Character The Impact of Characters

[Louanne Learning]

all of the above, actually.

I had that thought, too, when I was posting. We may not be able to have all of that from one character, but different characters can play different roles in the story - have different impacts on readers.

 

[Mr Mononoke]

Lovely topic, Louanne,

Sorry for the quotes people.

This all requires going right inside the characters’ heads.

Yeah, and having my characters haunt would be good, too.

I think that mostly requires connecting on an emotional level.

I read somewhere that there are 3 levels to creating meaningful characters.

1. Characters based from people you know.
2. Characters are who you think should sound like.
3. Characters who tell you what to write.

I thought about this a lot because it is natural to base dialogue or a personality on someone you know but I began to realise that characters who make the greatest impact are the characters who are 'alive.'

What I mean by this is that it goes back to the a well-known piece of advice that great stories are if you throw someone into this situation what would they do? And that is the question with characters too. Throw them into a situation and what would they do? And say? I could imagine what a friend would say if I threw them into a situation, but that's them and not the character (I will explain more.) If I think about how they should react in that situation, it is closer to a real character, but throwing a character into the situation, the character will tell me what they would do, because as a writer you have to know your character.

Your character is not a version of your friend because I don't expect your friend to have lived the same life as your character but thinking what they would say is not delving into your character deeper enough. When a character tells you what to write; when they pause, or stutter or show their frustration and anger... how you write these words comes from their core and is built up by their experience growing up. Yes their anger maybe similar to a friend, but all our angers are comes from a different place. So I'm not sure if going to an emotional level is quite enough, it is building a rich history of the character that will give the most genuine of feel to the reader.

I want people to care about them. I want them to wonder if they survived. Or where they're at and what they're doing later on.

I think that is the goal every writer should aspire to. If a writer can form a connection between a character and the reader, it doesn't really matter about the storyline. I saw this one video on YouTube, in which the person said that people connect with the character more than a story. It is memorable characters that leave lasting impressions ... and I think this is very true.

And yes, Haunted is a good word. I would love that.

Does scary dreams count?
I've been working a lot on my stories lately that has been centered around one character, and this character keeps talking to me when I sleep... she is quite annoying.

My only thought towards characterizations and growth and such is authenticity.

That is... a great word to describe a character.

I dont write my characters with the intention of making my reader feel or think certain things about them and the story. I just write them and let them grow how they are supposed to. Ultimately, its up to the reader to assign whatever purpose or meaning they want to the character.

Completely agree! This ties with the silliness I wrote above in that, I feel, a reader can connect with a character (good or bad) if they are authentic and their progression is consistent to their beliefs. I always find it slightly worrying when a timid character suddenly becomes so confident and assured of themselves after meeting another character who 'changes' their lives. It is very Hollywood and this 'overcoming' adversity that creates a completely changed person isn't very real. It may make a happy story and good feel, but in regards to the title of this thread and whether a character carries any impact for a reader later on... I don't think so.

 

[Also]

Antoinette from The Wide Sargasso Sea. I never wanted to reach into a story more and rescue a character. I don't think it was that I particularly liked her, but never had a writer made me sick to my stomach with dread and depression like that. I'll never forget it.

Toru from The Wind Up Bird Chronicles. Wasn't my favorite Murakami book initially. However, I think of Toru a lot. Is he looking for his cat again? Sitting in a well somewhere? I don't know, but I want to.

Well, there are those that stuck with me in a traumatizing or sickening way when I was too young for them.

Many of them are from things I both read and watched, so I don't always remember which was which.

From Wide Sargasso Sea, the flaming parrot and Amélie.

From Lord Jim, Jim and his redeeming sacrifice at the end.

Similarly, from Taras Bulba, the character shot through his steel cuirasse at the end, whatever it's properly called.

From The Sea Wolf, Wolf Larsen.

From The Green-Eyed Blonde, a schlocky 1950s film a banysitter watched on TV rerun one afternoon, the girl who joins an escape from a girls' prison and gets hung up crossing the barbed wire and just hangs there on her stomach until dead.

From Norwegian Wood, Naoko.

 

[Darkthought]

I hope readers empathize with my characters, or are disgusted, or saddened, or overcome with joy. I hope they can relate my writing to something in their own lives. I hope they read something I said and it changes the way they think about something. But at the root of it all, I want my readers to have some sort of visceral reaction and I don't much care which visceral reaction it is. Hate my writing or love my writing, I've only truly failed at my task when a reader says "Meh."
I think the best way to achieve this kind of visceral reaction is to present stories that show believable characters struggling with real issues and confronting the flaws in their own worldview, their conception of self, their sense of morality, etc.
The character Dedra in Tony Gilroy's Andor is a great recent example of this. He somehow made me hate her, root for her, and feel sad for her all at the same time.

 

[Mr Mononoke]

From Norwegian Wood, Naoko.

Strangely, I'm rereading Norwegian Wood at the moment. It book made me want to write.

I have read this book like 5 times or more but I still can't quite get into the mind of Naoko. She is always a character that casts a huge question mark for me.

Since I started to write, I have wondered why she has this lasting impression (or as the title of this thread says) and, for me, she is so believable even if she is quite mysterious character. The journey with Toru, the circumstances, Murakami's vagueness about this character, her quietness and actions made me draw to this character yet I feel she becomes very special because of how Murakami set this character in the story.

There is an analogy that will better explain this point, but this story has shaped how I think and style my writing.

A beautiful flower only stands out not amongst a bunch of other beautiful flowers, but when set against the ugly weeds and foliage. People will notice a bouquet of roses and tulips, but they will say 'wow' to the radiant petals of a single flower, blossoming on the edge of a path amongst overgrown grass and a background of dirt and green.

For me, Naoko shines because the book is set around very ordinary Toru, and yes there are other quirky characters that enter the story, but Naoko stands out and her story is remembered because there are other magnificent and different flowers (characters) that carries the story, but she can shine on her own because of how she is embedded with the unremarkable protagonist.

 

[Louanne Learning]

I think the best way to achieve this kind of visceral reaction is to present stories that show believable characters struggling with real issues and confronting the flaws in their own worldview, their conception of self, their sense of morality, etc.

This sounds to me like something I read about creating characters and then showing them at the "3rd dimension" - the deepest, most real part of them - and to show characters at the 3rd dimension is to have them making high-stakes decisions

 

[JFB]

Sympathy is great...when you can come by it honest. Otherwise, the most important part of a character is that they make sense in their context, their purpose, and their stated experience.

The importance of likability pales in comparison, and striving to build a character who doesn't offend or transgress in hopes of keeping readers is liable to drive off potential die-hard fans, and a great way of ensuring those left are along for a 'safe' experience. The best characters aren't those that are effortlessly beautiful and pure of heart - the best characters are the ones who wade through miles of setbacks and bad luck to carve their initials on top of the mountain.

Readers don't need to be friends with your characters. But they do need to see something to make them buy in and commit the stray cash, shelf space, and time to your work instead of the next guy.

 

[Stuart Dren]

Toru from The Wind Up Bird Chronicles. Wasn't my favorite Murakami book initially. However, I think of Toru a lot. Is he looking for his cat again? Sitting in a well somewhere? I don't know, but I want to.

Here here for Toru. Granted, Lt. Mamiya's story is more what rented out a part of my head.


I think readers grow fond of characters through mere familiarity as well. I found Eddie from The Dark Tower annoying until the beginning of Book 4. The school clown made me involuntarily smirk in one pivotal moment, then he had me for the rest of the series. A character persisting, insisting is important, and it demands commitment from the author.

The other characters give the character impact, too: contrast. There's something brilliant in the juxtaposition between the pathetic Jimmy and ambitious Crake in Oryx and Crake. While it's from Jimmy's POV, it's as if the whole book is set up to make us empathise with Crake even when the scene isn't really about him.

Not to downplay the many small contrasts, of course. Casts of characters are all used to explore, explode ideas. I've long forgotten all the supporting characters who did the grunt work in defining Jimmy and Crake.

 

[Mr Mononoke]

I'm currently re-reading Norwegian Wood (a beautifully written story) having finished Strange Pictures a few days ago (a Horry, mystery novel.) The two books are poles apart in how their stories are constructed; with the Strange Pictures gripping, refreshing and odd in its storytelling, whilst Norwegian Wood has more of a 'traditional' set-up in that you follow the protagonist as they reveal their world to you.

Strange Pictures is a brilliant story. I was hooked and I didn't want to put it down. Throughout the story there is one developing character and, in the end, the reader understands their motives and reasons for their actions, they understand the character's background, but I wouldn't say this character will ever leave a lasting impression on me.

As I was turning over the pages of Norwegian Wood in bed last night, one of the 'main' characters is speaking with the protagonist, but I realized that this character doesn't feature much in the book. The reader follows the path of the protagonist, yet their choices have been affected by the fleeting mentions of this character (especially in comparison to the other characters that the protagonist meets.) And for me, it is the mystery of not knowing that lingers a greater pull for me to read this story again and again, to see if I missed any clues about this character, and how the author crafted this story for me to think this.

Though I mostly agree that 'best' characters (I never liked this word... not sure what it means when) go through struggle and overcome, I don't prescribe to the vision that stories have to have happy endings. This may be the influence of Studio Ghibli but if any have watched Grave of the Fireflies, then the impact of no 'happy ever after' is more powerful than a well scripted and positive ending. After watching this beautiful animation, the viewer won't be able to forget the characters and for years I avoided watching this film because I knew the ending.

For me, characters pull a reader back to a story. Norwegian Wood follows a quite dull and unimpressive narrator yet one of the main characters makes you want to return to that world again and again. I am a character centric writer, because, I feel, it is the characters that help bring a story to life. This may come out as controversial as I am not a big Star Wars fan, but Yoda is one of the most impactful characters in the whole franchise, yet he doesn't feature heavily in the story, but when he does... they feel very important.

Is he the 'best' character? Not sure how to answer my own question, but the fact is, this character isn't in much of the scenes yet his impact is what elevates him to be considered the 'best.'

 

[Louanne Learning]

A character persisting, insisting is important, and it demands commitment from the author.

I love the choice of these two words - persisting and insisting - well said.

 

[Night Herald]

What impact do you want your characters to have on your readers?

Do you want your readers to empathize with them? Relate to them? Understand them? Learn from them? Be moved by them? Be haunted by them? Or – what?

And how do you go about accomplishing that?

Interesting question. Each character will of course have their jobs to do, and the impact I'm looking to create is going to vary depending, but broadly speaking I want mine to embody the same stuff I treasure in the best characters in the stuff I read.

Firstly I want them to fascinate and tantalize. If I can establish early that these story people have depth and dimensionality, all sorts of nooks and crannies to discover, I'll be pleased.
One of the most important roles of characters in my book (pun not intended) is as carriers for certain worldwiews and philosophies, a slice of the richness of experience, a lens through which the contents of the story are viewed and warped. I want these to be understandable, to a degree, if not necessarily agreeable; even with villains and such, I want it to shine through where they're coming from. I accomplish this (or at least approach accomplishment) by trying to inject a bit of mystique early on, making each character as unique as I can—letting them be shaped by their particular life path—using lots of interior monologue, and generally doing my best to make them fun and worthwhile to be around. You can make them as complex and detailed as you like, but ultimately it all hinges on interest.

Relatability is a big deal. Even if a character's circumstances are one-of-a-kind and properly outlandish, I try to find the "universal" in the thoughts, feelings, and reactions that arise; some place where human common ground meets the spirit particular to that character. A sometimes tricky line to walk. I accomplish this by... just sort of feeling for the right balance and trying to put myself in their shoes.

And to be moved, of course. I want characters I write to matter to readers, I want them to care about their ups and downs and eventual fates, their inner lives, their relationships. The more emotional investment the better. That all begins with me caring, caring enough to put love and labor and ungodly amounts of nit-pickery into making them just so.
Unless I'm writing some kind of loner (which is something I love doing and a well I often dip my bucket into) I do a lot of my heavy lifting in this regard by giving them meaningful relationships. An obvious thing, maybe, but something I sorely neglected or did a poor job of for an embarrassingly large chunk of my early career, so it bears mentioning. Maybe someone just starting on their writing journey can benefit from hearing this. To actually be able to breathe life into inter-character relationships and create a compelling dynamic is a gold mine.
This veers back to the point about relatability above. We should all be so lucky to have people we care deeply about, and people who care deeply about us. Giving a character these kinds of relationship, in a way that does them justice, makes them instantly more relatable and compelling—again, speaking very broadly, we mustn't forget to honor the lone wolf. It doesn't even have to be a lovey-dovey touchy-feely whirlwind of affection, either. A deep rivalry will do the trick. As long as the characters care and are important to one another. Caring is infectious, and a good way of urging readers to care about your character is to have other characters lead by example. And I don't intend that to mean you have your supporting cast laud your MC at every turn and worship the ground they tread on. Just make it genuine, human, and complex. Show the whole gamut of the relationship experience.
There's an infinite wealth of stuff to draw on here. Just don't make your character a straw doll that walks unscathed through the story. Burn them a little. Have them yell at their best friend over a silly misunderstanding. Stab them in the back with their favorite cutlery. Fling them head-first through love and loss. Give them scars that they'll later wear with pride but not without a certain ache. Make whatever they go through meaningful to them, and it'll likely mean something to the reader also. Relationship is a really nifty force multiplier.

As for learning from characters, well, I don't actively try to teach anything through my writing, pretty sure I'm not qualified for that. Still, I'm sure the odd lesson has snuck into the text. People can and will pick up things you never put down. If anyone can learn something positive from a character I wrote, that's amazing. I myself learn plenty from writing them, of course. I guess all of us do that when we mould entire people in our minds and try to fit our feet into their sometimes very strange, sometimes astonishingly tight footwear.

In much shorter and much, much less pretentious terms: I'm really just looking to create fun, distinct and alive-feeling characters with great dialogue, and then wrap them in a worthwhile story.

Can you think of a character in something you’ve read that had a lasting effect on you? Why do you think that was?

I kinda wore myself out writing the above, and now I'm struggling to think of any. But I know there are many. Taking a bit of a break here trying to recall.

Yeah, the only thing I'm finding at the moment is stuff I've read pretty recently. I remember others from long ago, but my grasp on those characters and what they ever meant to me is slippery. Maybe something more will come to me as I get on with the assignment.

For my first trick I'll pull from my hat one Caul Shivers, a recurring figure in Joe Abercrombie's First Law and Age of Madness trilogies.
Don't know what it is about him exactly, and for the last several years I've only read one book where he features, so my memory is hazy, but I'll try. Possible spoilers ahead, but probably not really, nothing that requires wrapping I think, but you've been vaguely warned. Just read the books already if you're into dark fantasy at all, they've been out forever.

We first meet Shivers in one of the early books, maybe the first one, and at the time he's just some guy. He's one of a great number of guys, about as far from being a main character as you can get while still having dialogue and the faintest flicker of characterization. He gets more important later on, I'll just say, and that first (and only? I can't rightly remember) book where he gets a POV is probably my favorite in the whole lot.

Why's he important to me and how has he affected me? Let's see. He's a showcase of how every Just Some Guy™ out there is a real person with a story, and that in the right light they can be a hero or a villain (even both at the very same time). He's a man at odds with himself, carrying the past like an anchor, striving to be a better man and making a right muckery of it. He's petty, vindictive, insecure, brutal, stuffed to the brim with demons. He's downright human, in short. And every step of the way he fights to be a better man. A forgiving, loving, loyal, decent man. In the world he inhabits that's a tall task. I like the dualism of his character and that he's always striving against his base nature. Every time I read a segment of his I want him to prevail, knowing all the while he's moments away from cleaving his own foot in half with a big axe. A pretty relatable fellow, all in all. And a funny bastard, too.