No one sets out to make a bad character. Creators intentions are usually good. No one sits at their desk and says "im going to make the shittiest character I can think of." it usually doesn't happen like that and id be honest if it dd. Even in the case of mary sues; they aren't made just to be bad. Characters are made for various reasons. Sometimes as part of a new story or sometimes to add to an existing story (see fan fiction) sometimes it is because the creator wants to exist in a world of their own or of someone else’s creation. Still the characters are not intended to be bad.
Making a good character isn’t hard as long as thought is put into their development. Characters have to be like real people toan extent but they have to be real for the world they exist in. Take son goku. Goku is a real character in the world he lives in. He could rarely exist in a world outside of dbz. In the dbz universe he fits like the proverbial glove. He has strengths and weaknesses that work alongside his world so that he doesn't seem out of place. He just fits.
So what makes a bad character then? That's a hard answer and an easy one but I will try to answer it.
A bad character is on whom for some reason doesn't seem to fit the context of the story. It could be that he is too perfect or too flawed to exist. A bad character has either all the answers or none at all. He is the deus ex all by himself. Now within the realm of fiction reality is an illusion but when the character seems to exist outside the illusion well that is when your character is turning bad. There are other factors to determine what makes a bad character but as I vsaid...it all depends on the character and the story.
So if those are what makes a bad character then what makes an inspiring one? A inspiring character is one that stands out but blends in. They seem fully immersed in the world they are in. They are neither perfect nor perfectly flawed. For example take someone you know or someone you don't know and examine them. Look at the way they walk, listen to how they speak. I for instance talk with m hands and according to my friends I am also very long winded. Watch and observe someone. See how they are when happy. Does their face wrinkle up or do they only smile from one side. When unhappy; Do they cry or do they just suck it up. An inspiring character whether minor or major is always unique and different. Now there is an exception to the rule. If the character is meant as a parody; then you can go ahead and be as unoriginal as possible.
Language
Nobody communicates the same way even if they are from the same place. Their words may be similar but they way those words are expressed is as individual as two snowflakes. Language is more than just verbal. Even in sigb language a person may hold their hand a certain way to say love while another may use bigger circles. Even something like english is expressed differently from person to person. Traditional accents are a common trait but do two englishmen speak exactly the same? If you speak another language you are aware o certain nuances and inflections in pronunciation. I feel that inspiring characters posses should never sound like any other character when speaking.
Take for example these samples of a sentence
"I don't like this painting." simple sentence.
"This painting is ugly. I hate it!"
"Yo’ man this is sum ol' bullshit!"
"That painting is simply ghastly. The artist should be taken from his bed, drawn and quartered"
"Ugh!" and turns away from the offensive painting.
"Didja’ see that paintin' yeah that theres a real piece a' work. And none of it good, know what I mean?"
Language along with the way it is expressed can put a reader or watcher into the character and that’s what you want.
History and background
Have you ever met someone who had a boring life and did nothing. Well a boring character can be as real as humanly possible. Take this fictional character Jakob. He is a fishmonger in a fictional European inspired fantasy setting. He is in his forties and has never left his village. As a kid he got a bad infection from a bad piece of fish. His dad was a fish monger and his dad before him. He got married to a local village woman named Sherith. They run the fish mongering shop from morning to night. Jakob is pretty boring and very uninteresting and not main character material. He has no past of any significance; He just prepares fish. He is normal by all accounts. He will probably never do anything interesting. He is just background fodder.
Characters like this are (in my opinion) important for two reasons.
Reason one is because the real world is filled with millions of people just like this. They’re salt of the earth types. They aren’t special, they don't stand out, but they are important because of their ability to be exceptional at being normal. They provide that common element to fiction..no different from the local butcher or blacksmith.
Reason two is because they can be changed due to circumstance. Given that he is a fishmonger we know he knows a lot about fish. He knows hoe to prepare fish. He knows his tools (hooks, cleaver, gutting knife, scale knife). He knows when fish is fresh and when it is going bad and how to keep it fresh. He has never left his village but knows all the local stories and myths. Given the right twist he could become a hero. Lets say he finds an enchanted ring or a traveler tells him a story about regarding a mystical fish. Say his village is invaded and he takes up arms (or tools) to fight off the invaders; then he becomes more interesting. Even a peasant can become a warrior and history has proven this fact. Characters like Jakob can be inspiring despite their history.
Making an inspiring character isn’t difficult. One just has to put the time and effort into creating them. In my next entry, I will talk about powers, abilities and a few other bits behind inspiring characters.
Have A Happy New Year.
Have A Happy New Year.
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