To get back to our character discussion, I think it's time to discuss a few of the traits that all great characters have in common. They are (in no particular order):
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| Anne of Green Gables may have red hair, but it's her love of drama that is the important character trait. |
- Significant Details
These are not things like a characters hair color, eye color, or make and model of his/her car. These don't actually tell us anything about the character, they simply help the reader visualize the character's outside. What we are interested in are the things that tell us about the character herself. Does your character rub the inside of his elbow when he's nervous? This can be used as a detail every time he's in an uncomfortable situation. That way you don't have to tell "David is nervous." Instead you can show him rubbing his elbow.
You can tell the difference between significant and insignificant details pretty easily. The insignificant ones are the ones that are completely inconsequential. If I never told you that my character was a brunette, it would not change the story at all. In fact, if I make an insignificant detail signifcant (for instance the hero is blond), I have probably succumbed to stereotyping, a big no-no. - Avoid Stereotypes
Obviously bad stereotypes based on race, gender, ethnicity, etc. are absolute off limits, but you should avoid good stereotypes as well. (Example of a positive stereotype: people with glasses are smart.)
Sterotypes have the unfortunate effect of making a character seem two (or even one) dimensional. It also does the character a grave disservice by grossly oversimplifying him/her. You never want a simple primary character, even in a picture book. All of the best characters (including PB ones like Olivia or Fancy Nancy) have layers. Like a parfait.
Of course, occasionally authors deliberately make use of a stereotype to debunk it or to prove some type of point. That however is different than just using a stereotype for your main character and then moving on.
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| Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle believes herself to be the stereotyped oldest sibling from a fairy tale. |
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