Building Character

When thinking about some of my favorite characters from books, television, film, I notice I seem to like those with a good degree of complexity.

Some examples:

Star Wars: Luke? No, I'll take Han.

The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn? Nope. Boramir. He's a haunted dude.

Les Miserables: Valjean? I'd like to pick his redeemed brain after I challenge him to an arm wrestle, but I really want to know what makes Javert tick beneath his Arby's-looking hat.

I like the characters with their humanity on display. Give me a character without flaw, and I'll give you a yawn in return.

I find when writing characters into existence, I have to be careful not to like the character too much at first. I may want to sing his praises and it will show in the writing. The last thing I want is for a reader to say, "Wow, this author really likes this character. He hasn't let me stop knowing it since page 1."

I see the need to spend time identifying the flaws of my character-to-be. What was their childhood like? Do they have annoying habits? Do they have six fingers on their right hand? What will make them deep enough to sink into for a few hours?

A bit of time answering these questions ought to lead to a well-formed character who doesn't stink of carbon copy ink.

Who are some of your favorite characters?

Do you prefer those with a few scars on their less-than-perfect faces?