How to Write Non Stereotypical Characters

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Make a list of your favorite characters.

   For each one, write down basic demographic details (age, gender, physical appearance).
   
   Then ask yourself, what makes each of these characters unique? How do each of these characters stand out? Use this list to inspire your writing.Walter White in Breaking Bad, for example, is a white, male, middle aged school teacher, but he also becomes a ruthless drug lord.
   
   These qualities shape Walter White and all of the decisions (and emotional reactions) he makes.
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   Step 2: Figure out your main character’s “wants” and “needs.” You probably understand that the desires of your main character are what will drive the plot

   Consider what your character wants (this is a conscious desire) versus what your character needs (an unconscious desire).
   
   Allow the nuances of your character to develop out of these wants and needs.
   
   The character of Clarisse Starling in The Silence of the Lambs wants to succeed and advance within the FBI, but deep down she also needs acceptance (probably from a parental figure).
   
   Both her wants and needs lead her to engage with Hannibal Lecter, but in different ways, thus giving her character nuance. , These old scars can have a huge influence over how characters act, what they are afraid of, and what they insulate themselves from.
   
   If you can determine your character’s wounds, you can better write a round and interesting person into being.For example, Don Draper in Mad Men is actually an army deserter named Dick Whitman.
   
   This is his biggest wound and biggest secret, and it drives much of what he does and how he acts. , One way to check for stereotypical writing is to imagine you’ve flipped one of your character’s identity markers.
   
   Although some elements of your character would understandably change based on these identity markers, you should always have a deeper, more complex reasons for what your character does (and how they act) than a simple identity marker.
   
   If everything about your character comes undone with the flip of one identity marker, chances are you are relying on a stereotypical representation.
   
   This exercise helps to check for that kind of sloppy writing.Let’s say you’ve written a 26-year-old, black, female detective.
   
   Every once in a while, stop and mentally change some of her characteristics in a given scene.
   
   Imagine that she is a 26-year-old white women, or a black man, or a even much older black woman.
   
   How do her decisions and/or reactions change or stay the same? , Try to distill the essence of your character down to one or two key features.
   
   If you find the essence of your character to be that “she’s a girl” or “he’s a gay man,” you likely have a flat or stereotypical character.
   
   Search for something more specific, more unique, and ultimately more interesting.The character Lisbeth Salander in the film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a whip-smart, socially withdrawn computer hacker with a traumatic past.
   
   The fact that she is a woman is important, but these other defining characteristics are what drive her.
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   Step 3: but these desires will also shape the substance of your main character.

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   Step 4: Determine your character’s “wounds.” All good characters have “wounds” they have incurred through their lives.

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   Step 5: Try flipping an identity marker.

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   Step 6: Look for “defining characteristics.” When crafting your characters

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   Step 7: try to determine each character’s defining characteristics.

Detailed Guide

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