Your main character should be a living, breathing, human being, at least in the eyes of the reader. He/she evolved into the person that they are today, just like you and me. What significant events in their life transformed them? Sounds like a little backstory to me.

You have to make your main character real, and in order to do this, that character must first become real to you. While you don’t have to include every bit of information you’ve developed and highlighted in your own mind, you do need to know that information.

• What’s your character’s name
• What does your character look like
• When, where, and to whom was your main character(s) born
• Brothers and sisters, their names and ages
• Family dynamics(warm and loving, dysfunctional, abusive)
• Where he/she attended high school, college, and graduate school
• Any flaws-remember nobody’s perfect
• Political affiliation
• Occupation
• Income
• Goals
• Religious views
• Friends (best friend)
• Marital status
• Worldview
• Personality
• What makes them angry
• What makes them happy
• What are their fears
• And anything else relevant to your story

Take the time to flesh that character out. They will make or break your story.

Think of your favorite book. I bet when you focus in on what made that story stand out, you are going to run into some pretty amazing characters.

-Jan R