A Long Time Ago, In a Galaxy Far Away (Or, as we know it, Wisconsin)

Ugh - this is such a hard question, the "how do I give my characters depth" one.  it doesn't help that other people have been awesome on the subject - one person included drawings (*cough*Keri*cough*) - and I'm sitting here trying to think on how to answer it.  I'm trying to think on how I created my characters in the first place for my series and then I look over to my messy bookshelf that contains a binder of character sheets, gaming books, and a dice bag.  So, gather round children, for I am going to answer the question, but I am also going to give you a story.  I'm going to tell you about my first character ever for a role playing game and how I learned to bring depth to my characters.

First things first - this was September of 2000.  If you've read my "About Me" page or know me, I started to seriously write in 2001.  So, take notes and all.  Second thing - the role playing game is a Live Action Role Play (LARP) and it was with Vampire: the Masquerade from White Wolf publishing.  Thirdly, I have not changed names to protect the innocent.  They can come forward and wap me later.

So, traveling back in time to September of 2000 (I think it was September, it might have been October).  I was at Beloit, at college of all things, and I was starting to get into the gaming scene.  One of my friends - I believe it was Jenn - had heard about the fact that there was this live action role playing.  I was curious, so I went along to the character creation.  Back then, it wasn't filling out these little dots if you want more in charisma instead of intelligence or if you wanted more wits.  Sure, there was some of that involved, but there was also the question of how to make that character come alive.  I remember sitting there thinking about it and the GM (game master), Gretchen, came over to help me with my character. 

"Well, what do you want the character to be like?" She asked.

And I realized and answered "I want the character to be like me."

It was a lot easier after that to take such a small concept and just roll with it.  I use a red tipped cane because I'm legally blind in real life, so we put it into the character and made her completely blind. 

Another side note: Since it was the game it was, there were thirteen different clans.  The ugliest clan is known as the Nosferatu.  When they are embraced, the change makes their appearance drop to zero.  Think the original Phantom in Phantom of the Opera.  Or, the movie Nosferatu.  :D  That's basically the model of the clan.  This comes in handy in a moment.  :D

So, the question came - why is she blind?  What happened to a completely normal woman embraced to such a clan?  Also, why was she embraced in the first place?  Why her, out of everyone else in the human population, was she picked?  Was she a loner and they picked out a weak human to prey on? 

(Do you see character questions that go into character depth for when you write your novel?  If you do, give yourself a cookie.  If not, read on.)

The answers came in a simple form though.  Answer #1: The Nosferatu get insanely ugly on embrace.  So, she was blind because her forehead fell in on her eyes.  There was no brain exposed, just a big shifting and regrowing of bone and that was her one big disfiguration with no eyes.  Awesomeness thing ever.  Answer #2: She's a computer genius and the Nosferatu were building a big computer network at the time of her embrace.  They needed her knowledge, so they embraced her.  And thus, the answer to that mess of questions came the bare bones for a character who was only dots and the hint of an idea.  And now, she is one of my favorite characters to pull out as a random contact when I'm the game master to everyone's dismay (or joy.  Some people like Pyre).

So, the point to this longish story is the following: To give your characters depth, you need to not be afraid to ask why you want this character in your story.  If it is the main character, why is this great horrible thing known as a journey happening to him/her?  Or, if they're a side character, why is he/she a peasant or a princess or something in between?  For all characters: Why are they doing what they are doing?  When you figure out the why, your character grows and sinks into your brain as they put out roots to stay there to give life to the forest that is your story.  If you cannot figure out the why, the question becomes "do I need this character" rather than trying to force yourself to figure out the why.

Tune in to the next WriYe Blogging Circle chapter where I'll answer another question (no, I don't know when).  And I might bore you with another story.