How to build memorable story characters

We are all natural storytellers. We do it all the time both online and offline, and sometimes they are true, other times lies that we invent or even steal from better storytellers. Even as far back as when humans first started to edge their thoughts in stone, storytelling existed in the form of cave paintings that showed how they perceived their world.  Just like most people, when I am with my family or friends, I often tell and enjoy stories that make me laugh. And I happen to come from a large family, we are 6 siblings. So boredom was a stranger in that house, although sometimes you had to speak over everyone else in order to be heard. But it made me understand early, how stories help us explain ourselves and capture attention.

I have always been interested in how to tell stories, especially through film and photography. That’s why I trained in journalism. But as the saying goes, learning never ends and lately, I have been trying to understand what makes a memorable character, you know the kind that the audiences can relate with? This is one of the most important elements of the story because characters make a story. I am currently reading John Truby’s — the anatomy of a story. It’s a long read but well worth it. His award-winning insights on how to become a master storyteller have compelled me to look at stories through fresh eyes. And to try to understand how a strong narrative is usually built around the hero’s moral and emotional growth. The following are insights and lessons picked up so far that I would like to share. They are useful for both storyteller and audience.

Desire/Want

The best place to start when building our story character is by establishing what the character wants. A want is a character’s visible or outward goal and it’s what influences the plot of the story. Our character has to want something and make a decision to go for what he/she desires. If what the character wants is not clear, then the story is what some describe as dead on arrival. Now let’s consider the following characters from movies popular with a global audience. Their production budgets aside, it’s my opinion that the narratives in these Hollywood blockbuster movies is what endears them to viewers across cultures. And at the heart of each story are strong, memorable characters with clear desires.

In black panther ( here's a recap of the movie to jog your memory), the story explored complex themes like identity, racism, colonialism and globalization vs isolationism. But they did so cleverly through strong character development that engagingly kept the plot in dramatic motion. Once we clearly understand what the character wants, the next step is to consider why the character wants the thing they are going for. What benefit do they attach to attaining their desired goals? Our individual desires and goals usually carry certain meanings either known or unknown to us. And when it comes to building memorable and meaningful characters then we also have to pay attention to the character’s beliefs and needs.

Beliefs

What we believe about ourselves and the world around us informs how we think. And so by establishing a character’s beliefs, we can then start to develop what they want and how they go about getting it. And this is also helpful in theming the story.

Once more let’s consider our black panther characters.The beliefs of these two main characters, set against the background of their upbringing are also what adds dramatic conflict to the story. As the story progresses, we see a clash of values between the two main beliefs. Killmonger believes in attaining his goal by any means necessary which includes violence while T’challa takes a non-violence path.

By clashing the values of our protagonist and antagonist, we can start to notice changes in their beliefs. These changes can either be positive or negative. For example, through Killmonger’s challenge, T’challa’s beliefs evolve and he comes to agree that his adversary was wronged by his father and Wakanda. And this brings me to another point about what the character needs. This simply refers to what the character needs to learn about themselves in order to be whole or balanced. A need can only be fulfilled by learning the truth. Good stories usually start by exposing the lies that the character believes which he needs to realize and overcome.

Character’s need

From our black panther characters, we see how Killmonger is full of anger and hatred which is validated by his experience of social injustice which also informs his violent tendencies. And so while his point of view is justified, the audience is compelled to ponder whether he’s fit to lead Wakanda while consumed with so many negative emotions. He needs to overcome his bitterness.

For T’challa, due to his upbringing, he lacks the same understanding of social injustice as his estranged cousin. And as he grapples with honoring the legacy of his ancestors while building his own, he needs to realize the mistakes his father made and take up the moral responsibility of addressing the world’s larger problems. To his credit, he doesn’t rigidly hold to his old beliefs and in the end, strikes a middle ground between Wakanda’s legacy of isolationism and nonviolent intervention.

In her award-winning book on creating story arcs, Weiland aptly observes the following

Clearly understanding the character’s need is pivotal in great storytelling. And so in creating honest characters that the audience will understand and empathize with, we need to first understand who the character is, his beliefs want, and needs. I think this approach can give our stories more meaning and I hope you find it useful next time you’re producing a story, watching a film, or reading a book. 

What is your latest favorite book or movie character and why? Please feel free to share with me in the comments.