I'm an author who comes from a family of detectives, including a grandfather who filled my childhood with true crime stories I learned not to repeat at daycare. My novel, CHASE HARLEM, won the grand prize for the Monroe-Walton Center for the Arts New Writers Contest 2021 as well as the 2023 Killer Nashville Claymore Award for Best Unpublished Investigator Novel. I've had had stories and poetry published in Sojourn Literary Magazine, Dewpoint Literary Magazine, The Moonlit Road, and Southern Quill. I've also sold stories to the podcast, Chilling Tales for Dark Nights. I'm represented by Rachel Beck of Liza Dawson Associates.
Creating Multi-Dimensional Characters
Published 3 months ago • 8 min read
Creating Multi-Dimensional Characters
A repost for my newest writers
Hello Reader,
When I first started this newsletter, I shared a post about character development. Considering my subscriber list has gone from 20 to over 200, I've decided to reshare this bit of writer's knowledge. I hope this helps some of my fellow writers out there!
The reviews are in, and GoodReads has a lot to say about the characters in Chase Harlem:
"Elise Burke-Brown builds a character layered in pain, determination, and self-effacing humor." --Venita Bonds
"Chase is sarcastic, independent, and often standoffish, but you can tell that she has a heart of gold...I definitely recommend this one to mystery fans who enjoy protagonist sleuths with emotional depth plus a hearty dose of found family, all set against a magical, gritty New Orleans backdrop." --Kate
"Chase Harlem sizzles with personality. She’s funny, intelligent and reluctantly kind. She seems genuinely bemused by the friendships she’s forged which is pretty funny to witness. She is also damaged on a fundamental level and seeing how she and those that care for her deal with this gives the characters depth." --Laura Hannaway
"I love each character’s personality and their development along the way...Of all the characters, Chase is definitely my star, and she is one of my favorite FMC. Plus, Chase Harlem is a very iconic name for FMC." --Nia Reading Journey
I'm not here to brag or toot my own horn, but I want to acknowledge how difficult it is to create characters people can relate to. Therefore, to help my fellow authors, I'm going to share my process.
How I Create my Characters:
Before I can write a book, I have to be in love with the characters. I have had amazing plot ideas for novels in the past that never got past the outlining and development stages because I simply couldn't bring myself to fall in love with the characters.
Therefore, the first thing I do with a new book idea is a character interview. That's right, I interview my characters like I'm a reporter planning to write a biography of their lives. Does it make me feel a little crazy to have such long conversations with my imaginary friends? Only if I think about it too hard, and I'm not one to think to think too hard about anything. ;)
I'm going to share my character interview for Chase Harlem, but before I do, I have to give a shoutout to T.I. Lowe, who gave me these interview questions. She's an amazing author, and her characters are some of the best I've read. You should check her out if you haven't already.
Chase Harlem Interview:
Character Name: Joanna Chase Harlem
Age: 36
Gender: female
Ethnicity: White
Hair color and style: Shoulder-length brown hair
Eye color: Green
Occupation: Private Investigator
1. What is your favorite food? Least favorite?
I love a good po’boy, specifically, the Gambler’s barbecue shrimp po’boy is the best in New Orleans.
2. What is your favorite book, music, and movie? Any least favorite?
My favorite fiction book is probably Crime and Punishment even if it is dark and terrible throughout most of it. The ending gives me hope and that makes it a worthwhile read in my mind. I’ve also read all of John E. Douglas’s books on criminology.
My least favorite book is Catcher in the Rye because Holden Caufield is a whiney brat who needs to be less self-important. It was also my ex’s favorite book. He was also a whiney brat who needed to be less self-important.
My favorite music is Jazz, but you probably already knew that.
My favorite movie is this old spaghetti western called My Name is Nobody with Terrence Hill and Henry Fonda. In some places, it’s a hilarious take on what a western should be, but in other parts, it has a lot of heart.
3. Coffee or tea?
Coffee with chicory. It doesn’t taste right any other way.
4. Savory or sweet tooth?
I love the savory cooking of the southern states. If I wax poetic about food, it’s perfectly seasoned etouffee or a good low-country boil.
5. Do you have any hobbies? Hidden talents?
I’m a fairly competent piano player. I was taught to play church music growing up, mostly gospel and the older hymns. When I fell in love with jazz, I started teaching myself. Now I mostly play when I can’t sleep or I’m trying to figure out a case I’m working on. It helps calm my mind.
6. What is your go-to outfit?
I’m pretty comfortable in jeans, a New Orleans Saints hoodie, and my red converse.
7. Are you a pessimist or an optimist?
I actually think I was an optimist when I was growing up, but then the world got to me. There was this incident just before my college years that made me lose faith in humanity. Then chasing serial killers with the FBI hammered in the notion that nothing in this life turns out the way we hope it would.
8. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
I do prefer quiet nights with my emotional support ferret, Louis. That said, if the case calls for me to go out and party, I will party. I’m excellent undercover.
9. How easy is it for you to trust people?
Every time I start to trust someone, they let me down. The only exception to this is Detective Matt Burke, which is why I refer to him as my best friend, even though he won’t admit it.
10. Do you hold onto things or get rid of them?
It depends on the things. When I left my old life, I didn’t bring any furniture or family heirlooms with me. Personally, I didn’t want anything to do with my family anymore, and that included their stuff.
I did keep my DVD collection. Call me crazy, but I’m not a fan of streaming platforms. I like to own my own favorites.
11. Do you have any secrets?
I worked for the federal government. What do you think?
12. What is your view on God? Do you have a relationship with God?
I was raised in church, studying scripture and playing piano for the choir. After the life I’ve lived, belief in a higher power is hard to come by, but I want to believe in the promise of something better. I want to believe in a God who cares. I’ll put it this way, I have some hope in God, but faith is harder.
13. What are you afraid of?
Unseasoned food. That’s why I don’t cook for myself. Well, that plus I’m notorious for burning things, and I don’t want to set my kitchen on fire again.
14. What makes you angry?
I don’t like it when people think that just because they’re strong or because they’ve got money that they can push others around—that they’re above the rules. Let me catch some big guy trying to put his hands on his tiny wife or daughter because he thinks being strong makes him invincible, and I will absolutely see red. When that happens, I can’t be held responsible for my actions.
15. How do you handle frustration?
There was a time in my life when I handled frustration with punching. After the FBI forced me into therapy and anger management, I learned to handle frustration in more productive ways. I go for long runs through graveyards and consider my own mortality.
16. What do you view as your greatest achievement? Greatest failure?
Once upon a time, I thought getting into the FBI was my greatest achievement. Now, I guess it’s my greatest failure.
17. Who did you admire the most growing up?
My pop, Silas Chase. I spent my summers at his river house, learning how to fish and soaking up his stories about being a police detective in a small town in the 1970s. Everything I know that’s worth anything I learned from my pop.
18. What stands in your way of happiness? How will you get past this?
I have a hard time trusting others, a fact I’ve already mentioned. After what happened with the FBI, I also have a hard time trusting myself. I don’t want to fail again because when I fail, people get hurt. Because of this, I swore off working violent cases, cases with high stakes. Maybe by agreeing to solve this murder for the priest, I can finally start to trust myself again.
19. What will happen if you fail?
If I fail to solve this murder, an innocent man may go down for the crime. I can’t have that.
20. If you could change one thing about your past, what would it be?
Abigail Howard
Next Steps:
Once I have my characters fleshed out like this, once I know their wants, fears, and desires--their goals and major conflicts--I can get to work on writing that book. This brings me to my next point: characters should develop slowly over the text. Don't give us the best part of your character on the first page.
I've written on this in detail on my blog, and I could and probably will do a whole newsletter on character introductions at some point, if that's something you want. For now, just concentrate on knowing your characters well enough to give their stories meaning.
Figure out What Works for You!
Here's the thing, character interviews work well for me in the planning stages of writing. This may not be the case for you, and that's fine. There are many popular authors, including two of my favorites, Lisa Jewel and Karen White, who don't plot out their books or do character studies before the start writing. That works for them, and they are brilliant.
There are also plenty of writers who are plotters, like myself, and our projects require some major pre-planning.
I've attached a PDF to this email with several ideas for character building that I've gathered from other authors. If you're just starting out, look into these ideas and find what works for you. Once you figure that out, you'll be good to go!
Character Building PDF:
Character Building Workshop
I have used this handout at various workshops I've lead, and I hope it helps you today.
Thank you so much for joining me today! If you have any friends who are wanting to become authors, please send them my way. My goal is to give out writing tips at least once a month.
If you have any questions or suggestions for future workshops, please send me an email and let me know. I'd love to hear from you!
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I'm an author who comes from a family of detectives, including a grandfather who filled my childhood with true crime stories I learned not to repeat at daycare. My novel, CHASE HARLEM, won the grand prize for the Monroe-Walton Center for the Arts New Writers Contest 2021 as well as the 2023 Killer Nashville Claymore Award for Best Unpublished Investigator Novel. I've had had stories and poetry published in Sojourn Literary Magazine, Dewpoint Literary Magazine, The Moonlit Road, and Southern Quill. I've also sold stories to the podcast, Chilling Tales for Dark Nights. I'm represented by Rachel Beck of Liza Dawson Associates.
