When authors start creating characters, they often build
the character’s backstory – where they came from, what their family was like,
the school they went to and what might have happened there. What career did
they enter, and how hard was it for them to climb the corporate ladder if that
was their chosen path? Did they come from a happy family? Maybe there were
tensions there. Perhaps the mom favoured one child over another, and that
second child felt left out or ignored. Were they bullied at school or on social
media? A careless comment heard in passing might affect a character at a
vulnerable point in their life. Rather than let it go, it becomes ingrained in
them, negatively colouring their thoughts and feelings.
The negative side of any of these situations can form what
authors refer to as an emotional wound. However, much like an alcoholic who
cannot recover until they recognize their condition and makes the personal
choice to overcome it, our characters are unlikely to recover from an emotional
wound unless they look into themselves and choose to make changes. As their
creators, authors dig deep into a character’s background because the more
profound the physical or psychological damage, the more complex the character.
Fear is a huge motivator, so discovering a character’s greatest fear is one way of determining why they do what they do. In overcoming that fear, the character begins to change. What if a character is afraid of water but dives in to save a drowning child? What if a character is scared of the dark but ventures into an unlit alley because they hear a cry for help? Overcoming those fears, and making a bold decision to act, can be the start of the change in that character to make them unforgettable in a reader’s mind.
In my Berkeley Square Regency romance series, one of my
characters was overshadowed and controlled by her mother until she absconded,
leaving Lady Olivia with no one but the family cook. Lady Olivia’s first step toward
overcoming her fear of being left alone was stepping outside her front door. Perhaps
a character has a physical flaw they have been teased about or otherwise made
aware of. Whatever it is, it might make them not value themselves, making them
think they have less to offer than the next person. They might think it makes
them unlovable when what they want most in life is to love and be loved. Another
of my characters dealt with her father’s murder by tracking down the murderer. The
villain in my short story, Neat and Clean and Tidy, suffered abuse as a child,
leading to him being an abuser and ultimately committing murder.
The emotional wounds authors create for their characters are
an extensive and complex subject, and I have given only brief examples here. I write historical and contemporary romance, so love mostly resolves
my characters’ wounds. Idealistic, maybe, but the romance genre is known for
its happy-ever-after endings, which keep many a reader coming back for more and, as an author, that makes me happy.
Victoria Chatham
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