How To Develop Story Characters !

        Well, your  story is beginning to take form in your mind.  Now to start thinking about your characters.  Character development can be difficult because you want your character to be realistic for your reader, someone they can actually relate to.  This usually starts by describing how your main character looks.    A good thing to do is develop  a character sketch for each character.  Get to know them by writing down all you want your reader to know about them. Like their  height, hair color, eye color,  any facial features, like scars.  It's always good to know the age of your character, and if it is a male or female, and what their name is.    What's their social status?  Are they from a poor family, where trying to survive is all that consumes them.  Are they wealthy, and money is no object?  These are areas you need to think seriously about, and often impacts the way he, or she, sees life, and their place in the world.  Even their clothing can be used here to help your readers understand and feel their social condition.  Using their background, you can let your reader know all about your  character's life. His race, religion, even his taste in food, which will reveal a lot about his heritage.
      Doing a character sketch is a great way to get to know your characters in a personal way, and understand what makes them "Tick" so to speak, and once you get to know and understand them, so will your readers.  It's good to do sketches of all your characters, especially the majors one's.  But also the minor characters that your main character interacts with.  The ones that touch your main character's  life, and builds the action that makes the story move!

Next: We will discuss  Dialogue in writing.  How to make your dialogue sound real!