Every writer wants to write a character who stands out, drives the story to interesting places, and captures the reader’s heart. Why?
Because characters with depth sell books.
And of course, the key to creating someone who readers connect to comes down to knowing them inside and out, and carefully choosing each detail about them so each piece of characterization – their personality, experiences, emotional wounds, motivations, beliefs, struggles, fears, needs, and all the rest – weaves together into a meaningful tapestry.
One area of characterization that is often underutilized, yet oh-so-powerful, is the choice of job they do. Whether the work is so suited to them, it feels like their calling in life, or they chose it only because it pays the bills, their choice reveals their inner layers in an ultimate display of show, don’t tell.
In the case of a job they love and find fulfilling, readers will immediately gain insight about their core values, what gets them excited and motivated, and the skills that make them good at what they do. Let’s try a few:
An Animal Rescue Worker will love animals, have a lot of compassion, and be the type of person to step in and help others in need. They abhor cruelty and unfairness, and seek to stand against it. They will be the giving sort, ready to step in, stay at work late, go in early. They will have incredible patience, and be fixers, motivated by the chance to transform an animal’s life so they go on to find the love and happiness they deserve.
A Funeral Director will be someone who is empathetic, respectful, and carry the belief that all people, regardless of who they are, deserve a dignified end to their journey in this world. They are obviously comfortable with death, have a strong work ethic, handing long hours and an unfixed schedule, because a person’s passing is unpredictable. They will be detailed-oriented, and take great care, knowing the families they serve are placing trust in them to serve in this final way.
A Reporter is someone who pays attention, always searching for the story and how to convey information in a way that makes it accessible and interesting to their audience. They will seek to report in a niche they are passionate about, providing clues as to what they believe in, care about, or have deep interests in. They are investigative, detail-oriented, and good at putting together pieces that others may miss. They will be good at connecting with people, getting them to open up and share, but their focus and dedication to the work may mean the job comes first, and their real-world relationships are not as strong as the effort they put into them is unpredictable.
What about a job that the character may not love, but it fits their life circumstances?
The possibilities are endless.
A character doing a job they don’t enjoy (maybe a personal shopper or taxi driver tells readers that paying the bills comes before personal satisfaction because they are responsible.
A character working a manual job as a janitor may do so to avoid the stress of the career they trained for (an emergency dispatcher).
And what about a character that chooses a job no one wants to do (pest control technician)? Maybe it’s the perfect fit for someone in a witness protection program who values privacy and anonymity above prestige or a hefty paycheck.
Bottom line?
A character’s job isn’t a
throwaway detail.
It’s worth the time to pick a job that reflects the exact story you want readers to know about your character, personality, background, and life circumstances. If you need help brainstorming the right career, we have a giant list of occupations HERE.
Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.
I have a bit of a dilemma with a character. I’ve already written three books with her, and I’m toying with ideas for more. She’s an escaped slave who was used as a data entry clerk on a luxury cruise ship, and by the end of the third book the protagonist, her wife, is busy running a refugee colony for other escaped slaves inside alien territory. Apart from raising kids, I’m not sure what she would be doing at this point. She liked flying and won awards for piloting games when she was little, but more than anything she’s a major fact nerd, a reader who eagerly absorbs, then shares, any fascinating or relevant knowledge she can get. Any ideas?
I would think about what is important to her and her wife, and their mission to help others. Is there something she can do that works with her role as mom, that supports their community and the people they are helping? Could she be a teacher to children refugees, help with a daycare program in the camp so parents can have breaks, run a survivor’s support group to support talk therapy, or use her clerking skills to help refugees navigate forms or follow the necessary steps to find family members who may be in other refugee camps, or advocate for those who need to be rescued from slavery? Just a few ideas. I hope this helps!
Thanks! Sometimes you just have to tap into other people’s brains to get yours up and running. It’s easy to myelinate on a pattern, get into habits of mind, and miss things that would be obvious to someone else. She’s very much the dopamine type, so I could see her trying all of these and more before settling down into one, if she settles down at all. Dopamine types are naturally curious and driven to try new things.
Also, consider a character who hates their job but has to stick with it to pay the bills, perhaps giving up on their dream life for the sake of family and children. Maybe they have a partner/spouse who is a layabout, often out of work, watching TV, drinking and doing all day, refusing to help with the kids. Resentment may drive their actions.
Absolutely. Not everyone works at something they enjoy, and doing something they hate shows readers what’s important to them – paying the bills, protecting their family, being responsible, and doing the best they can to provide a stable life for those they love. It can also show the lack of opportunity for them, and showcase their inner strength to make a life in the way they can, even if it doesn’t leave them feeling fulfilled.
When I was a senior in high school, some people came to my English class to talk about college. Their pitch was that 97% of people hate their jobs, so go to college so you can learn to do something you love. I have no idea if the figure is correct (or even if it was back then), but after decades in the working world I can safely say that most people hate their jobs, huge numbers of people went to college only to find that they couldn’t get a job in their field, or that working conditions in their field were not at all what they expected. But the other thing worth noting is that lots of people who hate their jobs will say that they love it because they don’t want to look like fools. Some of them eventually persuade themselves to believe it.