By Terry C. Misfeldt

What if you wanted to create a character but didn’t know how to start?

The first step is to determine whether your character is fictional or real, human or alien, or something else. Let’s assume it’s a human of the male persuasion.

That step is done. Now it falls on you to develop details about this character and his personality. Is he a nice guy or a villainous sort? Side note: The bad character is usually considered the antagonist rather than the protagonist. That choice is yours.

As you move through the process, you can choose the character’s name, age, height, weight, general build, and athletic ability among other traits. Hair color. Hair style. Eye color. Nose, Mouth and lips. Ears. Skin complexion (keep in mind that not every teenage complexion may have acne scars,..just saying). Does your character have any physical deformities like missing fingers or toes? Does he have a limp from an old injury?

As you dig deeper, you can determine if this person is rude to strangers and tries to pick fights or if he is considerate and outgoing to a fault. So many aspects to consider but remember he is your character. You may pattern him after someone you know but keep in mind that person may recognized himself if he ever reads your work. If you do, you might want to check with that person to get their permission to pattern your character on him or her. That’s easy if it’s an alien. I don’t know too many.

I would also suggest you write down the details and keep that information handy as you develop your story. That ensures your consistency as you develop the story. Write on.