I’ve Been A Fool

He’s a Real Boy! An Introduction to Humanizing Your Characters

Characters. Fun to invent, occasional hell to develop. Sometimes you end up with a flat, two-dimensional character that just falls short of being interesting or recognizable. How we do fix this? We fix by humanizing them, making them more recognizable by giving them character aspects of traits. Even if your character isn’t necessarily human, you still need to humanize them in some way. Humanizing allows for likeable and believable characters and allows the reader to empathize with your character, which we want them to. We want identifiable characters, because when your character is identifiable, we are far more likely to suck poor unfortunate souls into the worlds we’ve created and make sure they never, ever, leave. Having a character that is perfect and lives a perfect life and never does anything that any regular person would do is kind of silly. So how do we go about creating a humanized character?

For the purpose of this post, we’re going to create a character. We’ll take a chiseled chin, throw in a nice Armani suit, dark curly locks, and eyes like the sea before a storm. He has a very big intellect, a heart of gold, and musical talent as well. He moonlights as a superhero. He is a perfect man. A delicious, perfect man. But wait! A perfect man is too intimidating and your readers will have trouble forming an attachment to him! He’s two dimensional!  How do we fix this? Here are some quick solutions.

QUICK THROW SOME FLAWS AT HIM. Wait, what? Flawed character are human characters. No one is perfect, and we all know that on some deep personal level, so why should your characters be? Okay, so we’re going throw a crippling fear of water at him, an inability to properly manage his funds, and a habit of cutting himself when he’s peeling apples and then swearing like a sailor. Woah, suddenly he’s become a little more developed and human and a little more interesting now.

GIVE HIM REAL LIFE ACTIVITIES AND EXPLORE THE MUNDANE. This includes both the good and the bad. People do things. People have to make their own beds, do their own laundry, and bathe and feed themselves. It brings your characters back down to earth. A very good friend pointed out the other day while we were skyping and I was squeezing the pus out of my cat’s behind (abscesses, everyone), that while gross, the activity is still something that I have to do in the midst of my oh-so-glamourous life. There are things that can’t be avoided. So we’re going to have him taking care of his cat’s swollen bum when he gets home from a long day fighting crime, give him a dirty roommate to pick up after, and a wilting tomato plant to take care of. On that note, let’s…

GIVE HIM SOME HOBBIES. Hobbies are huge in figuring out a personality, and almost everyone has one. Some of mine include weeping quietly over books, wine, and wondering who turned the damn heat off in the middle of a Canadian March. Hobbies are importantly in both bringing down and fleshing out your character. So our superhero’s hobbies will include video games (where he plays a version of himself), writing bad poetry, and trying to figure out the perfect butter chicken recipe. Remember though, he can’t be good at everything, so we’ll also…

GIVE HIM SOME REAL EMOTIONS. Everyone gets sad now and again. Make him sad. Everyone gets silly now and then. Make him crack a joke. Perhaps he has a favourite one involving the pope, a bar, and a testy crocodile that he tells over, and over, and over again. Perhaps he’s sorting through his feelings or has a bit of anger problem. He doesn’t always respond appropriately, and sometimes he has a tendency to be overly dramatic and monologue to villains. Emotion is a force all itself, and almost nobody has full control over them.

Phew, doesn’t our character seem a little more human now, a little more interesting and identifiable while still being a bit of a total dreamboat? That’s because we tried to humanize him. These are just a few short things you can do, but they all have to do with the one thing you absolutely HAVE to remember when humanizing your character…. 

          5. JUST KEEP IT REAL BRO. People are complex and messy masses of bone and tissues and spirit. Write real people, because real people are easy to identify. I’ve said it over, and over and over again, but that’s only because making an identifiable character is so important. Having your readers identify with your character, that’s what makes them really real. Your readers are the people that make your characters come alive over and over again. Characterization is so important, and there are a lot of things you have to keep in mind. People are deep, and your characters should be too. Complexity is key.

There are a million ways to humanize your characters, and I could go on and on and on, but the most important point is the last one. Your characters are human if they are real. People are real, so don’t forget to include everything that makes people real into your character. Yes, creating someone who’s interesting and deep and complex is hard work, but no one ever said writing was easy, and if they do, they’re clearly a witch and need to be dealt with accordingly.

(Don’t gotta listen to me though, I temporarily forgot how to use a kettle today, so yeah.)

---

i am actually a terrible human being with no self worth but please still validate me and give me attention or else i’ll die

---

aaaaagh this has been sitting in my computer for way too long bc ive got exams to study for but this is the work in progress sketch of my spring drawakening thing im so excited to completely ruin my hand painting this

---

Those poor mothers, just give them a break.

---

How long have you played guitar? Could you give us some advice :) I would like to audition for Voice of Moritz for the tour but I've never played guitar

I’ve been playing for 13 years.

Honestly, if you want to audition for Voice of Moritz, you need to start playing guitar immediately. At the risk of being blunt, it would pretty difficult to get to the skill level required by the time auditions rolled around. (And before anyone asks, I have absolutely NO clue when that would be.)

It’s a broadway score, and you need to play perfectly. I played three different guitars (6 string acoustic, 12 string acoustic, electric 6 string), and almost every song in the show. So you’d also need to learn three dramatically different styles of playing.

That, on its own, is a huge amount of work. Combine that with acting, speaking, and singing Moritz at the same time, while coordinating with another actor, and it’s a pretty challenging task.

That said, nothing is impossible. If you want something, go after it. PRACTICE. Practice HARD. Get a guitar. Get a book that teaches you how to read music. 

---

Calming masterpost:

crisis/urgent support lines and sites

hotlines/crisis lines for depression, domestic abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, teens, pregnancy, lgbt and more

mental support community - a forum where you can post that you are in a crisis right now and need peer support as soon as possible

imalive crisis chat - online one-on-one chat for if you’re in at risk of hurting yourself etc

self harm alternatives

si urges alternatives

relaxation/anxiety relief

do nothing for two minutes

interactive silk art

guided relaxation

watch a dream

100,000 stars

thisissand - create sandscapes on your screen with your mouse

calming gif

the quiet place project

the quiet place - find some quiet

the thoughts room - a super calm page to unburden yourself from bad thoughts

the comfort spot - a place for anonymous venting with out anybody judging you for who you are

the dawn room - my personal favourite, especially good for when you feel alone

know that it will be okay - when a moment is too hard for you - come here.

music and sounds

my anxiety relief playlist - on 8tracks

my positivity/recovery playlist - on 8tracks

‘stay strong’ playlists - on 8tracks

coffee shop sounds

rain sounds

calmsound - nature sounds

rainycafe

comfort food

one minute cookie in a mug

brownie in a mug

several cookie recipes

25 hot chocolate recipes

loads and loads of snacks - 533 quick and easy recipes for a range of snacks on studentrecipe

lots of different in-a-mug recipes

chocolate pudding in a mug - my personal fave (lil tip: add mini marshmallows for extra gooey yumminess)

advice and tips

how to be okay with yourself

25 resolutions

life hacks

more life hacks

a hella ton more life hacks - so many life hacks dude soon ur gonna never have a day-to-day stress again

school masterpost - school sucks so bad but hopefully this can help ease the stress

how to love yourself

how to bypass restricted wifi omg

alleviate menstrual cramps

boost your confidence

love yourself!

self help after anxiety

stop biting your nails

stop procrastinating

stop skipping breakfast

videos and movies

cure to sadness (video)

the movie blog - a blog dedicated to movie masterposts you will never be without a movie to watch again

cute roulette - THE BEST PLACE ON THE INTERNET ITS LITERALLY JUST A HUGE ROULETTE OF VIDEOS OF CUTE ANIMALS WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT FROM LIFE

random acts of kindness caught on film

disney movies

movies for angsty teens

distractions etc

rice questions - answer simple questions and donate free rice to people in poverty!!

click to give - just click a button to donate (it costs nothing) food to animals shelters, people in poverty and homeless veterans; mammograms to fight breast cancer; therapy for people on the autism spectrum; alzheimer’s and diabetes research; a book to a child; protect wildlife habitat

break something - good for anger

loads of cute games

how to make a blanket nest

learn something new - a masterpost of hobbies

exercise like a superhero

nice words

things to do when your sad

slap a bald guy with an eel - this is ridiculously entertaining

watch a dog lick your screen - it loops, so you could literally watch for hours if you want

calmingmanatee

daily puppy

how to make a comfort box

download free books

extras

emergency compliment!

lots of compliments - they even include ur name aw

huge list of bloggers who have put themselves forward as willing to listen/chat without judgement

getting anon hate?

:) tag - all the posts that i’ve tagged for making me happy

7cupsoftea - free, anonymous, confidential talks with trained listeners

get a hug

Calming songs, playlists and instrumentals:

Sing Me to Sleep

The Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Boost your Mood (peppier and happy songs)

The Driving Mixtape

Study

Summer Nights

It’s Going to be Fine

Calm & Collected

Once Upon a December - Piano (song)

Clair de Lune (song)

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (song)

Calming/distracting Websites

The Quiet Place

Rainymood.com

Calm.com

Soundrown.com - calming sounds to mix and match

A website to distract yourself

A recovery masterpost

A post of interesting things

Ungruntle yourself

Press a magic button and fix everything

Play cute games

Almost every movie your little heart desires (i suggest you use with adblocker)

How to love yourself

A website that compliments you

Crafts and activities, easy and fun DYI projects

Glitter calm jars

A list of things to do to curb anxiety

Make a blanket nest

Silky summer legs

Lots of food recipes; mostly desserts  

For bad days masterpost

Make some microwave snacks

Five minute fudge

Make a phone case

A bunch of hobbies!

Self care list!

Pretty gold-dipped feathers (for decorating or anything)

What to do when:

You’ve been triggered

You’re having an anxiety attack

You’re having a panic attack

Your face is red and puffy after crying

You just had a fight

You hate yourself

You want to avoid being stressed

You want to get over your ex

Meditation and breathing

Guided Meditations

Do Nothing for 2 Minutes

Calm Down

Meditation Tips

90 second relaxation exercise

Simple things

Pretty Tree

When You Feel You Have Lost Everything

See Some BLOOD

Press a Button to Make Everything OK

Calming Manatee

Calming Gif

Make Something!

Jump into a Sofa Fort!

Make a Comfort Box

Glitter Jar Or This One

Other Nice Things

A Page To Help You Recover!!!

Coping Skills & Distractions

The Quiet Place. Shhhhh

For When You’re Upset

The Nicest Place on the Internet

Player 2

10 Most Relaxing Online Games

Talk To Someone That Will Listen

Not Having a Good Day?

How-to Love Yourself

Ground Yourself X X  X

Mood Chart

Do Nothing For Two Minutes

Rainymood

The Comfort Spot

Weave Silk

Seed Plant Breeder

This Is Sand

C.A.L.M

Calming/Relaxing Music:

Soft Piano: x, x, x, x, x

The Sound of Waves: x

The Sound of a Storm + Waves: x

---

OKAY BUT LIKE COLTON IS SUCH A CUTE JARED

---

someone: you love j.d.? but he’s so evil!!!

me:

---

What is a legacy?

Please eat. I know its easy to skip meals and go hours without anything but please go and get something to eat. You deserve proper meals even if you haven’t exercised, even if they’re more calories than you can count, even if you had take out yesterday. Just eat.

---