How to Write Compelling Characters in Sci-Fi and Fantasy
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In this blog, we’ll talk about how to write compelling characters, including the three important aspects of a compelling character and a few things to watch out for that are specific to sci-fi and fantasy stories.
Whether you’re writing stories filled with space travel and extraterrestrial lifeforms or dragons and magic, characters play a central role in captivating readers. Naturally, sci-fi and fantasy readers are looking for something extraordinary when they pick up your book—they’re here for the hoverboards, the vampire masquerade balls, the deadly competitions that determine the kingdom’s next ruler, the time travel. But no matter how intricate your plot is and no matter how unique your premise is, these stories will not captivate a reader without a compelling character at their heart.
Why are characters so important?
It’s easy to think that the worlds and the premises of sci-fi and fantasy novels are paramount, that these are what get readers to pick up the book in the first place. On some level, that’s true. Consider how most people would pitch The Hunger Games to you if you hadn’t read it before. Would they talk about Katniss and her character arc? Or would they first tell you about how children are forced to fight each other to the death for food? You might get a few who talk about the characters first, but the setup of the story is more likely to be what catches your interest.
However, while it’s true that a promise of certain elements in a story can get a reader initially interested in a novel, what immerses them—what turns reading into a real experience—are characters they’re fascinated by.
What makes a character compelling?
A compelling character is shaped by the world they live in
Just as we are shaped by our family, our personal history, our geographical location, our heritage, and more, a character should also be molded by the unique world that you’ve created for them to live in. This means that their attitudes, beliefs, occupation, fashion, and even their personal goals should all be influenced by what’s around them. One of my favorite middle grade titles is Frances Hardinge’s Fly by Night, which is set in a world where books are banned and only a select few are permitted to learn to read. Mosca, the main character, was secretly taught to read by her father, and this has given her an almost unquenchable thirst to learn new words and read anything she can get her hands on. Hardinge was intentional about letting Mosca’s world influence who she is as a person, and Mosca’s desperation to learn and understand not only forms a core part of who she is, but it also drives the plot.
Another example would be Garth Nix’s Sabriel. The titular character has grown up with a father who is the Abhorsen, wielder of the powers meant to maintain the border between Life and Death. She becomes takes up the mantle after her father’s death, spending her days putting the undead where they belong. The world of these books is dark, deadly, and harsh. As a character, Sabriel feels like a natural fit. She is sober-minded and practical, and her attitudes are fully shaped not only by her unique understanding of the magic that her bloodline carries, but also by her many experiences with death in different forms.
Consider your characters. Are they influenced by the world you’ve built? Are their attitudes, goals, and desires a result of their circumstances, or could you take away the sci-fi or fantasy elements and be left with the same character? Do they show the reader how technology or magic is integrated into their daily lives?
A compelling character lends a unique perspective
Readers who love sci-fi and fantasy enjoy exploring new places, which is why it’s important to choose a character whose position, job, or actions in the plot allow them to see fascinating parts of the world and experience it more fully. This is partly why there are many stories about royalty in fantasy—a princess, for example, has a much better perspective on what’s going on in the kingdom, as well as much more involvement. But you don’t have to give your characters the most important job in order to give your readers a great front-row seat. If your character’s perspective lets them see more of the inner workings of the world or see it from an unusual point of view, your character will automatically be more compelling.
Consider a few of these characters and the slice of the world that they allow the reader to see:
· Mort, who is apprenticed to Death. (Terry Pratchett’s Mort)
· Elin, who serves as a caretaker for the flying beasts that guard the queen. (Nahoko Uehashi’s The Beast Player)
· Blue Sargent, who comes from a family of psychics. (Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Boys)
· Ryland Grace, an eighth-grade science teacher with a doctorate who is chosen for a last-ditch attempt to save Earth. (Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary)
A compelling character has clear stakes
Stakes is a topic big enough for its own e-book (stay tuned!), but it’s such an essential part of a compelling character that I have to touch on it here. Sci-fi and fantasy stories have the option to make the stakes massive, and for the right story, the scale works. You can have the entire country at risk of being devoured by a curse or have the entire universe at risk of disintegration. But in all that excitement, your characters’ personal stakes need to be clear to keep readers interested. It’s amazing how casual we can be about an entire planet being destroyed, but if a character we care about was trying to save it, then we’re devastated.
By its simplest definition, stakes are the combination of what a character wants and what will happen if they don’t get it. If readers can identify what the character wants, then a deeper connection begins to form between them and the story. Readers can sympathize with a shared goal, or they can be pulled in by a desire that they haven’t felt before but understand through the lens of your character.
For a gripping story, you’ll want to have both external stakes and internal stakes, the external being what’s going on in the plot and the internal being what’s going on inside the character. These are usually intertwined to great effect. If your character wants to win a contest, those are the external stakes. Why your character wants to win the contest is usually much closer to the internal stakes.
Three things to watch out for with characters in sci-fi and fantasy stories
1. Don’t let the worldbuilding overshadow your characters.
Sci-fi and fantasy stories are known for complex and fascinating worlds, but be sure that your characters are still taking central stage and not getting buried in a sea of information. Readers are drawn in by cool ideas, but they resonate with people (or, like Martha Wells’ Murderbot, characters with people-like qualities). Keep a balance between worldbuilding and the development of your characters.
2. Don’t worry about including all the specifics.
When you’re writing fantastic scenes, you want the reader to be able to see it just as you do, all the way down to the color of the neon signs in the crowded alley market and the rust on the robot pouring the tea. For visually striking characters, that temptation can get even stronger, and you might find yourself with paragraphs describing hairstyle, clothing, accessories, and more. Paradoxically, a few well-chosen details go much farther in making an impact on a reader than thorough description. Give your readers the most important details about your character, make them vivid, and then give the reader room to paint the rest of the picture for themselves.
3. Avoid one-note characters.
Sci-fi and fantasy have their own tropes when it comes to characters, and if you’re not careful, you can end up with a character that readers will think they’ve read about before (and not in a good way). You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, however, to write a compelling character in these genres. Tropes exist for a reason, but they should be a jumping-off point rather than a destination. Inner conflicts, backstories, personal goals, likes and dislikes, relationships with their friends, family, enemies—all of these make a character unique, so be sure to weave them in for characters readers won’t be able to help but get invested in.
Final words on how to write compelling characters
Now that we’ve covered some of the basics for compelling characters in fantasy and science fiction, I hope you’re feeling inspired to get back to your work-in-progress or start a new story. Readers want you to take them on an extraordinary journey with your words, and with captivating characters, you’ll make sure that they enjoy every minute of the ride.
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Great photo thanks to David Billings on Unsplash!
