Creating Characters using Five Whys.

Embarking on the journey of writing a book has led me down many paths, especially when exploring the depths of character creation. I’ve often used a technique I first employed while hosting Dungeons and Dragons. Sometimes characters needed swift development that I could later go back and build upon. This technique is asking the question “why” five times. This method has become my creative compass, guiding me towards characters that had a base concept moments before. It creates an abundance of personalities and possible histories. When using it to make characters for my book it becomes an awesome jumping off point that often leads to new and interesting ideas.

Let’s take the protagonist of my book, Alton, as an example. A young 22-year-old residing in the town of Last Hold. We have a base so lets ask our first why. Why is he there? Alton, along with other orphaned children, found themselves in Last Hold. From this one why a tree of lore begins to bloom. Now, the branches of whys begins to blossom, unlocking hidden facets of Alton’s world.

We then have the option to branch off two separate ways. Either to build more on his character or to build more on the lore. We’re going to ask a why that does a little of both. Why was he orphaned? The answer is something Alton may or may not know in the beginning of the novel. Pulling back the curtains a little i will reveal that it is due to a Kavu attack on an outer village of the Atheros Empire. We’ve now given several sprouts to Altons character. He is originally from the Atheros Empire, his family has disappeared as a result of a Kavu attack (asking about Kavu might be addressed in a later session), and that he might have motivations of redemption or fear tied to this village.

This leads us in to our third why. This one we will try and discover a bit more surrounding the character and who might have been around him in the early days. Asking about the situation particularly will tell us more. Digging deeper, we ask, why was he able to survive the attack? The village’s priority once they knew all was lost was saving the elderly and children. Being very young and escaping with the other children and elderly gives us small community of characters. New trees to sprout when we ask ourselves a new set of why’s

Our next why will be a bit more detached since it will circle back around to lore. Delving further in to that lore, we inquire, why did the Kavu attack? Here, we expand, revealing that the Kavu, influenced by the magic of the Aether, grow larger and more aggressive, needing to claim more territory. The motives behind their attacks are a part of the world building process. Another tree sprouting.

For the final why, I decide to explore parallel to Alton’s personal history, asking, why was the Atheros Empire unable to repel the Kavu attack and save the village? The answer to this question uncovers the catalyst for the turmoil of my entire series. A cataclysmic event in the capital city, rendering the empire shattered. The signal is sent out from the remaining heads of the empire, for all soldiers and priests to return. The summons for troops and priests to rebuild the once-great Atheros left the outer villages vulnerable.

The Five Whys method serves as a creative catalyst, helping me not only shape Alton’s character but also weave an intricate tapestry of lore for the entire narrative. It creates a beautiful tree of facts and lore for Alton while also inspiring new sprouts to pop up and drive deeper world building. As more items are add it the story is enriched.

In the quest to craft characters, the Five Whys method has been a simple way to get my creative juices flowing. The deeper you go the more it is transforming into a powerful tool for storytellers. It’s a process of unraveling mysteries, one why at a time, until the characters and their worlds come alive with depth and authenticity.

Hope you enjoyed a bit of my madness on the way to the book!

K