Creating Memorable Children Characters

There are so many memorable characters in children literature, children films, and TV shows. There is Peter from "Peter Pan", Charlie Bucket from "Charlie And The Chocolate Factory", Charlie Brown and Snoopy from "Peanuts", and Spongebob from "Spongebob Squarepants". Creating a memorable character is like finding a valuable jewel. The character can last for generation.

So as a writer how can you crate a memorable character that generation after generation of children will enjoy? Here is some creative writing advice that my editor shared with me.

Start With The Name
The name you choose for your character is important. You would not give a tough boy character with a scruffy appearance the name of Erin. Nor would you give a gentle nature character a tough name, such as Butch or Tegra. Mishmashing names with characters' personalities and appearances can be confusing and turn agents off. A name should also be simple and easy to pronounce. Why? Children in general have short attention spans. Things need to be made simple for them to remember and hold their attention. Such memorable names are Harry Potter, Peter Pan, Alice from "Alice in Wonderland", and Anne from "Anne of Green Gables".

When naming your character avoid using the type of name that can be used by both genders, such as Erin, Leslie, or Lee. Simple, clearly defined, gender specific names are best, such as John, Mary, Sophie, or Michael. Clearly defined gender specific names make it easy for children to mentally visualize a boy character as a boy and a girl character as a girl.

Date Of Birth And Age
The date of birth and age of a child character are important. First of all, the date of birth sets up the time period of the story and its setting. Certain time periods have certain conventions that are unique to them. For instance, for a 10-year-old child born in the 1800s you would mention such things as sunbonnets, one room school houses, chores, molasses candy, and feather beds. However, in the story of a 10- year-old child born after 2000, you would mention such things as school buses, iphones, video games, and pop music. Although it may be fun for children, agents and publishers prefer that things on one time period not be mentioned in another time period, such as a boy in the 1800s playing video games or people living in an 1800s setting having a high tech, futuristic energy systems instead of burning wood in fireplaces and in stoves. I do not know why agents and publishers are like that. Whenever I tell such stories to children, they always enjoy them.

Appearance
Knowing exactly how a character looks is important, depending on the age of your children audience and the type of book you are writing. If you are writing for a middle grade audience, for instance, you may want to give little detail about the characters' looks or make them completely unidentifiable. Children at this age are at the stage where they begin to develop independent thoughts and express them. They would much rather imagine how they think a character looks than to be told how a character looks. The focus should be on telling the story.

If you are writing picture books for young children, it is important to know how your character looks. Children this age like bright vivid pictures. Seeing the characters make the children more engaged in the story.

For film and TV the look of the character should appeal to the age group of the young audience you are trying to appeal to.

Relationships
In developing your character, include in the story his or her relationships with family and friends. Answer the following question. Who are the parents, siblings, and extended family members? What are they like? Provide descriptions of their personalities. Does your character have problems with them? Do they have any unique peculiarities? If the people with whom your main character has relationships play an important part in the story, the reader needs to know the main character's interactions and feelings about them.

Personality
When developing your character's personality, first study the characters in other childrens books and movies. Compare characters of similar stories. Make note of what makes them similar and different. Study the author's approach in developing their character. Then when you begin working on your own characters, make a list of their strengths, weaknesses, attitudes, fears, obsessions, special talents, hobbies, likes, and dislikes.

As a writer, having a memorable character can lead to literary, film, and television success. Just ask J.K. Rowling, and ask the creator of Spongebob Squarepants.