Why can't fictional characters be real?
― Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange
Don’t be misled by the word fictional. Characters in fiction must be real otherwise the story will lack depth and verisimilitude—and don't be put off by that last big word that simply means, ‘true to life.’
Good authors don’t make up characters, they write them down. Hemingway did that much to the consternation of his friends, but such is the lot of the writer’s friends—sooner or later they end up in one of his stories.
Usually I begin with a real character and end up with a plot. Yes, I know you can find plot generators online, but I wouldn’t use them. I believe in organic development of plot—the action flows from who the character is and what he or she does. Characters aren’t fitted into plots except on TV soap operas. That’s why I used to tell my students to get beyond ‘what happens next.’
Even in Shakespeare’s great tragedies, the plot was intimately tied up with the tragic hero’s character. The central protagonist in a tragedy was a great person except for one tragic fault (hamartia) that ultimately caused his downfall. And the plot was constructed in such a way that the tragic hero was tested at his weakest point and therefore, was bound to fall. That’s why tragedies in the Medieval era were called the Fall of Princes.
So, all in all, the best characters are drawn from real life, from the author’s experience, and the plot grows out of who he is and what he does.
And The Beatles Great Songs all came from Newspaper Stories, again real people . Except , of course, the ones written while tripping! Thank you for the insight , I must try my hand at a Story.
Yes, try! Your personal anecdotes limit you to the facts - fiction frees you to make a statement
Most of the stories I write are in one way or another about or for myself...
However, I clearly need to learn more about technique, and how to make what I write interesting to people other than me... ;)
Thanks for this nice insight into your modus operandi, John! :) ;)