The Art of Character Chapter 2

"Summoning Ghosts: Source Materials from Characters"

Corbett gives us five main sources for our characters, and tells us the sources are merely the beginning. It's when we become attached to them emotionally, morally, or psychologically that the characters deepen. Here they are:

• The story
• The unconscious
• Inspiration from art, music, or nature
• Real People
• Composite Characters

When your story takes an unexpected turn that inspires the addition of a new character, take a few moments to imagine them walking into the scene. What's their personality? What do they look like? Sound like? Smell like? Are they quiet or boistrous? Flashy or modest? See that character, and then paint them as you want your readers to see them.

The Unconscious

Love her or hate her, When Stephenie Meyer dreamed up Edward Cullen, serious writers across the world balked. A glittering vampire? Of course, that's something straight out of someone's lame dream. But say what you may, Edward Cullen resonated with teenage girls, middle-aged women, and plenty of others on a level that Meyer never expected when she woke up from that dream. 

The lovely thing about dreams is that they are often vivid and larger than life. Corbett says for a writer whose dreams deliver those interesting, lively characters, they'd be foolish to reject them. The problem becomes planting them into a believable story. He explains that the writer must move beyond the "thematic impact of the dream image" to create a cause-and-effect driven sequence of events. These characters are often raw material that, like Pinnochio, need developed.

Art, Music or Nature

Years ago, I found an image that I fully intend to someday develop into a story. It involves a character that has been trapped inside a tree. I must not be alone, because Corbett introduces this section with a similar concept. He talks about how we, the author, might feel a curious kind of sympathy for a crooked, unshapely tree. He also mentions being inspired by a bird and the grace of its flight. Many authors employ the tactic of personalization, but according to Corbett, the problem is that many writers assign a "fixed personality" to these objects rather than having them evolve throughout the story. The original image, he says, must be "a starting point, not the end point."

Again, the focus turns back to a cause-and-effect relationship. How do the interactions of each character affect other characters? What do the characters desire? What are the outcomes of their actions? Corbett says to accomplish this, it's necessary to "break the stilted reverence of 'art.'"

He also suggests the use of newspaper clippings (or online) and advertisements to find compelling photographs. He keeps a file of these photos and finds it useful to create a more concrete character. The image is, as always, just a beginning.

And finally, Corbett suggests the inspiration of music. If you are trying to write a more wistful, gentle character, listen to wistful, gentle music. A sharper piece might help channel the emotions of an angry character. Music lets the writer experience the depth of character feelings without going through their actual experiences. Super helpful! In fact, a lot of writers will make a playlist for their specific story. 

I love this quote from the end of the section: 


What an incredible challenge, to turn an inantimate object into a personified character and make them fluid.

Real People

Though acknowledging this one as the most immediate source for realistic characters, Corbett gives a warning. He says that no matter how much we think we understand the inner workings of the people around us, we don't. Instead, he explains that our best source to understand inner life is our own self. The problem with that, however, is that most people rarely have the self-awareness to see who they truly are. We might either see ourselves as braver, stronger, prettier, or more truthful than we are, or we might go the opposite direction and see ourselves as unworthy, weak, ugly, or helpless. 

Sometimes Corbett suggests, we even know our characters better than we know our true selves. He says: 

Well, we can't help it! We're introverts, right? Or maybe it's just that we find our characters more interesting.

Corbett suggests an exercise to try to recall a pivotal or memorable event between you and another person and to reflect on that person as if you were explaining everything there was to know about them to someone who didn't already know them. He suggests several, including the love who got away, a family member you particularly dislike, your greatest childhood nemesis, your favorite coworker, your mail carrier, etc. 

Another exercise he offers (and I really liked this one) was to find a person who believed in you when you were young and a person who believes in you now. And then, have them meet and find some kind of connection. What traits do they share in common. Or, a childhood nemesis with your adulthood nemesis. Very interesting! 

Composite Characters

A composite character is just a mix of the different sources we talked about above. Maybe you think of a real person you know and study different photographs of them (like many writers do when they're describing a president or other public figure). Or perhaps you dreamed up a character and you use music to help imagine them a stronger personality. 

Corbett's caution in this method is that sometimes piecing things together does not create a convincing whole. 

He talks about the "Reticent Knockout," a person who is "physically stunning and negotiates the world with ease" being melded with "a homely person who feels the intrinsic insecurity of being overlooked, ignored, even shunned." 

True, he says, the Ugly Duckling can turn into the swan, but readers need to follow through that transition to make it believable. 

You can even blend more than one person, such as the peppy cheerleader and the strict teacher. I had a peppy-but-strict professor in college, and it was an experience for sure! Very memorable. 

So, as he summarizes:


Two-dimensional characters need not apply.

I hope you found this insightful! What are the sources for your characters?