Creating CHARACTERS: Family
In FROM THE GRAVE, monster families care for each other. How does a writer create characters readers care about?
In FROM THE GRAVE, the main character, Frankenstein Frightface Gordon, has a rather typical family, very comparable to a human family. A mom, a dad, and an older brother who likes to torment him. His dad and brother, unlike Frank, are green and gruesome—just as Frankensteins should be. His dad works at the Haunted House Factory. His brother Ghoulbert, is rather slow at school but excels at mischief. Frank’s mom is a classic monster as well—a shrieking siren, floating here and there and everywhere. Poor Frank, with his pale blue skin and neatnik ways is the only oddbat in the family.
Does your main character (protagonist) have a family? What are they like? How does your protagonist fit in—or not? Supporting characters (the semi-important characters like family & friends) can have a big impact on the protagonist. They can be fun and interesting foils –characters that contrast another character, highlighting the differences. Make sure you know your characters well. Then when you write your story, you’ll make them come alive (or as alive as a zombie can be) for your reader too!
A good way to find out everything you need to know about your character is to create a Character Chart. Here’s an example below.
- NAME
- AGE
- PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
- FAMILY
- FRIENDS
- LIKES
- DISLIKES
- FEARS
- GOALS
- HOMETOWN
Does your monster have a mummy–or daddy??? 