Making a Character Kernel in Three Easy Steps

This certainly isn't a complete guide to putting a character together, but it might be an interesting method if you don't know where to start.

Step One: Typification

In one or two words, what is your character's role? Interpret that however you like. Archetypes, occupations, whatever you neeed a character to do or whatever you happen to come up with.

Examples:

• The mentor
• The rogue
• The murder investigator

Step Two: Contradiction

What is the opposite of the role you just put? What is a quality someone is such a role couldn't or shouldn't have? Assign that quality to your character.  (The same one it doesn't fit.)

Examples:

• The inept mentor
• The loyal rogue
• The softhearted murder investigator

Step Three: Reconciliation

We kind of made everything a mess in the last step, so let's put things together a little more. Is what you put really a contradiction? I'll tell you right now: no. It isn't. Now you tell me, why isn't it? How can those two seemingly opposite things coexist in the same person? Is one of the two aspects not quite what you may have thought it was? Does one side override the other most of the time? What conditions bring the other side to the forefront?

Examples:

• The inept mentor is the most leader-like individual thrown into the situation. Everyone in the situation has to figure out certain skills; our mentor is no exception, but he takes it upon himself to teach the others regardless.
• The loyal rogue is only a rogue as far as skill set is concerned; she's sneaky, prefers to work on her own, and knows all of the best pickpocketing techniques, but she still has friends, and she'll put her neck on the line for them.
• The softhearted murder investigator is usually one or the other. Her default is softhearted, but she steels herself for her detective work. Of course, she's not living altogether separate lives—the more grotesque murders still shake her up and haunt her sleep, and she can shut off her sensitive in her daily life when those situations become bleak.

Now you should have a good starting place. I've heard the main difference between round and flat characters is a sort of inner conflict—and most characters made with this method will have that from the get-go.

What do you think? A worthwhile tool for your writing arsenal?

New Fiction Idea #36

I actually had two other ideas before this, but this grew more quickly since it came from a plot rather than a world or characters.

Working Title: The Piper

Genre: Suspense/Mystery, perhaps

Protagonist: Monica, a woman in her twenties with light, brown hair she ties up and a serious face. She's rather small in stature and has an official occupation of seamstress, but she moonlights as a detective for those who hear of her. She's quite kind and susceptible to crying over terrible things that happen, but she can put on a more stoic bearing and usually does when it comes to her detective work. She was adopted by her parents, of whom only her father survives.

Other Main Characters: Natalie, Monica's coworker and sometime assistant. She has dark, curly hair and green eyes. She's easily startled but can handle quite a bit of pressure.

Antagonist: "The Piper," a serial killer in his late thirties. While his hairstyle and clothing change often, he always has a generally freckled complexion and a winning smile. He's manically intelligent and either acts sweet or cunning (or occasionally both, in an odd way).

Setting: A chain of small towns and larger ones in a well-off country. The time period couldn't quite be classified as medieval, but it's certainly before the modern-day. I'm still undecided as to whether this should be an alternate universe or some period in our world's history. At any rate, adoption isn't heavily regulated.

Plot: Monica pursues The Piper and struggles to subdue him before he can adopt the next child he plans to kill.

Point of View: Likely third-person, limited to Monica, although first-person wouldn't be out of the question.