Hey-o, Wordplayers, 

Who wants to write a memorable book? 
Probably most writers.

A great way to make a book stick in someone’s head long after you’ve read it is to make your characters memorable. Make your fictional children stand out from the millions upon millions of other characters.

Here’s some tips on how your characters can make their mark:

• A strong voice.

Voice is important in making your character stand out from the pack. Maybe they have an accent, or make up words: (ex. the fun-loving gamemaker Mr. Lemoncello from Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein.) Perhaps they are sarcastic, or have a saying they love to use: (ex. Charlie using the term “Good gravy” in Pie by Sarah Weeks.) Giving your character a distinct voice can be an excellent tool in making them memorable. Be careful, though, not to overdo it. Overusing sayings and making accents too strong can annoy/confuse your reader, potentially losing them.

What sort of voice can you give your character?

• Unique characteristics

From Ani Mells wretched singing in Jennifer A. Nielsen’s The Scourge to the cheese-loving cat Skilley in The Cheshire Cheese Cat by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright, bringing something new or unusual to the table of your character’s life can draw readers in. Maybe this characteristic drives the plot (as Skilley’s does) or is more of a side dish (like Ani’s) but it can provide laughter for your audience or pique their curiosity. You can even create a character who is not human, such as an animal (The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate; Always, Clementine by Carlie Sorosiak) or even inanimate (The Wild Robot by Peter Brown; A Rover’s Tale by Jasmine Warga)

What sort of things can you give to your character to make them unique and fresh?

• Giving them difficult struggles

As humans, we have our good days and our hard ones. As Christians, we have trials that test and stretch us. In the same way, our characters should have a difficult road to travel throughout the book. Whether they are outer struggles, (Disease, injury, poverty) or inner, (grief, guilt, negativity) your character needs them to grow, to seem real and alive. Outer struggles aren’t as necessary, but give your character something inside that they battle to work through.

Here’s some examples:

Forgiveness in the Viking Quest series by Lois Walfrid Johnson

Lying in Lily’s Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff

Fear of public speaking in Sydney A. Frankel’s Summer Mix-up by Danielle Joseph

What struggles can you give your character?

So, there's some tips to help create characters that stick in the minds of your readers. Let me know what you think in the comments below, and if you have any questions pop a few down there too.

Live for Christ and give Him praise.

~Claira