Creating a Character & Finding Their Universal Humanity
by Merick Humbert
There are certain aspects of human nature that are not only universal, but that are timeless.
Your first thought, when you set out to write a character, might be: how do I make my character unique? How do I make my character stand out? But just as important as what differentiates your character from the crowd, rests in their universal humanity, or what makes them the same.
There are certain aspects of the human experience that we all share, no matter creed, color, nationality, sexuality, gender, socioeconomic status, or however else you might distinguish yourself. All of these things are important facets of character, and are aspects that subsets of groups will be able to relate to—but we are here to explore the things in which we all have in common, the things that will make it so that every reader will be able to connect with your character. This is what we want as writers—for our readers to connect.
We have found two primary features of our universal experience—Desire and Suffering/Struggle. Within these two categories, there is much to expound upon.
Desire
When creating a story, one of the first questions that writers are told to ask is: what does my character want? Then: what obstacles are standing in their way? Within these two simple questions, you can often find your conflict and your plot. These are questions that must be answered over the course of your story, but just as important as the What is the Why? If your character is after riches, you might think the WHY is pretty self-explanatory, but is it? What if they are already rich? Is it still self-explanatory? No matter the obstacles they are facing? Have they always had money? Have they ever had money? What do they want to do with their money? Why? What are the experiences of their life that have influenced their desire for riches? Maybe they grew up poor. Maybe they watched their parents struggle and fight about money. Maybe they watched them go without. Maybe they just like nice things. But, again, Why? Is there a tangible difference between that $5000 designer bag and a $200 knockoff? Or do they like the way that it makes people look at them? Explore who the character is and why they want what they want.
So, what are our universal desires?
Love. Love comes in many forms, and it is one thing that every single human being wants and needs. The love of a parent. Romantic love. The love of a child. Friendship. Every character wants and needs love. Even if this is not an important aspect of your plot, this desire should not be ignored. It should present itself in some form.
A Sense of Purpose. The primary form in which we find this desire is in a character’s passion. This can often come from a career, but it can also be found in love, in altruism, in heroism, or in some other manifestation. Every person needs a sense of purpose. From a young age, we are often asked: what do you want to be when you grow up? What do you want to do with your life? So, ask yourself: What does your character do with their life? Why? How do they feel about it?
Pleasure. All people want to feel good. This can be as simple as a mild comfort. It can be found in material things. Financial security. Sex. Drugs. Food. What gives your character pleasure? Where does this desire come from?
Suffering/Struggle
The other major aspect of the universal human experience is suffering. You will suffer. You will die. The people that you love will die. There is no way around it. But as it has often been said, beauty is found in the finite.
Creating empathy for your character is a crucial way to get your readers to connect. One of the first places to explore, when finding your character’s struggle, is their childhood. Even if your character’s childhood doesn’t play an integral role in the story, it is an integral part of your character. Where they come from and what they have been through are infinitely important in relation to who they are. No one has a perfect childhood. No one has a struggle-free life. Everyone is flawed. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone has regrets. And everyone has resentments. Every aspect of a character’s life cannot, and need not, be portrayed in every story—but these things should be considered.
When developing your character’s struggles, look back to the universal human desires and see what is lacking for them. Is your character lacking in Love? This could be unrequited love. It could be an abusive relationship—romantic or familial. It could be found in loneliness. Have they lost someone they love? This struggle could also be found in the opposite of love—in hate. Received hate or given hate. Where are its roots? Is your character lacking A Sense of Purpose in their life? Do they struggle to find meaning or any point in getting out of bed in the morning? Is your character lacking in Pleasure? Do they struggle to survive? To eat? To have shelter? Do they work constantly to barely scrape by? Are they unfulfilled sexually? Then, there is the opposite of pleasure—physical pain or sickness.
Ask yourself all of these universal questions and explore who your character is. Their Desires—what they want and why. And their Suffering—the struggles they have been through and how that has shaped them as a person. From there, add all the intricacies and create their uniqueness. If you have the foundation of their universal humanity, the audience will be able to connect and love your characters as much as you do.
Lastly, make your character complex. No one is all good or all bad. There is nothing worse than a one-dimensional antagonist who is infinitely horrible with no clear motivation for being so. Likewise, avoid creating a protagonist who lacks flaws, lacks humanity. People are complex. One of the best things you can do in a story is make your audience feel for the antagonist, even while they are rooting against them. And vice versa—showing your protagonist doing something terrible, but making us understand why they did it, and then, redeeming that character later, can be an incredibly powerful move. Remember, no one is one thing—we are complicated.