The Challenge Of Writing

Today I want to tell everyone about the absolute hardest part of making characters. You might think it’s easy. After all, you could just take all the best traits you like in people and make a main character, right? I’ve learned from experience that it’s a lot more complicated. Here’s the first challenge.

First off, you have to figure out what gender you want your main character to be. Let’s just say I made my main character female, and I wanted to make a strong woman who didn’t need the stereotypical male hero. So I detail every part of her down to what she looks like, some quick one liners she might say, and her interests. It all seems so good on paper, so I write my story. When I get feedback, however, I get asked why she seems to fall more into a man’s role, and even worse, why her love interest is such a wimp. Now, the male wimp comment is usually just because he doesn’t seem like the dominant one in the relationship. I usually think the feedback is a little ridiculous, but then I think about it. I write for an audience, so if they value tradition over difference, then who am I to say that’s how it shouldn’t be. I change her character. She’s still strong, but she needs a little saving every now and then. The feedback I then get is that she’s a little too much of the stereotypical woman in stories, and then I might get asked why she goes brain neutral at times and has to be saved when at others, she’s so capable. I’m now stuck. Is she strong, weak, or a bipolar woman who doesn’t know who she is from one second to the next?

Now, for the second challenge . . . her personality. Is she withdrawn and full of morals, or is she outgoing and open to everything? This is a major problem because if you make your character a good person people usually can’t relate. I know most of us aren’t bad people, but for whatever reason, we don’t like characters that seem too perfect, so that’s out. I have to give the character flaws and weaknesses. She can’t be the cookie cutter good girl. Here lies another problem, however. When I show the character kill someone, have sex, or in general engage in a fit of rage, I’ve gone too far. Don’t I know that kids might read this!!! I then feel trapped. She must be good, but not too good. She can’t be described as being too pretty or ugly, and maybe hardest of all to accomplish, my main character must remain the perfect balance of strong and weak to satisfy everyone.

Here’s the third and worst problem. Once I make this character that is totally balanced to please everyone’s point of view, I realize something. She’s boring. She doesn’t ever fall too deeply in love, and at the same time, she’s never cold to anybody. She doesn’t murder or commit any kind of crime, but she’s not exactly a warrior for justice either. Most confusing, she is strong and independent . . . except for with some random guy who must complete her. It’s like creating the most bipolar person in the world.

All right, so as you can see it’s very hard to create a character that pleases everyone. I might even argue that it’s downright impossible, especially when trying to create a character that goes a little against the norm. Here’s some advice for anyone writing. However you picture your character fitting into your story is right. I know it sounds simple, and you think you should consider your audience, which I suppose you should to a certain extent, but engineering a character or story comes off as just that - engineered. Make characters that people will love, hate, and talk about because they’re different. Some might not like them because they’re not cookie cutter or because they think they’re too typical, but only you know the world you want to create. When you give up that vision you lose the passion for your project, and then your story loses the life you were giving it very quickly. The words just become words, and you create reflections of what people have told you is good instead of something that might just help you leave your mark on the writing world. The lesson here is to create without censors or worry. Your audience will find you, and who knows if it’ll be a big one or a small one, but at the end of the day, if you do what you want with your story you’ll be able to look back at it with pride. Those were your characters, worlds, and ideas. No one gave them to you, and if you’ll stick to your guns, you’ll find something so amazing - a passion for creativity and life that goes beyond all the noise of this world.