[Hong Kong - November 17, 2017] Part of our work as editors is editing authors’ manuscripts. Hong Kong has a thriving writers’ community and we have been lucky to edit and proofread a good number of novels. While the genres vary, one crucial theme that runs through all of them is ‘characters’. Obviously, characters are the most vital component of any story. Without them, it is either a travel guide type descriptive piece or an historical account.
To write a good story the characters have to be believable. To do that, there are a few things any author has to get right. It is also up to us, as editors, to make sure we help the writer craft the best characters possible. There are four key areas that combine to form a good character – speech, motivation, flaws, and backstory/depth.
Firstly, your character’s speech, and in some regard, how they interact with other people is crucial. How they converse sets the tone. Are they brash, nervous, arrogant, or aggressive? Do they talk a lot or do they say very little? How they deal with people affects how the story will go. But it’s important not to describe how they are – show the reader through what the character says.
Secondly, what is your character’s motivation. Why are they the way they are? Even if they character in question is a minor one, they still have wants and desires. If they don’t then they’ll feel flat and one dimensional. A character’s motivation really drives the story and you can have a lot of fun revealing motivations or clouding them throughout the story. Teasing at what compels someone makes for some interesting reading.
Thirdly, we need to focus on potential flaws. What’s wrong with your character? A character that feels unnatural will drag the reader out of the story. If there are no shortcomings or weaknesses, especially in a main character, then there’s no emotional investment from the audience. Flaws make characters a lot more interesting and relatable. Again, don’t just describe the flaws, show them, and construct a scene where these flaws are apparent.
Lastly (but by no means least), we must focus on the backstory of your protagonist. What happened in their past? What has made them the way they are? As with motivation, even minor characters benefit from having a backstory. But naturally, the main characters definitely need one. It makes them interesting, loveable, or possibly even hateable, and without depth, they will lack believability. Character backstory can be sometimes only ever hinted at, which makes it just as compelling, or it can be revealed later on as a big plot twist that has huge implications.
So those are the four crucial aspects to creating an interesting character. As you can see, they are all somewhat interlinked. A character’s speech is influenced by their flaws, as their motivation comes from their backstory. As a writer, if you get these things right, you’ll have a much better narrative. As editors, it is up to us to make sure that your characters are complex, interesting, and relatable. But that’s the fun of editing and proofreading, we get to read some really interesting manuscripts. Editing, proofreading, re-editing, and collaborating with writers is what we love, and Hong Kong has some of the most creative writers around.