Tuesday's Tip: It's All in the Details

The secret to a strong, memorable character is details.

Details. Details. Details. And, oh yeah, details.

Not sure how many of you out there are fans of romance, but, even if you’re not, I’m sure you’ve stumbled across what you would call the “cookie-cutter” hero and heroine. They are, of course, beautiful and desirable. Often, the woman is a tad silly or naïve, but she still manages to snag the hero’s heart. Right? Same old. Same old. And boring.

Now, let’s say you have the same story. Let’s say it’s a romance, so the people have to be attractive. Let’s even go so far as to say the heroine is blond and blue-eyed with excellent proportions. (Getting ready to roll your eyes yet?) How do you keep heroine (let’s call her Josie) from being just like all those other beautiful, well-endowed corset-wearing divas?

Details.

First off, let’s take some of the perfection away from Ms. Josie. She has a small gap between her two front teeth. And maybe she has freckles. Also, let’s make her have an annoying tendency to bite her nails when she’s nervous, so she never sports the perfect manicure.

Are you still with me?

Now, let’s give her more surprises. Josie has a Ph.D. in philosophy and a black belt in karate. She volunteers at the local homeless shelter. She has a fanatic adoration of cats and believes that she one day might be a crazy cat lady unless she meets Mr. Right or Mr. Allergic to Cats.

She thinks she has a big butt. She falls for a guy for all the wrong reasons, and has even been called “easy”, but she’ll punch you in the face if you call her a slut. She’s shy, but comes off as stuck-up. Her mom is her superhero. Her dad is in prison. She has a brother named Pete who just confessed that he is gay. She is the only member of the family who still talks to him.

Now, put that character in your traditional love story. She’s not going to be one of those stereotypical heroines is she? Which will also make your story less than stereotypical.

Rounding out your characters with information, even information that will have no place in your story, makes them come alive on the page. Not only for you, but for your reader. Keeping a list of details about your character will also help you decide what her reaction would be to certain events. And, if you give your character room to grow, she can lead you to some surprises.