Arrested Development?

In life and in fiction, I love characters.  I love the oddball, the over the top, the distinctly different.  I don't necessarily want to be those people myself, but I admire them (most of the time).  They are unafraid to be, or incapable of being anyone but, themselves.

Authentic characters have an energy, a vibrancy all their own.  They walk, talk and think in their own manner.  This is true whether the character walks the streets of Manhattan or the lines of your prose.  That's why its so important to invest each of your main characters (hero, heroine, antagonist, etc.) in a three dimensional world where they have likes, dislikes, history, dreams for the future, scars, triumphs, neuroses, foibles and unexpected strength.  In other words, make your characters complex enough to be real. 

There are numerous examples on the internet or elsewhere of ways to devise your characters--enough to make a book in itself.  Click on the words in this sentence to find a few examples.  Needless to say many of these worksheets have similar elements.

I prefer to examine characters in regards to the chakras, which is often how I look at real people, too.  When formulating your characters, consider their experiences, and concerns in regards to:

root:  security, finances, fear,
sacral:  family, creativity, sexuality, procreation
solar plexus:  power, ego, personality, self-sufficiency
heart:  love, relationships, compassion
throat:  communication, self-expression, secrets
brow:  intuition, magic, psychic ability
crown:  religion, spirituality, karma

One problem you may encounter with fully formed characters is you can't get them to do whatever you want them to do for the sake of the plot.  Once you give breath to a complex character, you've got to abide by the parameters you've set for them.  Out of character behavior will need to be explained in a way that seems organic to readers or better off left out.  Just think of Annie Wilkes reaction to Paul Sheldon's first, false attempts at writing a new book for Misery.  Can you say ouch!

And so the caveat about characterization is to dig as deeply into your characters history, psychology and personality as you can.  And when you think you know everything you need to about your character, think again.  Just like real people, there's always something more.