Character Writing with M.I.P

Writing characters is hard. It’s also a lot of fun. You’re creating a living individual through sheer creativity and imagination. Someone with thoughts, feelings, and values is as complex as alone. Characters aren’t plot devices but people. An outstanding character can be able to act, think, and feel as much as an actual person. The effort is needed whether you’re creating a protagonist, a villain, or even a side character. Sounds like a lot of work, huh? This three-letter acronym could act as a starting point for your character. I name this acronym MIP, which stands for Motivation, Ideals, and Perspective.

Motivations

Characters need the motivation to do something. Without it, there wouldn’t be much of a story. A few examples of motivations are freedom, survival, and revenge. Motivation isn’t a want but a need. It is their divine purpose in the story, their reason d’etre if you will. A powerful motivation is something they will fight for despite the great adversaries that will have to face. Motivations don’t have to be external like getting wealth or slaying the monster. Most human desires are often internal, like the desire to love. One can understand a character’s motivations after asking an annoying amount of whys. Why is your protagonist trying to save the world? If you’re having trouble, ask yourself why you want to achieve this goal. This fleshes out unique aspects of your characters you haven’t realized. Your characters will start to “make sense” once you hear their side of the story.

Ideals

If motivation was the goal that drives a character, then ideals are the beliefs. Without them, your character is nothing more than a blank sheet of paper. A few examples of ideals are respect, tradition, and strength. Ideals shouldn’t be as a series of quirks used to make a character stand out. Ideals are the things that the character believes in the most. The fundamental moral and ethical principles compel them to act the way they do. Ideals encompass everything from their life goals to their core belief system. Ideals are made because of outside influences like social class, wealth, and power. Not all ideals are born equal to everyone. One’s character’s trash is another character’s treasure. But it’s these personal ideas that make a character feel believable.

Perspective

As much as we hate to admit it, the world does not revolve around us. That doesn’t apply to fiction-land, where everything revolves around the protagonist. People will have another view of the same person. The same should go with the characters. A character plays more than their designated story role. They might be a friend, a mentor, or a mortal enemy to someone else. No one defines themselves with their relationship with one person. Think about the different masks they were depending on who they’re with. Even if you’re writing a secondary character with no major focus, at least give them a life outside the story. Something as simple as a hobby or a dream. It makes them feel more like a person with a life of their own.

I hope the power of M.I. P has helped you out. Writing characters is the grown-up version of having an imaginary friend. We can trace the power to create anything back to playing make-belief or role-playing with action figures. While there is a lot of thought needed, it all comes from the heart. A character with their thoughts and feelings is far more entertaining than any random stereotype. There will be times where you will feel lost and confused. It takes time to learn about an unfamiliar person. Once you make your character from the bottom up, it will be so worth it.