In storytelling, characters serve as the heart and soul of a story. Ultimately, they drive the narrative. Whether they're heroes, sidekicks, or even villains, their personalities can captivate readers and drive the plot forward. Now, there are many different and unique character types, but one character type is someone who is primarily upbeat and happy. Crafting these upbeat characters can inject an infectious energy into your story, leaving your readers uplifted and inspired. This article will explore the art of creating upbeat characters that resonate with your audience, bringing joy and positivity to your story.
Have Them be Content
When crafting upbeat characters, ensuring that they exude positivity is crucial. A great way to achieve this is by portraying them as content with their lives. Happy characters don't focus on their failures or what they are missing, rather they are content with what they have. Content characters not only radiate joy but also serve as beacons of hope for readers. For instance, maybe your character is a cheerful baker who finds joy in sharing their delicious treats with her community. Or perhaps your character is an adventurous explorer who embraces every challenge with a smile. By portraying characters who are content with their lives, you don't just convey the happiness of your characters, but you draw readers into a world filled with optimism and possibility.
Consider Their Backstory
A character's backstory is one of the most fundamental elements of their personality. Their backstory shapes aspects of their outlook, personality traits, emotional range, and fears. As a result, you must consider the backstories of your characters when writing upbeat ones. Why is this character so cheerful? Whether it is because their parents instilled in them a positive mindset or because they won the lottery and no longer worry about money, you must think about what influenced your character's outlook on life. Asking yourself, why an upbeat character is so happy will help you create a more realistic narrative. Click on the button to discover tips on revealing a character's backstory.
Know What Makes Them Sad
While your characters may be happy the majority of the time, that doesn't mean they never get upset or sad. Just like real people, upbeat characters have their share of vulnerabilities and challenges. Therefore, knowing their sources of sadness is critical. When writing upbeat characters, understanding what makes them sad is crucial for creating depth and authenticity in their portrayal. It allows you to delve into their inner world, making them more relatable and 3D. Typically, this relates to the previous point of knowing your character's backstory. For instance, you might have a cheerful protagonist who hides the sadness they carry from a childhood trauma. Understanding what upsets your upbeat characters adds layers to your characters, making them more compelling and human to your readers.
Give Them Multiple Traits
All of your characters should be multifaceted with lots of different elements of their personality. Your upbeat characters shouldn't just be upbeat, they need other aspects of their identity. Showcasing a variety of traits adds layers to their character, making them more relatable and engaging to readers. By giving them a range of qualities, from quirks and strengths to vulnerabilities and aspirations, you not only create well-rounded individuals but also provide opportunities for growth and development throughout the story. This complexity will make your characters much more interesting and allow readers to form stronger emotional connections.
Show Don't Tell
One of the most important things to remember when writing upbeat characters is that you have to show their happiness. Readers are not going to be engaged when you simply tell them that a character is upbeat, which is why the "show, don't tell" technique is crucial. Showing instead of telling is an excellent way to further engage readers and immerse them in the story. Rather than stating that a character is upbeat, it's more effective to depict their emotions through actions, dialogue, and interactions with the world around them. By showing a character's happiness through their behavior and demeanor, readers can feel the warmth and positivity radiating from them. Listed below are some examples of showing how happy a character is.
Example: Telling
Mikayla was cheerful.
Example: Showing
Example: Telling
Example: Showing
Happy characters can lead to upbeat readers, but only if you write the characters realistically and portray them as three-dimensional. Luckily, the traits listed above are sure to help you write cheerful characters that lead to bright smiles on your readers' faces.