An excellent question.

What is your biggest challenge with character development?

Somebody asked me on formspring that last night. That is really an excellent question.

My response was (because I was trying to make a definitive answer)

       The placement of the character with in the universe and their influence(s) upon it. I do not think nor contain my characters only within the story, I think of a broader universal aspect that brings them to life within the story. The hardest part is answering "What are they going to do to be remembered?"

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       In reality when I create a story I start with the characters involved. The biggest question I answer to myself is "Why?" as in why is the characters there, why doe he/she do what they do. Pretty basic and easy starts for any character is answering "Why?" and giving them reason. 

      The reality of life is that no matter what we do we affect someone else. Unless you are Adam at the time of creation then you affect someone else. It might be just something as insignificant as a smile or being polite but we touch other people and that ripples throughout all eternity. 

      Everyone wants to be remembered for something, even those that say they don't and those that are manic depressives, we all want to be remembered. The advantage of writing is creating that hero who does something so amazing that people want to remember them, and what do they really want to be remembered for? Does Joe Hero want people to remember him because he save the Solar System or does his alter ego geek persona want the shy girl in the corner to notice him because he is a nice guy? 

     When you start diving into what the characters might want to be remembered for then they start getting interesting and it becomes fun to make up stuff that they will be remembered for but not might want to be remembered for. Interesting plot twist and comical routines all come out of this. Therefore for me that is the hardest part of character creation, "What do they want to be remembered for?"