Given that characters are the most important element in a story, it is quite reasonable for the reader to wonder where the character came from. I certainly do whenever I come across a character who has made me laugh or cry.
In a film, the writer depicts the character as ready-made. We like or dislike them almost from the beginning. Sometimes it even depends on the actor who plays that character and whether we warm to them.
Books aren’t like that. Books are more like real life where we learn about characters slowly, forming impressions that we later change. A talented writer shows us the character in small pieces, a glimpse of their appearance, then some personality so that we can build up an image in our own minds. Almost every reader sees each character differently and that is the beauty of reading.
It’s why films or books sometimes disappoint because the portrayals they give are so different from what we imagine. Although the reverse can also be true, the actor in the film makes us gasp as we see our favorite character come to life or that the film character becomes the character of our imagination. Think Harry Potter in recent times or Atticus Finch in To kill a Mockingbird. Could Morse in Colin Dexter’s detective series be anyone other than John Thaw? (Yes I know there is a series about the younger morse), but we all know that he grows up to be John Thaw.
When I wrote the Camino Murders, I didn’t know about creating characters. In fact, it’s only recently that I have read and watched videos to improve my skills. So when I created Miguel, he was there solely as a foil for Richard, the detective. By the time I wrote Mass Murder, I revolved the book around his weakness, and his trauma and make him into a much more human person.
So where do the characters come from? Some people start with a photograph like this one.
I can see the attraction of doing that, but for me, it always starts with a person. There is an old joke about not making friends with an author because you will end up in a book, and there is some truth to that. I start with a story, not the one that ends as a book but one that gives me some insight into a character and I build from there. Usually, the finished character bears no resemblance to the one that inspired them. But that first what if, when I see someone or hear an interesting story is where I start?
For example, back to Miguel. I have a friend here in Spain who was brought up in London. His parents were Galician, and he ended up speaking three languages. He is larger than life, has a house in the country, and has a long-suffering partner who is an angel. He is the basis for Miguel. I gave him a new image and turned him into a police officer. He isn’t recognizable by other people, although he knows, and nor is he meant to be, because I want my characters to be fictional.
I really know an artist who lives on the Camino Frances who used to be a police officer. He inspired Richard, but he is not Richard.
When someone annoys me, I often use them as the inspiration for a murder victim. Of course, by the time I write the book, the character is fictional, or rather they develop a back story of their own. But it still gives me enormous satisfaction to vent my anger by giving them a horrible death.
Sometimes I sit in a cafe and watch people come and go, characters develop from those chance encounters. My stores always start with a character.
I intend to come back to this subject with a closer look at how to build a character. For me, this year’s project is working out how I can make next year’s characters better, so I hope that you will join me on that journey.
Abigail Thorne 