[Dalya’s Note: This guest post was written by Beth Barany, an award-winning novelist, keynote speaker & creativity coach for novelists.]

Many nonfiction writers may be unfamiliar with how to develop characters in their how-to or other pieces. But with some guidelines and some investigative questions, you’ll be able to create interesting and compelling characters for your teaching stories.

Guidelines

Many fiction writers start with this next exercise even before they start their stories. How do I know that? I’m an award-winning novelist, with 2 novels and 2 novellas published, and when I’m not working on my own stories, I help authors write, publish, and market their novels.

Goal
Start with your character’s outer goal. What does she want? Have it be something anyone could see. Example: to get a job. Also, all characters have an inner and non-tangible goal, like to feel satisfied.

Motivation
Next ask why your character wants the outer goal. Maybe it’s to please her mother or to achieve a lifelong dream. Then ask why does your character want her inner goal. That could be to find excitement in her life, to experience a change. To help you dig deeper, ask about your character’s goal: what will having that do for her? This will help you find the core WHY: the core reason for your character’s actions.

Knowing your character’s WHY, both for your inner and outer goals, is the fuel that drives the story forward because your character’s WHY moves them forward into action.

Conflict
Action should lead to both outer and inner conflict – conflict that comes from outside your character and conflict that comes from within her.

Inner conflicts can include self-sabotage, beliefs that get in the way of the goal, and the lack of ability or skill.

External conflicts include nature and other people. What force or human is in the way of your character achieving her goals?

For your story to be interesting it needs conflict. Also this conflict forces your character to change, which every good story has.

For example: your heroine wants an exciting new job. A good external conflict would be a rival who also wants that job.

Good stories have ever-escalating conflict until the story gets resolved. So perhaps your heroine is running late for her job interview (self-created conflict because she has self-doubt: “Can I really do this new and wonderful job?”), then runs into traffic (external), then has to forge her way through a parking lot in the heavy and unexpected rain. Lastly, once she gets to the office, she finds out she has to compete in a group interview. And that is just the beginning of her story!

Strengths
How will your heroine conquer and overcome her conflicts? Make a list of your main character’s strengths, so you know how she is able to handle or grow to handle her conflicts. Inner strengths can include habits, attitudes, skills, and capabilities. Outer strengths can be things like a strong support network, a lovely home or work environment, and other physical tools that anyone can see and touch.

Interview Questions
Once your know your characters’ goals, motivations, conflicts, and strengths, it’s time to interview them. Use these questions to get you started. Describe your answers with specific details grounded in the five senses.

1.    What do you carry in your pockets/purse/backpack, etc.?

2.    How do you feel about your home/living space?

3.    What early event shaped you the most?

4.    Where is your favorite place and why?

5.    What are your most important values?

6.    What emotion/feeling are you afraid to experience?

Focus on your characters and your stories (nonfiction or fiction) will come to life!