I was reading my textbook for Intro to Creative Writing and was intrigued by the little hints on developing characters. So I thought I would present one brainteaser of my own.
If you are like me, you may create a character that has some great qualities and background, but then wonder what to do with it. I will sit and ponder and look at the flickering computer screen and wonder, “how the name of all get-out will this chump respond?!” Here is an idea that I have toyed with before and might just put to use: make your character a mythic deity. You remember reading the Iliad and the Odyssey back in high school? If so, I envy you, because I never read those glorious works of fiction. More importantly, though, you might remember what the gods stood for: human qualities and desires; in other words, they represented the components of a three-dimensional character. Voila! That will be my test.
So we take Ivan. He is a little chump that I am making up on the spot. Let’s say that Ivan is youngish, maybe tall, with his heart set on a college degree. He also lacks a girlfriend. And a cell phone. Moreover, he doesn’t have a major or even an inkling of what life is all about, he just knows that there is something important for him to do.
Translate this into myth: Ivan is now the god of wistful youth and indistinct longing. He represents the awkward tendencies of growing up and lacking that which is hip, and yet is unsure of what he is even aiming for. No one said he is miserable, only beholding to these qualities.
There. Now Ivan has some rather static qualities and will be able to respond to (almost) any situation, thereby making him a versatile entity. I don’t know if this will be at all useful to anyone in practice, but give it a shot if you feel like it (I will try to do so, to avoid hypocrisy) and maybe my moment of geekdome will deliver. Happy writing!
