For my list of 12 Questions to Help You Create Fictional Characters, scroll down.  

 

So Why Are We Talking About Beck?

I’m going to see Beck in April, and I’m pretty darn excited about it. Beck has been one of my favorite musical artists ever since his “Loser” days in the early 90’s. Talk about characters, Beck is one himself, and I love him for all his eccentricity.

In fact, I’m just going to repeat that: I LOVE BECK. I love his boyish good looks and his adorable dance moves (see his new video “Wow” for proof that, even at the age of 47, he’s still got it going on). I love his eclectic sound. He has dabbled in just about every musical genre you can imagine: folk, blues, rock, country, hip-hop, R&B and electronica, often combining multiple genres into one song.

(For a hilarious video of teens reacting to Beck videos, click here.)  

As a writer, I love the way Beck plays with words. His lyrics can sometimes seem random, but his combinations of images and ideas are poetic, clever, surprising, and even moving. And, as I was listening to “Nitemare Hippy Girl” the other day, it struck me that Beck had written the most amazing character study.

How Can “Nitemare Hippy Girl” Teach Us to Create Fictional Characters?

In “Nitemare Hippy Girl” from the 1994 album Mellow Gold, Beck starts out by describing a woman (and her apartment) physically: “she’s got dried-up flowers, flaky skin, a beaded necklace and a bottle of gin.” He then describes her personality: “Self-conscious and a little bit moody;” “Uptight and a little bit snooty.”

He gives us specific actions that explain her further:  “she’s cooking salad for breakfast” and “she’s meditating with the devil.”  As the song goes on, Beck begins to describe the woman in more abstract terms: “She’s a magical sparkling tease. She’s a rainbow choking the breeze” and “she’s a melted avocado on a shelf. She’s the science of herself.” He then pairs unexpected descriptions to explain her bizarre and dichotomous personality: “she’s a frolicking depression” and “she’s a whimsical, tragical beauty.”

He’s obviously both fascinated and frustrated by her. And half in love with her, too, despite the fact that she’s a “nitemare.” At the end of the song he shows that, despite all her crazy, he admires her deeply: “she’s a goddess milking her time for all that it’s worth.” (For the full song lyrics, scroll to the bottom of this post.)  

 

Basically, I think Beck is a genius. And I also think there’s something to learn here about how to create fictional characters. What if you were to write a song/poem like “Nitemare Hippy Girl” about all of the major characters in your work-in-progress?

Here me out. Start out describing the way your characters look (and maybe the way their homes look). Move on to describe their personalities, remembering that people are complex and dichotomous. (A whimsical hippie-girl, for example, can also be uptight and snooty.) Give specific actions — things they do — that speak to their character.

Finally, get poetic. Describe your character using similes, metaphors, and symbolic language. Beck’s Nitemare Hippy Girl is a melted avocado on the shelf. So what fruits or vegetables would your characters be? What animals would they be? Colors? Plants?

Take it one step further and write from another character’s perspective.  What symbolic language would your main character use to describe her love interest, nemesis, or mother?  Or vice versa — maybe it’s the antagonist describing the protagonist.  I don’t know.  Get creative. Maybe all of this sounds silly, but writing about your characters in an out-of-the-box way like this might help you get closer to them (as well as better understand their actions, motivations, and interior thoughts.)

And when it comes to fiction, the stronger your characters, the stronger your overall story.

 

Need a Less Abstract Way to Create Fictional Characters?

I hear you. The Nitemare Hippy Girl approach might not work for everyone. That’s why I made a list of questions to ask yourself that will help you create fictional characters that are strong and unique.

Also, my brilliant friend Daniel David Wallace has a course called “Create a Character They Will Love,”   so if you finish answering my questions below and you still need help creating fictional characters for your novel or short story, consider signing up for Daniel’s course.  It’s about building a great character and developing your narration skills. Through the character you create, he says, you will start writing more dynamic, more powerful, and more moving scenes.  I can’t recommend Daniel and his courses enough.  He has his PhD in Creative Writing, and he is not only a great writer but also an outstanding, patient, and innovative teacher.    

(Note, the above is an affiliate link.  If you sign up for Daniel’s course through my link, I will get a commission, with no extra cost for you.  So thank you in advance!)

12 Questions to Help You Create Fictional Characters:

And now, without further ado, here are some questions to answer that will help you create strong main characters for your novel or short story.  

 

#1 What are the character’s strengths and weaknesses? How will these come into play in the story?

 

#2 What are the character’s desires and goals? What actions or decisions will she make to get what she wants?

 

#3 What are the character’s motivations? Why does he want what he wants?

 

#4 What are the character’s core values and beliefs? Her overall attitude about life?

 

#5 Describe the character’s physical appearance and health.

 

#6 Describe the character’s status (socioeconomic or otherwise) and abilities.

 

#7 Describe the character’s behavior and way of speaking/acting.

 

#8 What was your character’s childhood like? Does her childhood have something to do with her current desires and motivations?

 

#9 What does your character like and dislike? What causes him to feel strong emotions?

 

#10 What are the important relationships in your character’s life? How does he interact with these people?

 

#11 How would the character describe herself to others? How would others describe her?

 

#12 Think about the answers you have given above. Brainstorm ways you can SHOW THROUGH ACTION these character traits in your story. You may not actually use these actions in your story, but it can be a helpful exercise in showing instead of telling.

 

Just starting to work on a novel?  Read my post:  Write Better Novels with One Key Step!

 

And now, back to Beck.  Beck’s latest album is called Colors.  It’s awesome.  And below are the lyrics to “Nitemare Hippy Girl.”  If you’ve never listened to Beck, let me know.  I’d be happy to recommend some songs, albums, or videos for you to start with.  He won a Grammy, you know.  He’s totes the G.O.A.T.  🙂 

 

“Nitemare Hippy Girl” by Beck

She took me off my guard with disappointment
I got sucked inside of her apartment
She’s got dried-up flowers, flaky skin
A beaded necklace and a bottle of gin

She’s a nightmare Hippy girl
With her skinny fingers fondling’ my world
She’s a whimsical, tragically beauty
Self-conscious and a little bit moody

It’s a new age letdown in my face
She’s so spaced out and there ain’t no space
She’s got marijuana on the bathroom tile
I’m caught in a vortex
She’s changing’ my style

She’s a nightmare Hippy girl
With her skinny fingers fondling’ my world
She’s a whimsical, tragically beauty
Uptight and a little bit snooty

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

She’s a magical, sparkling tease
She’s a rainbow choking the breeze
Yo, she’s busting’ out onto the scene
With nightmare bogus poetry
She’s a melted avocado on the shelf
She’s the science of herself
She’s spazzing out on a cosmic level
And she’s meditating with the devil
She’s cooking salad for breakfast
She’s got tofu the size of Texas
She’s a witness to her own glory
She’s a never-ending story
She’s a frolicking depression
She’s a self-inflicted obsession
She’s got a thousand lonely husbands
She’s playing’ footsie in another dimension
She’s a goddess milking her time
For all that it’s worth.