Most people work, with a business or at home. Even most of the idle rich do something with their day. While our stories might not focus on our the day to day aspects of our characters’ employment, we’re likely to mention their jobs at some point. In a post on Writers Helping Writers, Becca Puglisi offers advice on choosing the right one.
“When we hand-select the ones that tie into numerous elements, they anchor everything together, building a sturdy foundation for a story with depth,” Puglisi writes. “One detail that can accomplish this is the character’s job.” Sometimes, your character’s vocation is obvious. A James Bond novel wouldn’t be nearly as exciting if Bond were an accountant. Otherwise, you need to put some thought into your choice.
Some factors to consider:
- Your character’s positive traits. People choose jobs that fit their personalities. Consider your hero’s positive qualities and list jobs that would be a good match. Also consider their talents and skills. If a particular talent will help your protagonist achieve their story goal, make note of that as well. That kind of detail will pull a lot of weight in your plot.
- Your character’s interests, values, and beliefs. Naturally, people choose careers in a field that interests them. Many are driven by a sense of mission and seek out jobs that provide personal fulfillment as well as a paycheck.
- Your character’s needs and wounds. Subconsciously, your character might choose a job to fill an emotional need or provide something that’s missing from her life. What kind of job would your character pursue if he’s missing love, safety, or security? Relatedly, a character who has suffered in the past might choose a career that helps them heal or bring resolution to their pain. Consider the number of fictional defense attorneys who chose their career based on the unfair imprisonment of a friend or relative, or the cops and detectives who have violent crime in their pasts.
- Your character’s unresolved issues. Is your character still trying to win her parents’ approval? Is he trying to show his ex that he’s more successful than her current spouse? “Unresolved wounds are often at the root of a missing human need, so if this kind of past experience is influencing your character, take both factors into consideration,” Puglisi writes.
