Characters

In answer to the Alternative Read Blog Hop question:
When creating a main character, is it better to start with a good girl/guy with a drop of bad or vice versa?

When devising a fictional character, we should choose their unique set of characteristics with care to ensure they are believable.

One technique to avoid stereotypes and clichés is to mix and match attributes so that characters take on a distinct personality, but credibility is still key.

For my part, I tend to draw on the real world - people I know (or know of), personal experiences etc.

Characters should be complex, not one dimensional i.e. like people in the real world. Certain characteristics may dominate, but generally people are a mix of a range of characteristics, and which ones come to the fore will vary in different situations. A well-drawn character will have positive and negative aspects and the mix of good/bad will change during the course of a novel as characters respond to the dynamic circumstances of the plot.

If we regard characters as being on a journey where conflict plays a pivotal role, it figures that the early stages of a novel where conflict is rife will be more likely to bring out the 'bad'side of a character than the later stages when the conflict has beeen resolved.

In my writing, I find that my characters grow almost organically so they develop and change throughout the course of a novel anyway.