You might be inspired by yourself, friends, family members, teachers and mentors, public figures, or even people you’ve only met in passing. Write down a few of the person’s key personality traits. Are they shy or outgoing? Are they bubbly and animated, or more reserved when they speak? What are their interests and hobbies? What sorts of things do they want or believe in? Using real people for inspiration is not the same as basing a character directly on a real person. Just borrow traits that you find interesting, like your best friend’s crooked smile or your brother’s fear of flying.
For example, maybe you are fascinated by their complexity, or maybe you find yourself relating to their flaws and insecurities. Perhaps you enjoy their realistic speech patterns or the little details of their mundane interactions with other characters. Remember, you don’t have to like the character as a person to appreciate them as a character! Great villains and antiheroes can be totally despicable, but still fascinating if given enough complexity.
Examples of archetypes include the hero, the villain, the warrior, the leader, the fool, the femme fatale, and the wise woman. Some genres have their own archetypes. For example, in high school settings, you’re likely to encounter archetypes like the jock, the nerd, the cheerleader, and the prep. Think about how your character fits the mold of the archetype, but also think of ways that they might not fit. [6] X Expert Source Lucy V. HayProfessional Writer Expert Interview. 16 July 2019. For example, maybe your character is a cheerleader, but she’s also a member of a Dungeons and Dragons club at her school. This is a good way to avoid falling back on clichés and stereotypes.
You can find free versions of the MBTI and other personality tests on websites like 16Personalities, Truity, and Humanmetrics. Most personality tests offer a series of statements (such as “I have a vivid imagination” or “You often think about humankind and its destiny”) and ask you to rate how strongly you agree or disagree with each statement. Think about how your character would answer each of these questions. Personality tests like the MBTI classify personalities into a set number of “types. ” For example, if your character is a strong leader, they may be an ENTJ (Extroverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Judging) type.
These goals and motivations can be either large or small in scale. For example, in an individual scene, maybe your character’s goal is to slip out of a party unnoticed. Her motivation might be that she’s feeling overwhelmed and wants to be alone. On a larger scale, maybe your character’s goal is to win the state spelling bee. Her underlying motivation could be to gain the approval of her favorite teacher or to show up one of her rivals in school. Remember that what your character wants is not always the same as what they need. For example, perhaps your character wants to be a famous movie star, but what he really needs is to be loved for who he is.
For example, maybe your character is afraid of rejection. He might avoid telling his love interest how he really feels because of this fear.
Your character’s interests and opinions don’t have to align with your own—in fact, your character will ultimately be richer and more interesting if they differ from you in various ways. Research your character’s interests, hobbies, and opinions so that you can portray them realistically. [11] X Expert Source Lucy V. HayProfessional Writer Expert Interview. 16 July 2019. For example, if your character enjoys beekeeping, read up on what’s involved. If there’s wikiHow articles on the topic, you could start there.
For example, maybe your character is always getting into trouble because they have a hard time saying no when their friends ask them for favors—no matter how ridiculous the request. Avoid flaws that just make your character seem even more perfect (for example, making your character “too kind” or “too beautiful”). On the other side of the coin, villains and other “bad” characters can feel more interesting and realistic if you give them a redeeming quality here and there!
For example, maybe your character has a catchphrase (like “Gosh!” or “You don’t say. ”), or perhaps they have a habit of nervously fiddling with their sleeves when they speak. Your character’s personality might be expressed visually through things like how they dress or style their hair.
For example, if your character was once in a bad car accident, they may be afraid of driving or being in cars. Maybe they will need to confront this fear at some point in order to move the story forward.
Maybe your character is a young woman in 1950s small-town America, for instance. She may feel some tension between the social pressure to get married and start a family, and her own personal desire to go out and achieve something big (like becoming a doctor).
For example, if your character is strong-willed and competitive, they might clash with other characters who share those traits—even if they are technically on the same “side. ” A shy character might feel intimidated by a character with a more forceful personality. One of their goals in the story might be to overcome their fear and learn to stand up to the more forceful character.
For example, maybe your character gets into a major argument with his son because of a fundamental difference in values. This conflict could trigger the son to run away from home, setting the plot of the story in motion.
