Characters are People Too

Hello, Heroes! Today’s post will cover something that should be obvious, but sometimes slips between the cracks when writing is involved. And that simple fact is –

Characters are people, too.

What do I mean by that? Well, this came to me as I was watching Frozen like I like to do every holiday season. It’s a great film, and I love the story of sisters, friendship, and love. But while I was watching it, I noticed something. Poor little Anna has, by the end of the movie, been awake for over 48 consecutive hours with hard physical labor (like climbing mountains and walking through deep snow), sub-zero temperatures, and a ton of stressors. It’s no wonder the girl’s hair turns white!

That’s when it struck me – characters are people, too. They need to sleep, eat, and have some wind-down time, just like the rest of us do. And while Frozen and its sequel are among my favorite Disney movies ever, paying attention to these kinds of details would have made the story even better. After all, unless she ate a snack while she was in Kristoff’s sled, Anna hadn’t even eaten anything in over 36 hours! Though maybe she took Wandering Oaken up on his jar full of fish?

To contrast this, let me go to one of the best literary works of all time – The Lord of the Rings. In this epic saga, the author makes sure that you know every meal Frodo Baggins eats from the time he sets off from Hobbiton to his arrival in Mordor. And yes, he lets you know when Frodo sleeps, too. And while most of us don’t have time for that kind of thorough attention to detail today, Tolkien’s use of incorporating meals and downtime help to break up the story and lessen the tension. This is a very intense story, but by showing that Frodo and the others still have to eat and sleep, it not only conveys a sense of stability to a tale fraught with uncertainty and danger, but shows the “humanity” of the characters, as well.

Frodo’s just like we are. He’s not some invincible hero who plows through everything and gets the job done right every time. And while there is a place for that kind of storytelling (think One-Punch Man), it’s usually in showing similarities with the reader that really pulls people in. Because we can all identify with Frodo. Who among us hasn’t woken up one morning to realize that the world is complicated, dangerous, and wonder if there’s any way we can hope to navigate it? Sometimes we’re scared. Sometimes we’re bold. Sometimes we manage to pull off the unthinkable. And yeah, we should probably ditch Gollum and have Faramir lead us to Mordor instead. Take the man up on the “free arrow for your undead not-buddy” offer. Seriously, if I have to hear the “juicy-sweet” song one more time…

But I digress. The whole point is that when we’re writing, we need to remember that characters have physical needs, too. And a lot of times, it’s in showing those needs that readers begin to identify with the characters. My favorite superhero All Might struggles with a lot of chronic pain, but he keeps fighting on to be a hero anyway. That inspires me a lot, because I deal with chronic pain. I want to be a hero, too, and this story shows me that I can, in spite of my physical limitations. In this way, a story becomes so much more real. If readers can see themselves within the story, then we’ve done something right. Because writing stories is more than just words on a page – it’s about connecting to people’s hearts.

So, make sure to take the time to remember that your characters are people. They need to eat, sleep, breathe, laugh, and love just like we do. Adding these elements will make your story more real – and may even inspire others along the way.

Keep Going Strong,

Dakota Love