This is a guest article by James Thompson. If you want to submit a guest article of your own be sure to read the guest article guidelines.
Believe it or not, but the profession of your novel characters play a major role in making your novel a big hit. Using clichéd professions such as doctor, lawyer, detective, or an actor won’t suffice — unless it’s the only relevant choice. The profession of the characters, especially the main character, is what sets the scene for your book. Readers prefer reading something “fresh”.
How often do you read about a wizarding profession? (I’m sure we all clearly remember the famous books with those characters). All right, these aren’t all technically “professions”, but they set the scene and add more flavor to the character. They make a character more memorable.
A character’s profession affects the entire novel. It pinpoints to a personality type.
For example, what kind of a personality would you expect a detective to have? Clever, unsocial, and offensive at times? How about a rich guy? Bold, clever, and slightly arrogant? The profession also affects the plot. Since the profession forms the personality and “role” of a character, it’s bound to alter the plot and the way the character acts and reacts in it.
I have stressed enough about the importance of the characters’ profession. Now, let’s move on to how to pick out a suitable career for them. Relax, they are only characters! They won’t complain about freedom of choice.
Aim to make your character’s profession memorable. You can do that by simply adding details or “flavor” to the job. For example, a detective who works on “cases” is pretty clichéd. How about newbie detective with a psychology background, working solely on cases that involve psychopaths? That adds a zing to it, right?
Novelists should also be concerned about how realistic the character will seem to the readers. If the story is a realistic fiction, it’s best to avoid ridiculous characters and professions that don’t exist in the real world.
On the other hand, if you are writing a general fiction story, an absurd and unrealistic profession is perfectly acceptable as long as you stick to the descriptions you have given earlier on about that character and his/her profession.
For example, if you plan on writing a fantasy fiction, your character will probably include mythical creatures such as goblins, trolls, giants, or unicorns. The main character will possibly possess magic and have a strange profession in which he/she can utilize a power.
If you are writing a science fiction novel that involves travelling through space, spacecraft, space stations, and different galaxies in a distant future time, your characters would have a role suitable to that time and genre. For example, your main character could be an astronaut, a hero on a mission, or even an advanced alien on a mission to “conquer the universe”.
An adventure fiction theme, on the other hand, would have realistic characters with ordinary professions.
Other times, a profession can be used to create a twist in the plot. This is usually true for novels with a dramatic theme. A character could be shown doing something they don’t enjoy at all. They are bored of their ordinary life and their ordinary profession.
The author would then twist the story around when the character suddenly gets an opportunity to do what she always wanted to do. The personal growth and development of the character and their profession would signify the theme to “strive hard”, “have hope” and “follow your dreams” perhaps.
These are some excellent tips for career choosing of characters. The plot twist idea may be old now, but it still works brilliantly. At least… until someone gets an even better idea. Maybe in this article’s very comments section perhaps?
James Thompson is an experienced and passionate writer having diverse expertise in education, career and technology. He provides Essay Help along with his team of dedicated writers to assist students from all standards.
This is a guest article by Indiana Lee. If you want to submit a guest…
This is a guest article by Indiana Lee. If you want to submit a guest…
This is a guest article by Indiana Lee. If you want to submit a guest…
This is a guest article by Indiana Lee. If you want to submit a guest…
This is a guest article by Indiana Lee. If you want to submit a guest…
This is a guest article by Indiana Lee. If you want to submit a guest…
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Great article. The choice of one's career reflects his personality same is the case with writing. I like to write about human relationships.Choosing a career for your character makes him more predictable. How about contrasting his nature with the nature of his work? For example A rich but humble guy, etc