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"I believe that what makes a story so powerful isn’t really the plot, but the characters. It’s the characters we relate to and emotionally invest in. Many of us are leaving a lot of funny on the table when we ignore the opportunities we have to let our characters to steal the show.
The first question to ask yourself is how interesting are the characters in your stories? Have you skipped over character development to head straight for the plot? Are you telling me about your character instead of showing me your character? Spend a couple of minutes in your story describing your main character before you get into the plot. Just like a story only needs the necessary details, your character only needs a few details to bring him or her to life."
Read the full article to find out more about these eight steps for making your characters come alive:
- Give them an interesting name. Funny nicknames are guaranteed laughs. Choose a name that fits the character.
- Describe an aspect of their appearance that is interesting in a way that shows instead of tells.
- Give them quirks taken from the people you see in life around you.
- Show me their conflict. I don’t want to hear about it; I want to actually feel it.
- Show me their unique perspective on the world.
- Get into character when you tell the story. Pretend like you are acting out that character.
- Don’t forget the most important character in your speech: YOU!
- Don’t be afraid to come out of your comfort zone with your characters.
My favourite people in the world are the quirkiest. They liven up my day and give me great tales to tell over the work lunch table. What I like about this article is that each of the tips is followed by an example of it in action.