# How do you create a character?



## Shogun_Nate (Aug 2, 2008)

Howdy folks!

_Those of you who frequent the 40k Original Works forum will undoubtedly recognize this post as being there. Given that some have no interest in 40k fiction and vice versa, I felt that I should place it here as well to see what those of you who post here more often think. With that, I give you rehashed posting!_

I wanted to start a small discussion amongst the regulars here over what effect character creation has when it comes to making a good story and how you go about the process of making said character. Granted, it seems rather obvious that a well thought-out character gives the story a good starting point but what I'm curious about is how much influence the main protagonist/antagonist has on how a story flows. 

We know that stories work better with a strong, solid character as either good/bad guy. They are what keep the readers rivetted to their seats for hours on end, irregardless of sleep, restroom breaks(though sometimes these are taken with book in hand LOL), and the various other things neglected in the quest to finish one more chapter/paragraph/etc. and for those of us who enjoy writing are the things we want from our readers 

When I write, I prefer a story where the characters have a strong presence in the story. Not so much defining the story through them but shaping it around them. Of course, I also enjoy writing stories where the events taking place shape the character around them. Both make for a good story and aid in creating the character for which the story is written but I'm starting to waffle from the point.

In creating characters for stories, we mold and shape the perfect person/non-human/daemon/etc in our minds and work from there. But, beyond the perfection, what else is there? Sure, seeing a god-like vampire march across the battlefield, sword in hand, screaming his hatred of the living is nice but what else does the character off beyond that hate? I think in creating a character for a story there needs to be that little extra. Mayhaps our vampire was a kind and compassionate soul but fell to the blood-thirst of his curse and in self-loathing or pride sees the living as a constant reminder of what he has become or nothing more than cattle.

For me, the devil is in the details. I don't just want a 'cut and paste' creation that you see a million times over in stories. I want there to be a driving force, a quirk/foible, something maddening that gives the character a life of his own and at the same time invokes the emotions you want the reader to feel depending on the character. You can create a chaos character who butchers and slaughters but if it's with a mind-numbing, mechanical nature what good is it? I want the person to feel loathing for something evil(unless that person has a prediliction towards chaos then I want a 'daaaaaayum that's evil" response LOL) and the exact opposite when it comes to a 'good guy' character. 

Of course, this also brings up the grey space we find in WFB. Good and evil, like in the real world, are subjective. How can we say that a warrior priest of Sigmar or a witch hunter is a 'good guy' given the attrocities they commit to keep the Empire running? And then there's other races like orcs. They are brutal and inhumane but they judge all things from their orcish mindset. Strength and brutality are the only things they really understand. Does this make them evil or not? These are the kind of things you can use when creating a character and making the story that much more interesting.

Oh well, enough of this meandering lol. I turn it over to you!

Good luck and good gaming,

Nate


----------

