Creating a Memorable Character

2 min read

michael-jetter

Have you ever seen The Fisher King? Remember this guy? He played the homeless cabaret singer. And fun fact, he was also the original Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street! Mr. Noodle had a set of pipes on him, y’all! RIP Michael Jeter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmfGLfWqlzA

Anyway, he’s the one character I vividly remember from the movie. Why? Because in the beginning, he was a homeless, down on his luck bum in scraggly, unkempt clothes. He befriended Robin Williams, whose character is desperately in love with a mousy girl named Lydia. So, Robin’s character enlisted this guy’s help, and he got dressed up in this getup and took a balloon bouquet to Lydia’s work, got on top of her work desk, and shaked and shimmied as he belted his talented heart out to a cover version of his own made up tune to a song from Gypsy.

In my mind, there’s only one thing you need to create a memorable character; originality. Inspiration for original, sensational characters are all around. Who was your uncle before he became the Drunk Uncle? What was your grandmother like as a teenager? Does she sugar coat how she truly was and gloss over the truth like Marty’s mother in Back to the Future? Everyone has a story to tell and a quirky trait that makes them truly unique, and your job as the writer is to mine for that gold beneath the salty surface.

In my newest book with Loose Id Publishing, Chicks Dig the Accent, Molly Ivers is a grad student and an exhibitions and collections archivist with the local museum. She is desperately in love with ancient artifacts and everything to do with Paris. The hero in the story, Evan Castle, is also finishing his master’s. He’s a fun loving guy who loves to rock out on stage and sing in his band to help pay his tuition. He speaks fluent French, but he’s very down to earth about it all.

Every character has something they’re hiding and a reason for hiding it, whether it’s a talent, a secret, or a passion. The best thing we can do as writers is to find it.

What do you think makes a character memorable?

2 thoughts on “Creating a Memorable Character”

  1. For me, the characters need to not just be unique, but be unique in a way that I find interesting and want to read about. I’m not a fan of unique characters that are horrible people and tend to put the book down so I can forget them.

  2. That’s a very good point, Amber, and I know what you mean. We need unique, likeable characters that we can relate to and root for, even if it’s part of a redemption arc where the hero/heroine start off as despised; there should be a fundamental element in their personality or moral compass that makes us believe in them. I know one thing I’ve been turned off by is heroines with no ambitions or personal motivations (e.g., Bella in Twilight). As a reader you want to place yourself in the character’s shoes, and it’s hard to do that when they aren’t nice or make horrible decisions. Thanks for your comment!

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