I really love writing about my characters, especially past events, backstories, and basically where they are coming from.
I keep track of little details about my characters lives and all, and I love character development (a little too much I think).
Is there anyway to overdevelop your characters, and if so, how can you recognise when you've done so?
There's no such thing! It's good to know those things; it helps you write the character. There is such a thing as telling the audience (readers) too much. The readers don't have to know every little thing about the character. If you do want them to know, than you time it or reveal it slowly. If it's something small, like a habit, then don't bluntly state it. Just have it happen every once in a while. The readers will catch on.
The good thing about having all my notes on my characters is that when they're in a certain situation, I can use that situation to develop them.
Ex.: character is afraid of being rejected due to losing their parents in early childhood.
I don't have to rehash the whole 'losing their parents' situation, but I can show that they try extremely hard to impress people and clingy with their friends because they are afraid of losing them.
I try and make my character's personality traits and mannerisms explainable and have a reason behind them. There are lots I don't explain.
Yeah. It really comes in handy.
I think it's very important to know as much as you can about your characters, even if the information doesn't make it into the book (it can work as extra information or easter eggs on a website when you publish your book) But knowing lots of small things about your characters makes them seem multidimensional and deep and complicated, like most people are.
You mention backstory? Well, I know I scream about this a lot, and that's because it's true–BACKSTORY! IS! AWESOME! There is no such thing as too much detail when it comes to backstory!! It really helps you get to know your characters and understand WHY they do/feel the things that they do. If you're addicted to writing backstory, GOOD! There is no better way to bring your characters to the next level. :DDD
There is no such thing as overdeveloping your character. Knowing a bunch of little details may come in handy when writing your book, even if they don't make it into the book. Knowing a characteristic of your character can influence you and help you make decisions about your character.
No. People are weird, scary, many-faceted things. It's essentially impossible to write a person into existence. To even try is going through their every moment of existence and figuring out the cause-and-effect of it. How does each event affect their personality? Why did they react to it the way they did?
But the deeper you go, and the more human they are, the better the character will turn out.