forum How to not have boring characters
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tune
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Deleted user

Hello!! I seem to be struggling with further developing my characters. I have a general idea of them, but they still seem so unfamiliar and black and white. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks :))

Deleted user

  • This might sound contradictory, but to make my characters more interesting, I give them multiple "bad" traits (even better if they aren't necessarily "relatable"). For example, when giving character flaws, instead of putting "uncoordinated, confused, impulsive"- not that you can't use any of these- I gravitate toward things like "cowardly", "arrogant", or "controlling". This doesn't mean you can't give positive traits to these characters- in fact, a balance between the two makes it more interesting. You can look up a list of character flaws to get some ideas! I usually start by looking for flaws when creating characters.

  • Give them big, inconvenient fears, even better if they don't overcome them.

  • Another thing, give them interests, hobbies, and/or talents, other than their main thing. It's fine if it doesn't come up often, or it's unuseful to the story.

  • Write characters you want to see. Write characters you think would be cool or interesting (while also paying attention to what is natural and realistic for the story and setting). Write what you like!

  • Look up character templates and questionairres. Notebook has a lot of questions and stuff for you to know about your characters in the "create character" thing. With the "configure character fields", you can add questions.

  • Don't be afraid for them to be rough in the beginning, even if that's really rough.

Hope this helps!

@larcenistarsonist group

hello!!!!! character building is my favorite thing ever, lemme give you some of my tips:

  • give them multiple mannerisms for different emotions. By doing this, you give your characters little habits that real people have, making them more 3d!
  • give your characters multiple different motivations and fears. They can be big or small, but nobody has just one fear or just one motivator.
  • describe their appearance in-depth. like what shape is their nose, is their smile Crooked, how wide are their shoulders, any moles, dimples, how pronounced are their cheekbones, how thin are their lips, how do they naturally stand? just things like this are extremely helpful with visualizing characters.
  • give them some distinct symbols that are unique to the character. for example, my character Felix is often represented by the color gold and a deck if cards while my character Grace is represented by a dark magenta, roses, and skeletons.
  • describe their relationships with other characters! how do they act around different people. are there some who they're constantly uptight and polite around, others who they like to shove into walls on a daily basis, a sibling ish relationship between two?? having your characters interact is the entire basis of a story! make those relationships good!

These are just a few of my character building tips. hope I helped!!!!