Characters are important, but how important? Well, if you have no characters, then there is no story, and according to some folks, they are more important than even plot:
“An idea has no worth at all without believable characters to implement it; a plot without characters is like a tennis court without players… Personality. That is the key, the drum, the fife. Forget the plot.”—Chuck Jones, an animator of such characters as the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote
That’s pretty important, but who do you include? Populating your story with people who feel real will help humanise it, so consider what roles you will need:
- The Hero (protagonist), often the POV character, needs to show courage and willingness to sacrifice for the greater good in the face of danger and adversity.
- The Villain (antagonist) opposes the Hero, either physically, intellectually, or emotionally, and he doesn’t need to be a single person. The government, a crowd, even the environment could be the villain. He often has a helper: The Tempter.
- The Tempter works in the shadows, manipulating the Hero and trying to convince him to join the dark side.
- The Sidekick, the Hero’s helper, is an unconditionally loving friend. No matter how bad things get, the Sidekick thinks the Hero is right—Sancho Panza in Don Quixote.
- The Mentor acts as the Hero’s conscience, guiding him toward the right path…guiding only, not controlling. The Hero has to make his own choices—Gandalf in the Hobbit stories.
- The Sceptic doesn’t believe in the Theme, he doesn’t support the Hero’s goal, and he doesn’t mind getting in the way. He has his own agenda—Han Solo in Star Wars.
- Love Interests add much to the fullness of a story, whether boyfriend, girlfriend, or even a pet animal of some sort. This character can add a whole subplot (or even the main plot…romance stories?). Their relationship isn’t necessarily solid, as the villain is constantly interfering, trying to distract the Hero from his goal.
- Finally the Spear Carriers, bit parts, filled in by folks who walk on, give their lines, and walk off, never to be seen again. Just one of the masses adding to casts of thousands. Still important, but mostly as information givers. Let them have their moment in the spotlight…then move on.
Not all those roles will be needed in all stories, but any character you have can be lumped into two types: Emotional and Logical. Emotional characters follow their gut, often acting before thinking, and help the Hero by making a decision that a thinking person would never have even considered…and often fail, spectacularly, by leaping without looking.
On the other hand, Logical characters plan ahead, look for common sense solutions, and answer questions with facts. They are useful, but the Hero may find that the head needs to listen to the heart to work at its best.
Keep a good balance, and your story folks will not only seem real, but also be talked for years to come.