When I started writing my action-adventure book, The Accidental Archaeologist, I knew the location would be Egypt. For three years, I’d been importing arts and crafts from Egypt before I made it my home for a further five years. My passion for Ancient Egypt grew over those years. The setting, for me, was obvious: ancient temples, hieroglyphics, spells from the Book of the Dead, tombs, and treasure. But what of my characters?
Whether it’s a story for young adults, a quick airport read, or a complex masterpiece such as Paradise by Toni Morrison, each are driven by characters, not the setting. Where and how someone grew up unquestionably sculpts and develops a person. But a reader wants to learn how those traits influence that person’s choices and the subsequent consequences.
While the setting was imperative to my story, I needed characters to do something noteworthy in that wondrous, magical environment of Ancient Egypt. From the beginning, I wanted a person from this century drawn back in time to Ancient Egypt. I wanted them to discover and compare those different worlds.
Thirteen-year-old Aaron was a straightforward choice, but he needed a friend, an accomplice, and so Manar was born. Once I had 2 young people in mind, I started giving them a life. I created a detailed portfolio for each of them. Although I had a vague idea of their facial features, I searched the internet for portraits that matched my imagined image.
On a clean document, I started with that downloaded image and added other details. I decided on their birth date, their zodiac sign, and how they liked to dress, keeping in mind current trends for that age group. Each new idea expanded my character. I wrote a paragraph about their parents, their siblings if they had any, their favourite sport, and on-line games.
The next step had to be personal. With the physical attributes covered, I needed to learn the characteristics, the personal traits, the uniqueness of my characters. This is easier than it sounds because by now, I knew my new friends well. They had become their own person. By this stage, my characters revealed their own personal fears, ambitions, and secrets. They were involved in their own development.
I recommend you do your homework first. Create detailed profiles for each of your characters and they will come to life, making it easier to write about them. One of my much-loved experiences was writing about Manar and hearing her voice in my head say, “I wouldn’t say that!” I jolted up shocked, then laughed at myself. She was right. She wouldn’t have said what I had just written.