We writers are very attached to our characters. In a strange way they are almost like our children. We brought them into the world. We gave them life. We guide them, try to teach them how to behave. Even the little weasels and evil villains we create are utterly adored by us.

However, just because we (rightfully) think of our characters as our children, it doesn’t mean we need or want them to be like us. In fact, when you do model your characters after yourself, you can find yourself trapped in a roomful of fictional clones. That won’t do you or your story any favors. And think of the nightmares you could have.

Writing what you know is not meant literally

If you’re a writer of any stripe, you can’t help but run into the phrase, ‘write what you know’, repeated until it takes on an utterly hypnotic cadence. However, too many writers take this literally. It is really confusing advice, especially to a fledgling writer who has little life experience. If one was literally bound to write only what they knew, what could they write about but themselves, their life, their family, the little sibling rivalries they’ve experienced, and a litany of ordinary and possibly boring stuff.  And so it follows that if we are writing what/who we know, then making ourselves the model for the hero does make sense.

Perhaps the phrase should be edited to read: ‘write what you know, what you can learn, what you can research, and understand.' We have endless resources at our fingertips; from newspapers, to textbooks, history books, libraries, search engines, and the internet. In this, the information age, it’s not that hard to know many, many things. At least well enough to write about them. I mean, I write murder mysteries, but I’m not going to go out and kill somebody so I can write it, am I?

I’m sure that science fiction, fantasy, and horror novelists would agree. Was Asimov a space traveler and robot technician? Was Chandler a hard-boiled private detective? Did Stephen King ever live in a hotel that was possessed by evil beings and had a boiler with a mind of its own? Of course not.

Inspiration versus replication

While many beloved and famous literary characters (and some not so famous) may be based in part on or inspired by real people, it’s not about recreating a real person down to the last detail. It’s about using that person as a sort of inspiration template by taking certain characteristics, quirky habits or mannerisms and weaving that into the characters you are creating. By using real people for inspiration in our characters, it does help us to imbue our heroes and villains with life, but it’s their own life we’re shooting for, not someone else’s.

Fun drill to try

Just for fun try this:

Write down an admirable quality about each of your family members. Then do the same with their flaws.

Use the first name of any close friend and the last name of another friend to create a name for your character.

Choose a location you went to or lived in at some time in your life, whether it was a vacation spot, a town you lived in, your grandmother’s neighborhood, or a place you attended a convention – that’s where your character lives.

Give your now named character all the characteristics and flaws you previously noted and voila, you have the beginnings of a character that you can flesh out. 

You used what you know as inspiration to end up with a unique and probably interesting character that could never be mistaken for you or your Aunt Edna.

Creating characters can be one of the best (and most fun) aspects of writing.  And when you think your characters are fun and interesting, chances are so will your readers.