Our characters

The first lesson on Fantasy characters

There are many fantasy novels and writers outside; published and unpublished. For those who aren't published yet and are planning to write a fantasy; here are some thinks to watch out with.

1) Original characters.

They can make or break your story; the characters in your novel. If they aren't interesting; then no one will read your novel. Your characters are a part of the process of making your novel original.

When you think of fantasy; many people immediately think of strange-colored hair and strange beings. Considering the first one; you'll have to be careful with it. Don't give a person a weird hair color just because you say it's "cool". Same goes for birthmarks and scars. There has to be a reason why a person has this and not just because it's "cool".

An original character will do much better than a character with a strange appearance. Avoid the cliché characters as well: the tortured hero; the wicked advisor and the gruf dwarf. We've seen them; we've read them. Do not kill all the hero's family off immediately.

You heard it before; but to make a character original: give them flaws. Though this doesn't mean you should give them a "tendency to push people away"; that has been done as much as other things. Unless you can put a twist to it; don't do it.

Some good flaws include: stubbornness; jealousy; apathy or a temper. Try and see what happens!

And of course; don't forget your most powerful source of originality: the villain. The villains who are evil "just because" don't belong to a novel. Try giving them good points; loyalties and stuff. A reader will like it much more if they understand the villain's motives. I’ll dig deeper into the villain later.

Watch out for part two: original plots!

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