even if you start from your favourite archetype, the unique circumstances of the different plots will push the character development towards each character becoming a distinctly different person.

 

[Trish]

Like others said, you can do any of the options you've posted, but as a fellow romance writer, I think what you need is a difference in perspective.

Unless your female character is you - you shouldn't worry about whether or not you're attracted to him or writing him in a way that makes him that for you. She needs to be attracted to him. Generally you'll most easily achieve the enemies to lovers thing through forced proximity. Some reason that they have to be together all the time, which leads to discussions where they (begrudgingly) find common ground. Honestly you should be able to make him a morally gray character or a literal monster (in looks and behavior) and still be able to achieve a believable romance by giving them things 1. The other one needs and 2. Common ground.

When you really come down to it, that's what relationships are built on, at least the ones that last, not pretty eyes and abs.

 

[SnugPugg]

Hello SnugPugg,

I think it is very difficult for others to say what you should do or how you should write a character because I think this has to come from the author. That doesn't help I know, but what I find is a great way to develop your character is literally dream about them. Picture your story with them and see how they respond. There's a technique I like to use when I want to understand more about my character, and it doesn't matter if they are set in 1700s or in the present, I would invite them to a coffee shop for some tea.

It is the perfect setting for me. Treat it like meeting a new person, ask them what they would like to drink, and 'watch' their reactions. Now you have explained that your world is not in our world, and that is in fact perfect. This male character is coming into a completely alien environment so what would he do? Would he look around? Would he be nervous and ask you what to do? What would he ask for a drink? Would he ask you about your drink? Would he be confused... what would he say?

You can learn so much from picturing this scene... and let's say you order him a coffee and he drinks it, but has never had it before... do you think he will like it? What would his reaction be? Seeing this will give you, the writer, a clearer picture of what sort of character he is. And is he comfortable in your company? If not is this because of this alien setting?

I find this exercise really useful when I write a new character and I can't quite picture what sort of person they are, or the mannerisms and oddities they may have, they may not... but I have had lots of chats with my characters as this builds a familiarity for you to build a character that isn't just 'perfect' but help you answer whether he would hate you at the start and you become friends etc...

It all happens over a cup of coffee.

Hi, thank you for the response. If I dreamt about them, it would be hard for me to not dream them up always perfect.

It would take some work to try to align them to a different personality, but I'm interested in trying it out and seeing what can come from it.

 

[SnugPugg]

Either works. I'm not sure what you mean about the "different than you're used to" part. Can you elaborate?

I've written my first three male leads pretty similar to what I love to read and write about and want in a future husband, extremely loving, protective, caring. Writing something that is opposite of that is an enemy to start out, one that dislikes them first, etc.

 

[SnugPugg]

My guys tend to fit my ideal in some way, too, lmao. One might ask how many mature, stony-faced gentle giants a girl could possibly want to write. All of them!! I will write them all!!

Switching things up usually means incorporating other traits I'm attracted to at a lesser degree, such as being outgoing/bubbly. Alternatively, I'll sometimes throw in traits I don't like much, like selfishness or aggression (note that being aggressive is different from being assertive, a good quality). I wouldn't ever write a love interest I hate. If I don't like him, why should the MC?



Either could work in the context, and really, you could combine them if you wanted to. I would definitely expect some hostility at first, and maybe that could soon turn to a humored interest, then to attraction? That way, the "enemies" part won't last too long and there'll be plenty of time for the love to build.

Haha, just the same! When I try to write him I already want to switch back to the way I usually write them, lol.

I wrote up a quick scene of their first meeting even though I'm not there in the first draft just yet, but I had it on my mind and just wanted to jot it down anyway, and I started out in my first idea, having him intrigued at first and being a bit funny but I'm not sure I want to go that route. I do like the other one you said, to have his interest in her grow and build. That would still make him different than what I usually write but not too over the top.

 

[SnugPugg]

Even if they start from the same base, wouldn't the characters' behaviour and personality be modified by their lived experience? Any number of male leads could be tall, dark, handsome and a simp, but a man who's grown up in a shifter clan persecuted by humans, he won't immediately react the same way as (just as an example) one who grew up in a protected village, with the expectation of eventually taking a leadership position.

I guess basically I think even if you start from your favourite archetype, the unique circumstances of the different plots will push the character development towards each character becoming a distinctly different person.

Yes, that's also what I got to add in too which I forgot. He would be hesitant to trust at first and that would push him to be different than what I usually write.

 

[SnugPugg]

Like others said, you can do any of the options you've posted, but as a fellow romance writer, I think what you need is a difference in perspective.

Unless your female character is you - you shouldn't worry about whether or not you're attracted to him or writing him in a way that makes him that for you. She needs to be attracted to him. Generally you'll most easily achieve the enemies to lovers thing through forced proximity. Some reason that they have to be together all the time, which leads to discussions where they (begrudgingly) find common ground. Honestly you should be able to make him a morally gray character or a literal monster (in looks and behavior) and still be able to achieve a believable romance by giving them things 1. The other one needs and 2. Common ground.

When you really come down to it, that's what relationships are built on, at least the ones that last, not pretty eyes and abs.

I tend to write better when I follow what I'm passionate about, that's just what I mean. But yes, she will be attracted to him.

Forced proximity is what I'm thinking of as well, still working on how that comes about so hopefully it will come to me later. Morally gray is a good idea. I like that better than him behaving like a monster, but then again he is a literal shifter creature, so I think I'll do a little balance between the two so it's more believable that he can act human and still be different than them too due to his shifter upbringing.

 

[Mr Mononoke]

Hi, thank you for the response. If I dreamt about them, it would be hard for me to not dream them up always perfect.

It would take some work to try to align them to a different personality, but I'm interested in trying it out and seeing what can come from it.

It doesn't have to be a dream but it helped me a lot in making more rounded characters.

I find asking them strange questions reveals more about their personality, like any chat with someone... but you will see and think more deeply when you write them.

 

[SnugPugg]

It doesn't have to be a dream but it helped me a lot in making more rounded characters.

I find asking them strange questions reveals more about their personality, like any chat with someone... but you will see and think more deeply when you write them.

I'll try it out and see if it helps, thank you!