How do you write about a fictional character?

Answer 1

I'm going to presume you already know that as a fictional character, you are making it all up.

Start thinking of the character as a friend, or an acquaintance if you don't particularly like the character. Imagine the person in various settings; imagine him/her nearby wherever you happen to be. How does the character act in this setting? Clothing? Language? How does the character treat people in that setting? Imagine the character's voice, mannerisms, back story, habits, love life, education, profession. What does the character do when alone? What thoughts and feelings does he/she experience? Motivations? Benevolent, brilliant, sleezy, calculated, scheming, cold/heartless...? Develop stories or themes about the character, even if they don't directly relate to the writing project the character is part of. You have to know the character intimately well before you introduce the person to the project. You can't just bring the character in and add convenient 'facts' as needed. That will be painfully obvious and you will have a very shallow character on your hands. Ideally, there should be more in your head about the character than you could possibly include in the project; you should have to pare down what parts of the character's story make it through.

Bottom line: You can't write about someone you don't know.