Realistic characters

Characters are the crux of any story. Why should you be invested in what's happening if you don't care about WHO it's happening to? So before you even begin writing a story, you need to know who it's about.

How do you make a character that doesn't just fit some basic archetype?

• Pretty cheerleader

• Dumb jock

• Awkward nerd

We've seen all those types and they're predictable and boring. Currently,"complexity" is added by switching up the stereotypes.

• Insecure cheerleader

• Smart jock who can't decide between singing and sports

• Rude nerd who thinks he's better than everyone

Are these any better? NO.

Don't think of stereotypes at all when creating a character. That just limits all of who your character can be. Humans can't be put into a single box. People are complex. People have flaws. People make mistakes. Show the multiple sides, good and bad, of your characters to make them not only more realistic, but relatable.

Describe different aspects of their personality as pieces that together make up the whole person.

• Wallows when bad things happen instead of trying to fix it

• Insecure about their stomach

• Gets a kick out of flirting with strangers

Here are some things I think are helpful when developing the personalities of characters.

• Hobbies/Interests

• Fears

• Strengths/Weaknesses

• Weird quirks or habits they have

• Likes/Dislikes

• Birthday/Age/Zodiac Sign

• Myers-Briggs Type/Enneagram

• The way they dress

• Education/job/college major

At the end of the day, you should know way more about the character than the readers ever will. When you truly understand the character, their motivations and the way they would react to situations, then the story just writes itself.