CONCLAVE
A Journal of
Character
What makes a good
character?
"A good character is one
that makes me forget they only live within the confines of
their book. Their world, their experiences, no matter how
unlikely, are as tangible as my own while I follow their
tale. Bridget Jones made me laugh, Philip Carey made me
cringe, Esther Greenwood evoked my deepest empathies, Dean
Moriarty challenged my notion of outrageous, Aureliano
Buendia was every misguided patriarch I've ever known, and
Celie made me believe that good things do come to everyone
at some point."
~ Jarucia Jaycox Nirula, Fiction Editor
"A memorable character reflects internal change in response
to external events. Even if a character is unsympathetic or
foreign to the reader, the one thing we all have in common
is conflict in our lives. A character who struggles with a
familiar conflict is relatable. Aesop is renowned worldwide
for his Fables, where in the end the characters are subject
to the moral of the story. To create an unforgettable tale,
give your character a resolution to their conflict, show
that they’ve grown, and teach or remind your readers
something about themselves."
~ Melissa Conway, Creative Nonfiction Editor
"What makes a character to me is that I can feel their
emotions and see things through their eyes. I love a
character that I can get emotionally attached to and care
what happens to them during the story."
~Vicki King, Fiction Editor
"Above all, I have to be able to believe in the character.
But also the character needs to live and breathe through
the words on the paper and touch me in some way, whether it
be good or bad. "
~ Meg Write, Creative Nonfiction Editor
"To me, a good character is simply one you find yourself
thinking about long after you've closed the book. One you
forget isn't real, who you incorporate into your real-life
thoughts and ramblings if only momentarily -- who makes you
wonder, 'What is he doing now? or What ever happened to
her' -- and it takes a second or two before you realize
what you've done. A good character is one who tempts you to
pick up the book and peek in on something she said or did
or felt one more time, even though the story is over. One
you can not only feel or smell, but one who helps you to
feel or smell the air and space around them. One who you
quote in the future, or who takes you intimately on their
journey with them. "
~ Gae Polisner, Fiction Editor
"A good character is malevolent and pure, honest and
devious, bombastic and humble, confident and unsure. He
will always behave the way he is supposed to behave, and
he'll never change just to serve the plot. In other words,
a good character is a human being."
~ James Noll, Creative Nonfiction Editor
"What makes a great character? Dimension. A great character
is good and bad, loves and hates, strives and fails, and
does so with passion and integrity. Portraying a
multidimensional character is the loftiest goal of a
writer."
~ Tom Gill, Poetry Editor
"Compelling characters on a journey of discovery:
Good stories move from a land of words that jumps off the
page to a place of discovery. But to get there you have to
care about the characters on the journey. Readers care;
when we care. When real emotions come through in our
characters, they resonate as authentic."
~ Julie Ann Shapiro, Flash Fiction Editor
"To me, a well-drawn character carries the narrative.
Absent of this and the story is dead. The protagonist has
to be believable, multi-dimensional, complex, someone to
which a reader can and want to relate. When I read, I want
to inhabit the character, feel his pain, his happiness, his
fears. I want to see what he sees, smell what he smells. I
want to learn from him and view the world from his prism.
In other words, the character has to form an emotional bond
with me and stand out within the pages of the story."
~ Enrico Antiporda, Fiction Editor
"A good character seems real, like they might live down the
street. You might begin thinking of them as a friend, or
even as a part of yourself. You can see the world through
their eyes, and their emotions feel real. A great character
grows and changes as they encounter new and different
situations; they are not stagnant, but rather continually
evolve."
~ Karen Zabalaoui, Drama Editor
"If you don’t know them on some level, you want to meet
them. They’re generally purpose-driven, even if that is
simply to find a purpose. They’ve overcome obstacles and no
matter what’s thrown at them, they’re going to try and
conquer. They may not always succeed, but they’re smart
enough not to make the same mistakes twice.
They’ve got a set of values and rules for themselves. Even
if that rule means ‘you can’t turn your back on this
person,' you can count on the character for that.
They’re never ‘pure’ anything, but whatever their
orientation, they’ll give you paper cuts turning pages to
find out what is going to happen to them next. "
~ Rebecca Kyle, Senior Creative Nonfiction Editor