Top Tips for Creating Characters in Creative Writing (AQA GCSE English Language): Revision Note

Should my creative writing include characters?

Whether you include characters in your creative writing depends on the task or the picture prompt you are given. Not all pieces of creative writing require characters, but establishing a strong narrative voice is vital to engaging your reader.

Having one or two characters in your writing can add depth, realism and interest to your story, as it can give the reader something to focus on. For example, if the task is to describe a market scene, you can bring your description to life by including elements of characterisation in your description of the people in the scene.

How to create characters in an English exam

Remember that you only have a short amount of time to complete your creative writing. You are rewarded for creating a well-crafted piece of writing, with control and a sense of coherence, so planning is crucial. Most students tend to write their creative writing in the first person, meaning that you “become” the narrative voice and a character in your composition. This does not mean that this character has to be exactly like you; you can use this opportunity to create a persona through which to tell your story. 

It is best in the limited time you have to stick to no more than two characters. Trying to include too many characters will lead to superficial and underdeveloped representations, and may suggest a lack of control in your writing. It is better to stick to 1–2 well developed characters in which you invest time. This will help to bring them to life for your reader.

Before you start writing, plan out your characters (including the narrator if writing in the first person). Note down not just what they look like, but what their personalities are, how they speak and how they move. This can give you a solid basis from which to create well-rounded characters.

How do I develop my characters?

In order to develop your characters, you should consider how you are going to make them matter to the reader. The following are some suggestions for how to do this:

• Give your characters depth:

  • Think beyond just what they are called and what they look like; consider their age, background, personality and motivations

• Show, don’t tell:

  • You can show a reader what a character is like through their actions, dialogue, thoughts and interactions

  • This is called indirect characterisation (see below)

• Use some dialogue to reveal personality:

  • People speak differently depending on their background, mood and personality

  • For example, a confident character might speak in short, direct sentences, while a shy character might hesitate or mumble

  • Dialogue can help bring characters to life, but you should only use it in your exam response when it serves the purpose of moving the story forward; do not use it as a “filler” because you are not sure what to write next

• Use small details:

  • Consider what quirks, habits or traits you could give a character to make them seem more real

  • For example, your character might be a girl who always twirls her hair when she is lying, or a man who never looks people in the eye because he is hiding something

• Take your character on a journey:

  • In the best stories, characters change or evolve, often as a result of a problem that they are facing

• Do some research:

  • Before your exam, look at how famous authors have built their characters

  • Ask yourself: what makes this character interesting?

What techniques should I use to describe my characters?

Creating your characters should go beyond just describing what they look like. Well rounded characters are taken on a journey in which they undergo some form of development or change. 

Exam mark schemes reward answers which clearly and effectively convey ideas, meaning that you need to consider the most effective ways of building a character in a short piece of writing. Ideally, this means focusing more on indirect characterisation rather than direct characterisation:

Here are some techniques you can use in order to develop a character through both direct and indirect characterisation: