Where to start drawing your character. How to draw? Your character: instructions for creating a unique hero How to create a character personality

Heroes and characters play a key role in the story - we look at the world through their eyes, we live with their feelings, we empathize with them throughout the story. However, in order for the image to turn out whole and “alive”, you will have to work hard on it, inventing and prescribing all its elements.

So, what is the image of any character? Two main parts - appearance and inner world. And each of these parts, in turn, consists of several interconnected elements.

Creating the appearance of the hero

1. Visual appearance.

Common elements of the visual image are the color of the eyes, hair and skin, height-weight, complexion, facial features, the presence or absence of any limbs, gait - stooped or with a straight back. Additional elements - an unusual shape of the ears or lips, hairstyle, scars, lameness, glasses, moles, mustaches, beards, freckles, etc.
Appearance is a sign. And our consciousness is filled with stereotypes that respond to signs. As with the symbolic word "apple" we imagine the image of the fruit and its taste, so when describing the hero we associate his appearance with his character.

For example, many will immediately consider a plump and undersized person to be a good-natured person, a red-haired and green-eyed woman - a passionate and freedom-loving nature, a limping black-eyed man with a scar - definitely a bandit, a blue-eyed blonde - a close-minded angel. And so on.

Choosing the color of eyes and hair for a character, we not only focus on our own ideal, but also subconsciously attribute to him the features of a stereotype. And you can play on this, making the plump "good man" the main villain, and the blond angel - a demon, surprising readers with the unexpectedness of perception.

2. Clothing and footwear.

We ourselves dress based on character traits (in everyday life), out of necessity (season or work), out of fashion, out of national characteristics or features of the subculture (emo or goths). We dress and shoe the characters according to the same principles. And we also choose the color and cut of clothes and shoes, accessories like neckerchiefs or hats.

For knowledgeable people, clothing and its color will tell a lot about us - about character, preferences and fears. When working on the image of the hero of knowledge psychological characteristics- at least colors- can be very useful. It is also useful to study local subcultures - they are symbolic, and you can create something of your own based on them.

3. Auditory and kinesthetic (tactile) perception.

To auditory perception primarily refers to the timbre of the voice. And you can play on the correspondence-inconsistency of voice and appearance, diversifying the image and surprising the reader.

The auditory perception of the image also includes all the sounds made by a person: coughing, grunting, sniffling, exclamation, chuckles. And a tirelessly sniffing or blowing one's nose causes a certain emotional reaction which completes the image. As well as the vocal characteristics of the national characteristics of speech - the well-known dialect "okanye" or "yakany", "swallowing" the last syllable, etc.

The whole gamut of human emotions is reflected in the voice - in a surprised exclamation, in an increase in tone with anger, in a stutter with embarrassment, in a scream with discontent, etc. The Russian language is rich in descriptions of emotions, you just need to choose the right ones for your character.

kinesthetic perception are feelings from a person. Smells, intuitive perception, aura sensation. There are well-known common expressions - "an aura of danger emanated from him", "he has heavy energy, and he suppressed himself." And it’s not worth talking much about smells, and so it’s clear. And you should not neglect these feelings, they are an integral part of the character and

Literary course "Creating a hero"

Suitable for those who start writing a book, and for those who want to refine and "revive" an already finished character.

In 14 days you will receive all the necessary theory and step-by-step practical tasks. At the end of the course, you will have full story hero. You will learn his motives and come up with bright plot twists that will show the development of the character of the hero in the best possible way.

4. Emotional and behavioral reactions.

Facial expressions, gestures, changes in movements or complexion - all this complements the appearance of the character. Without them, it seems cardboard, painted, fake, inanimate.

Emotional reactions - this is, in fact, an emotional response to one's own or other people's words, to behavior, to an unexpected meeting, to the feelings that one character has for another, to the attitude to what is happening.

So, the characters turn pale with anger, blush with rage, turn pink with embarrassment, turn green with longing. They smile gleefully or wickedly, wince in displeasure, squint in suspicion, and make faces in teasing.

Behavioral responses- this is visible behavior: in gestures or in movements, habitual or changing in different situations.

habitual reactions- these are mechanical movements, those that the person himself no longer notices, but does constantly.

Someone likes to wind a strand of hair around their finger, someone likes to pinch their earlobe, someone likes to scratch their nose or heel, someone during a conversation reinforces words with gestures and waves his hands. This also includes gait and landing - on the couch or at the table (often found: "habitually lounging on the couch" or "habitually climbing into a chair with your feet").

Changing reactions- these are changes in habitual actions or in actions that depend on situations.

So, a person stoops in a cold wind, shudders and looks around at a sharp shout, shakes his finger or shows his fist, stretches or rubs his tailbone after a long sitting, quickens his step, being late, etc.

Of course, in the initial description of the character, all these elements are not taken into account, but they can be gradually developed, weaving them into the plot on occasion. But first they need to be invented and assembled into a single image. This can help - for yourself, for others, for random passers-by.

Any person is already, consider, a ready-made character of the work, from which you can write off the appearance. Just like borrowing the inner world that will be discussed.

We invite you!

Daria Gushchina
writer, fantasy writer
(page VKontakte

Every book, play, film, novel, and game has one common feature is the presence of at least one character. Some have two or more, while others have thousands of actors! Sometimes the "character" is you.

No matter what the characters are like, books and movies would be lifeless and boring without them. This tutorial will give you the basics and help you learn how to create your own characters!

Steps

Creating your own character

Determine the setting or opening scene. Whether you "raise the curtain" on paper or on a computer screen, your character must exist somewhere, even if it is a virtual non-existence. Maybe it will be an apartment in Paris or a parking lot in New York. Not only will this set the stage for your character, but it will help define his or her personality.

Following the rule of journalists, start with the following data:

Where, who, what, when and how...

Education, school, profession, place of work, purpose

Conflict, dilemma, opportunity, choice/action (benefits and consequences),

Health, sexuality, mindset, life stages, danger, triumph/failure, ups/downs, death,... If you're going to create a character, chances are you already have an idea for a plot/story in your head.

• If you're working on a grand, sprawling Lord of the Rings-type saga, you'll need a whole world of characters - good, evil, men and women... even those who aren't the servants of good or minions of evil.
• If you are writing an introspective story, you may need no more than one character.

1. Get creative. Although this is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word "character" - not every one of them has to be a person. For example, in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Mount Caradras appears as a character full of cold menace, while in Hemingway's parable story The Old Man and the Sea, marlin becomes one of the main characters.

   Start with an archetype/pattern. It just depends on your story who you want, but starting with broad criteria, you can make decisions that gradually define your character through elimination. So you will be like a sculptor who cuts off parts of excess marble and reveals the statue hidden in it. The character outline includes culture and personality traits ( a common person or a hero, tyrant, superman or orc).

   • Most likely, to indicate conflict, your plot should have a protagonist (hero) and an antagonist (villain) at the core. It may be appropriate to introduce a minor character, such as a henchman, best friend, romantic attachment, boyfriend or loved one. Note that sometimes the one you think of as the protagonist - the good guy - is portrayed as the antagonist. For example, Kong King Kong.
   • Maybe you need antiheroes like Clint Eastwood in Pale rider; good ones villains like Lenny Small in About mice and people; dark horses like Jack Sparrow in Pirates caribbean ; femme fatale(who is unstoppable and leads her man to greatness, hardship, danger and disaster), like Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit; treacherous friends like Iago in Othello or Peter Bailish in game of thrones; or perhaps a clever guide, like Sméagol in Lord of the Rings. Each of these heroes began as an archetype and then took on new shapes as the story unfolded.

2. Add special features. Once you've determined your character's archetype, you can add traits and qualities, strip out what's out of character for your character, and begin to reveal the sculpture honed in marble. Ask yourself how you want the audience to feel towards your character: love, pity, disgust, sympathy, or nothing at all. Start drawing the character based on the desired outcome.

   • Decide on the gender of the character. This will start a general point of view of the hero, suggest traits that depend on the archetype, and may even be a starting point. conflict situation your character and story as seen through the lens of social prejudice, fair or not. For example, an arrogant man is perceived differently than an arrogant woman. (Which in both cases further defines your character!)
   • Age is also considered an important factor. Older people are perceived as wiser, but this plays a role in other cases as well. The young villain is often depicted as being of bad blood or simply insane. The old scoundrel can also be considered as such, but also be excused at the expense of life's hardships, which gives him much more depth. A young idealistic hero evokes different feelings than a warrior who has lost his taste for life and simply does the right thing. And when their life in history comes to an end, the reaction to this is also completely different.
   • Sometimes characters can be contradictory. Don Quixote was a wayward old man who spent his entire life locked up reading chivalric romances and was depressingly naive. But it was precisely this naivete that prompted him to seek adventure and love, to create fantastic ideas about the world around him when reality did not live up to his expectations.

3. Define your character's goal or goal. AT scary story the protagonist will probably strive to survive in every possible way - for example, Ripley in alien; in romantic story the antagonist will try to prevent the hero from finding his " true love'like Prince Humperdinck's To the princess bride.

   • The way your characters confront the inevitable obstacles that stand between them and their goals characterizes them most clearly. AT complex stories it can constantly overlap, where the goals and achievements of some actors interfere with others, which creates further action and weaves of events and gradually raises the stakes.

4. Let them open up. To really bring a character to life, give it a personality that goes beyond the story. Some of your character's personality traits will never show up directly in your story, but will help reinforce the decisions the character will have to make.

   • Make a list of your character's likes and dislikes and make sure it's balanced. In other words, one hobby should not have 10 annoying factors and vice versa. Even the most capricious actors love something, even if it's just their reflection in the mirror.
   • Your character's attitude is made up of complementary qualities, which can lead to unexpected actions and can change how viewers feel about him. For example, a character who loves freedom is more likely to disobey authority; if they can't live without fruitcakes and flashy cars, they're unlikely to respect economy and limits. If your character is ruthless but unexpectedly saves a helpless child from a burning building, the audience will completely rethink the idea of ​​him.

5. Spice up your character. Good habits, bad habits, or just something the character can't stop doing without some serious discipline or guidance. It can be something as small as biting your nails (which will show his anxiety), or compulsively combing your hair (vanity or insecurity); or something serious like drug addiction(someone who fears responsibility and seeks an escape) or a death wish (hopelessness and despair).

   • The more of these qualities and little things you give your character, the faster they will "come to life" in the imagination of the audience.

6. Give your character a house-with a mirror. Work through external characteristics e.g. place of residence, appearance, presence of pets, etc.

   • Does your character live in a well-groomed house in an elite area (monetary aristocracy) or in a shabby shack (hard life)? Most of the details you choose will suggest something about the character or their history.

7. Work through their fears, weaknesses, incentives, and most important secrets. This helps to create a more realistic character and allows the archetype to develop. A popular strength and weakness of a hero is loyalty or infidelity.

8. You can borrow the mannerisms and traits of the people around you. People-watch in a store or on the subway. Everywhere you can find prerequisites for your character.

   • Pay attention to the appearance - the shape of the nose, jaws, ears, body, how clothes sit on them or how they present themselves.
   • If you like their appearance, describe to yourself those moments that seem attractive to you and transfer them to your characters. If you spot someone who looks intimidating, be honest with yourself why that person is intimidating, even if that reason is completely unfounded or politically incorrect. Use this information to define your characters.
   • Create characters that unite in themselves these traits - you should not completely copy the hero from one or two people, because if they find out about it, you will be in trouble.

9. Create associations with symbolic archetypes. When you match character traits with our idea of ​​things, it will help you identify your character and anticipate their moods and actions. For example,

   • Roses don't last long, but people love them.
   • Snakes are unpredictable and may bite without warning.
   • Stone buildings are stable and difficult to change.
   • Storms bring destruction, but portend an upsurge.
   • A sharp sword also poses a threat to the one who carries it.

10. Take on the appearance of your character. First, draw an mind map of everything you talked about and everything you want to decide for your character. Get a tape recorder ready - you can also record yourself on most phones or computers - and interview yourself or, even better, ask a friend to interview you while you're in character. Then write it down, fill in your mind map to reveal what you didn't know about your character, and work on his personality. If you make a mistake while recording, you can always use it to branch out the image, deepen the idea even further.

    • Feel your character and put yourself in his/her place. Sometimes best characters are derived from your own ideals, character, strengths and weaknesses, as well as such qualities of your family members, friends and enemies.
    • Remember: Don't give away your character all and immediately! Unless your characters are positioning themselves as very open people make them a little more mysterious. Let readers read between the lines. But do not overdo it and do not turn them into too obscure and mysterious.
    • If it's hard for you to think minor characters, take a few stereotypes and develop them.
      • For example: An old librarian offended by her husband. She constantly lives in fear that one day he will find her.
    • One way to decide where to take the plot is to experiment, write alternative ideas, and see where that takes the character. So you can choose the plot development option that you like.
    • If you are creating an animal character, say a cat, do the same as you would for a human character. Describe the appearance, likes and dislikes of the cat. Here is one example: "A little black cat, Shadow, travels merrily with a girl named Christina. Shadow the cat has bright yellow-green eyes and a long silky black coat with white socks and a light tail tassel."
    • The type of character you choose will determine how the story unfolds. If the main characters harmoniously fit into the environment and setting, the development of the plot line will be smooth, and the characters will merge with others, not stand out from their background. If they are diametrically opposed, sharp conflict will be indicated from the very beginning and you will begin to work it out from the first lines too.
    • Or take stereotypes and play this card differently.
      • For example: The old librarian is behaving strangely because she thinks it is necessary. In fact, she's the kind of person who likes puppies and ice cream and is called "grandma" even if she's not related to them.
    • You can try to start with a simple character and delve into more intricate details. You don't have to create a terribly complex character right from the start. Actually, gradually revealing information about the hero, you will only warm up the interest of readers.
    • While it's not necessary to work through the items in a strict order, it can be much easier for you to think of a character's personality before you decide on their appearance.
    • Look around, maybe Uncle Vanya or Aunt Masha might be in your next story. Or mix their traits in one character.
    • Remember: This process will help you create more or less real character. If necessary, consider what steps you need to add or remove to create actor of this type.
    • When they tell you interesting stories, listen! Fiction or non-fiction. Who knows? You can make an excellent daughter character ex girlfriend your father who killed her abusive husband!
    • For a believable character, physical attractiveness is not that important (just pay attention to the main details that indicate his personality).

    Warnings

    • Do not overdo it with observing the people around you. If your character is too reminiscent of someone, you may get in trouble with the law. So remember this simple rule: Don't bring a real person into the story unless they give you permission to do so.

    What will you need

    • Something to write on. Pen, pencil, computer, even a typewriter, or a voice recorder where you can speak.
    • Although not required, a writer's magazine subscription will help you improve your writing skills even further. Actually, it might help.

The character is the main figure of any animation, so he should be given enough a large number of attention. In this article, you will find tips from professionals to help you create a bright and believable, as well as a look at how Pixar creates cartoon characters.

1. Focus on facial expressions

Tex Avery, the creator of Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny and other characters we love, never neglected facial expressions when designing his characters, and this made them popular.

Depending on the nature of the character, his emotions can be both pronounced and slightly hidden, therefore, when developing your character, think about his personal qualities and, starting from this, work on his facial expressions. A great example of the work of the legendary Tex Avery is the wolf, whose eyes popped out of his skull when he was agitated. On the other hand, you can put Droopy, who seems to have no emotions at all.

2. Make your characters special

When Matt Groening created The Simpsons, he knew that he had to offer viewers something special, something that would be different from other TV shows. Therefore, he decided that when the viewer flips through the channels and stumbles upon a cartoon with yellow-skinned heroes, he cannot help but be interested in them.

Whoever your character is, try to make them as similar as possible to all the characters that came before them. It should have interesting visual qualities that will be unusual for the viewer. Like yellow skin and four fingers instead of five, for example.

3. Experiment

Rules are made to be broken. At least that's what Yuck thinks. When he creates his characters, he does not know who he is drawing. “I listen to music and draw the result, which depends on my mood: strange or cute characters. I always want to draw what interests me. Later I refine the character,” he says.

4. Understand who you are drawing for

Think about your audience. For adults and for children, you need to choose absolutely different instruments interactions, colors, and characters.

“A bespoke character usually has more boxes for me to fit into, but that doesn't mean less creativity is needed here. Clients have specific needs, but they also want me to do my own thing. I usually start with the main features and personality of the character. For example, if the eyes are important, then I will build the design around the face so that the main detail stands out,” says Nathan Jurevicius.

5. Learn

“Never work without materials, always look for something you can build on. Take photos of people that can be a good basis for your work. For example, their clothes, hairstyle, face. Even if your character is not human, consider where he got his DNA from and build on that. Once you start working with examples, your work will become clearer and more engaging.” – Gal Shkedi .

6. Start simple

“Always start with simple forms. Squares are good for strong and tough characters, while triangles are perfect if you want to make the character intimidating. Well, if you want a friendly character, then use smooth lines.” - Jorfe.

It is worth remembering that no matter how complex a character is, it consists of simple elements. Starting with a simple one, you will gradually layer elements and eventually get a coherent image.

7. Technique is not the most important thing

Sketching skills will help you a lot if you want to imagine a character in various poses and from different angles. And this skill takes practice. But to create a credible and atmospheric character, these skills are not so important.

“I try to get into the character, highlighting his oddities, combining them and working on them. I draw a lot different options one character until I am happy with one of them.” — Nick Shehy.

8. Make up a story

“If you want your character to exist outside of cartoons or comics, then you should take the time to come up with a story. Where he came from, how he appeared, what happened in his life - all this will help create integrity. Sometimes a character's story is more interesting than his current adventures.” — Pixar.

9. Sharpen your character

An interesting appearance does not always make a character interesting. His character is the key, the character must be consistent in his emotions and actions. Pixar believes that character should be pronounced, unless you specifically make your character boring.

10. Environment

Another rule of Pixar is to work on the environment of the character.

“If you want your character to be more believable, then make the world around him believable. Think about the environment and make it work for you.”

And in this video you can follow the process of creating the characters of Carl and Ellie:

How to come up with a character? This question is asked by almost every Author who strives to make his work as interesting, colorful, and believable as possible. After all, if the hero does not look real, then the whole work is perceived as fantasy or utopia.
In order to make it more convenient, we will first consider the creation of the main characters, and then the secondary ones, which some Authors deprive of their attention.

So, creating a main character is a painstaking process. It is necessary to cover all aspects, all facets, because main character- not a dummy that no one would write about. This is, first of all, a person, although invented, he has thoughts, feelings, as well as habits and principles. And often the Authors present us with only a small fraction of what inner world.

First, readers should roughly imagine what a particular character looks like. After all, each Author, as an artist, draws pictures in words, and readers subconsciously imagine what is happening. Therefore, it is necessary to designate at least a silhouette - tall hero or short, thin or full, and may be stooped. It is far from necessary to describe every centimeter of the body, it is enough just to describe the main external signs: hair and eye color, again, height and physique. And in order to give the hero an individuality in appearance (even if the character is a blue-eyed blond of an athletic build, whom all the girls run after), a couple can distinctive features. For example, a large mole on the neck, which cannot be ignored, or a tattoo in the form of a dragon, or a scar on the cheek. This hero will be remembered.

Secondly, you need to describe the character. It is incorrect in a work where the narration is conducted on behalf of this main character, to write something like: "I am smart, kind, affectionate, brave ...". Even if the character calls himself smart or cowardly, for example, then he must do it differently. For example:

"I finally solved it complex equation with degrees, immediately jumping up from his seat, and under the admiring glances of classmates put the solution on the teacher's table. He looked at me in surprise - no one in our class could find the roots of the equation. I was insanely proud, because now everyone knows how smart I turn out to be!"

But in this case, one should not forget that, having told in this way about the mind of the hero, the Author also reveals other qualities: in my example, the character looks somewhat boastful, you can even imagine how he approaches the teacher's table, proudly raising his head. If the work is written in a third person or the hero is described by another character, then the same concept applies: "Action - evaluation". Such small descriptions should be present throughout the text, not only in the thoughts of the character, but also in his behavior, actions - after all, readers evaluate the hero precisely according to these criteria, referring him to more positive or more negative characters in the work.

This is worth stopping - negative and positive characters. If the Author really does not write a utopian work, then it should be remembered that there are no people who are good or bad in everything. This is where individuality lies - one person is brave, but a little stupid, so he gets into various troubles; the second is smart and cunning, therefore cowardly avoids danger, caring only about himself; and the third is smart and brave, but at the same time utterly vicious. Again, for all the fantasy of the Author, but more goodies there must be at least one bad habit(bite your nails with excitement) or a nasty trait (slam the door and be rude), despite the fact that such heroes most likely strive for perfection, while more negative ones have, for example, secret passion kittens, when a selfish and arrogant teenager is suddenly touched and begins to care for an abandoned kitten.

Biography is not the most important part of character description in works small size, but a necessary part in large works. At least a mention, but it must be, since it is in childhood that the basic principles and "life scenarios" (some plans for the development of events, patterns transmitted by inheritance) are laid, and some significant event- the death of parents or the betrayal of a friend - can explain the appearance in the character of such traits as distrust, disappointment in life.

The same applies to behavior. A gallant young man will not slam the door right in front of a girl, and a drunkard will not bow in curtsey to his acquaintance. Again, the example is a stretch, and in most cases the Author does not even think about exactly how his characters speak, but there should be no discrepancies.

Thus, it turned out several main points for creating the main character:
1. Description of appearance. Against stamps - a certain "zest" that gives individuality.
2. Description of character. Against stamps - a habit or trait that is diametrically opposed to character (worse or better).
3. Speech and behavior of the character.
Perhaps each Author will supplement this list with some other item that will make his story special - my list serves as a framework, a basis. We move from the main character to the secondary character.

The secondary characters are the people who surround the main character. Classmates, acquaintances running past, sometimes even parents. The secondary characters help to create the atmosphere of the reality of the work, despite the fact that they do not really affect the main one. storyline. Therefore, with their creation, everything is much simpler - sometimes the reader does not even think about what he is, the same Uncle Petya, who was mentioned in the fifth chapter, in the third paragraph.

Firstly, if a minor character still appears throughout the story (for example, the same parents), then you can also describe their silhouette, create a vague image so that the reader does not forget who this person is, and more fully imagined what the Author himself wanted to convey to him. This can be done with such an unobtrusive phrase:

"I walked past a very fat grandmother, sitting on a bench near the entrance, and greeted her - she frowned at me, but said nothing, only muttering something under her breath".
And the reader clings to this "very fat grandmother" with his eyes, remembering her.

Secondly, one can single out main feature character, which will help you remember the character after ten chapters, even if you forgot the name. For example, the brave Uncle Vanya, who defeated a bear in his youth; capricious aunt Vika, always dissatisfied with those around her.

Thirdly, speech and behavior play a big role even in minor characters. For the same reasons as the main characters, because if social qualities and manners differ, the hero becomes fake.

The easiest way is to draw secondary characters from acquaintances. At least, you can associate them with them so that the Author himself does not forget who is who. Secondary characters are described by the main characters or from the outside, and this is like thinking about someone you know. You can not resort to this method, but still.

Therefore, there are a couple of points for creating secondary heroes:
1. Creating an image of the external and internal phrase.
2. The speech and behavior of the character.
I repeat, this is much easier to do than to create a main character who will reveal more and more facets of his inner world in the course of the story.

Even the most ordinary hero or a cliché hero can acquire a personality with the help of the Author. Creating a hero is not difficult, but it needs to be taken as seriously as possible. Hope my article helps you.

Today in the article we will answer the questions:

How to create a volumetric hero? What determines the "volume" of the hero? What makes it alive, unique and makes readers empathize?

What is depth and how to work it out?

First, let's define the depthNOT is.

Depth is NOT:

• characteristic;
• peculiarities;
• bizarre and eccentric features;
• not a dominant character trait.

So what is depth?

A bright character is distinguished not by one, but by many features and traits, many of which may contradict each other. It is from this contradiction of character traits that depth is born.

We put forward the thesis:

Depthis a contradiction.

This is the simplest, but most important thing to remember when we talk about volume.

The contradiction may be:

• inside strong character (internal conflict, which is born from two contradictory traits; for example, in Macbeth it is a conflict of ambition and guilt);
• between characterization and true character(brave fat man, kind ogre, charming thief);
• between character and behavior (For example, let's remember Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings". Aragorn is a king by vocation - he comes from a family of rulers, and the throne belongs to him by right. But he rejects his destiny and puts on the mask of a ranger and a wanderer).

Contradictions must be consistent, logical and consistent. If you position the hero as a positive character, any of his bad deeds must be justified, understood and accepted/forgiven by the readers.

Most a prime example multidimensional character -Hamlet.

Here is a partial list of his controversies:

• religious - blasphemer;
• loving and gentle - heartless and sadistic;
• courageous - cowardly;
• calm and cautious - impulsive and imprudent;
• ruthless - compassionate;
• proud - feels sorry for himself;
• witty - sad;
• tired - energetic;
• reasonable - confused;
• sane - insane;
• simple-minded - sophisticated.

The protagonist does not have to have such huge amount contradictions. But they should be at least 3-4. Minor characters have 2-3 contradictions. At the checkpoints - no more than one.

The main character must have the most large quantity contradictions from all the characters present in your work.

Even more than the antagonist (or equally). If the villain has more contradictions than the hero, he will automatically replace him.

Why are contradictions necessary?

It is very interesting for readers to observe ambiguous, contradictory characters. They arouse interest and attract attention. The more interesting the contradictions, the more intriguing character you will get.

Examples of contradictions in characters:

1. "The Lord of the Rings" Tolkien. Frodo.

The little hobbit is brave and selfless.

2. "Breaking Bad." Walt.

Compassionate - cruel.

3. "Jeeves, you are a genius!" Woodhouse. Jeeves.

The servant is smart and a gentleman.

4. "Frankenstein" Shelley. Frankenstein.

A terrible monster - with a sensitive heart and a thirst for love and understanding.

5. " Green Mile» King. John Coffee.

The huge Negro slave is kind and compassionate.

Conclusion:

The depth of the characters depends on how strong and justified the contradictions in the character are.

The skill of creating contradictions not only makes your character more interesting and multifaceted, but will also directly affect the plot component of the work.

We invite you to the next stream of the course “Characters”:

👉 Target– in 12 lessons to create characters that will intrigue, amaze and surprise. And most importantly - to influence the reader.