This month is the last of the three-part series Fall 2023 Series: Tools for Crafting Strong Characters. This series has been aimed at giving you tools to use that will help you build strong characters in a deliberate way.
So much of our character crafting stems organically from our own human experiences. But this typically isn’t enough. As writers – and especially as writers of middle grade fiction – if we want to connect to our readers, we have to use deliberate tools to bring our character’s strengths consistently to the front. They have to ring true, present consistently, and be relatable as people.
The character crafting tool I’ve presented this month is what I call ‘Unexpected Delights’.
The Traits and Quirks of your main character are often some of the easiest character elements to show consistently throughout the story. Your protagonist is a very punctual person? Show him working diligently to be on time. She’s an animal lover? Show her fawning over a puppy. But how can you make these traits or quirks memorable?
The writing tool Unexpected Delights does just that. I like to use it in the first quarter of a book to make more generic character traits stand out in a fun, unexpected way. These delightful scenes use positive, surprising ways to show your protagonist’s trait in an endearing way that makes the reader feel connected.
What is an unexpected delight?
As you build our character’s traits and quirks, you know they need to be consistent throughout the story. As the story progresses, the traits pop up regularly, but is the reader noticing? Starting your story off in the first quarter by showing a trait in a memorable way gives a wonderful boost to your protagonist’s appeal and the recognition of an important trait that can carry through to the end.
I created a video to explain Unexpected Delights in more detail and give some examples from great middle grade fiction of this tool being put to good use. Click here to watch the video Unexpected Delights.
Giving your reader the chance to see your main character having a moment of delightful trait exposure helps them understand your MC on a much deeper level.
How to create the right one
What trait do you want to highlight? Which one is the one you really want the reader to connect to and remember on a more connected level? Which trait is the most vital in terms of the resolution of the conflict, or the character’s arc of change?
Recognizing which trait is the one you want to highlight will strengthen your overall story, not just the scene of unexpected delight, but the crux of your protagonist’s growth. Once you identify this trait, planning your memorable moment for the reader will be fun.
I’ve created this downloadable PDF worksheet Unexpected Delights to help you plan through how to amplify a specific character trait in a fun, positive way.
Deliberately using tools to craft your character builds depth and strength in new ways. Your middle grade readers – and adult readers too – will recognize the consistency and nuance these tools bring. One of the most important things you can do as a writer is figure out how to connect to your readers.
Connecting through your character is the key.