Characters make your story possible.

A reader would be drawn into a story with well-rounded believable characters rather than cardboard-like or cartoon/stereotypical types. By all means, give your character a name, and simple physical attributes.

But what moves your story forward would be how your character feels and behaves in situations they are planted in. Take the story of Rosequartz (pages 7 to 14). It is a story of how a filly evades her enemies, Man. How does Michelle Neoh build the character of Rosequartz, her protagonist? Through the character’s thoughts and actions.

“How can I outsmart Man? …… ‘Here goes,’ I muttered to myself and with a ringing neigh, I leapt out from my hiding place.” Michelle did not tell her readers that Rosequartz was headstrong and reckless as any young filly would be, she showed it through Rosequartz’actions. Note how brilliantly she painted the young filly’s attempt to prevent being captured.

“Excited barks and howls from Man’s hounds could be heard and I could vaguely imagine slavering jaws snapping at my long neck, slobber dripping all over my neatly-groomed glossy coat. Morbid thoughts entered my head, poisoning my mind, and fear lent an extra burst of speed to my tiring legs.”

How else can you depict character? Nicholas Chan’s formula in Days in Malaysia was to use the eyes of another character.

“I fell asleep as my grandmother read The Lion King to me. She would so effortlessly narrate the parts and impersonate the characters — Simba, the wise baboon, the hyenas. She was phenomenal.”

Through this simple device, Nicholas gives the reader a sense of his childhood days and most important, his grandmother’s love for him. Isn’t it simple, how to effortlessly build your character. One method is through the character’s thoughts and actions. Another is the use of the eyes of another character. There are many ways to develop character. In my next installment, I would share a few more.

Now, for budding authors, if you dare…take this challenge! If you come across any great characters, leave a comment behind and tell me what device was used to build the character.