How to: Write Believable Characters

Base your character on a real person.

If I had to give a single point as advice, that would be it. Why? Because in basing your character on a real person you automatically tick all of the other boxes we'll discuss below. This is because any person you know in real life will have standout characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, quirks, etc. They will also be quite consistent in their displaying of these characteristics and that's how you know them as being John, or Mary, or Suzie.

The process I'm going to describe below will help you to create fictional characters that feel as real to you-and more importantly your reader- like the people you know.

Let's consider what makes a person/ character real?

The very things that make a person real are the same ones you'll need to focus on in the creation of your characters. When I think of any person in my real life, I can break their characteristics into a few categories that help me to create a somewhat thorough character sketch. These categories are:

Main Descriptor/ Characteristic

This is the one word that comes to mind when you think of someone. Yes, everyone is complex and made up of many different and sometimes contradictory traits, but everyone also has a core characteristic around which their personality seems to be built. It's the first word you think of when you try to describe them.

An example is loud- some people are just loud. When you think of them you automatically imagine a commanding voice; if they are in a room- it's them you hear. Some people are the opposite, you would first describe them as quiet. Other people are funny; or sensitive; or opinionated- you know people who have something to say about everything- that's a characteristic. Think of it this way, if you can count on it, it's probably their main characteristic.

To illustrate the point, let's pretend we're at a party.

If you can always count on Suzie to be cracking a joke- then she's likely funny as a main characteristic. If you can always count on Jeff to be the center of attention at parties- he's likely charismatic as a main characteristic. If you can always count on Andrew to be in a corner by himself- he's likely quiet and/ or shy as a main characteristic, and so forth.

Strengths or Best Qualities

This is straightforward. Every person has some good qualities, even the 'bad guys'. It just might take some more effort to recognize them in people who lead with their weaker qualities and whose personality is mostly tied to that part of themselves- but they are there. For example, a serial killer can be (and probably would be) meticulously clean. Now, they are obviously a terrible person, but cleanliness is still a virtue. Your character doesn't have to be a good person to have good qualities. Examples of good qualities that can belong to any person, good or bad, include: always on time; being polite; being clean; etc.

Weaknesses or Worst Qualities

This is also quite straightforward. Every person has some bad qualities, even the best among us. In some people, the bad qualities are even embedded within the good ones. For example, well-known public speakers and leaders are typically charismatic and magnetic- but they could also be conceited. In fact, it would be very easy for them to be so. This is a mix of good and bad qualities that (in this specific person) actually depend on each other.

Another example is a very smart person (positive), but who has no patience for people that they perceive as having a lower intellect (negative) than them. Negative traits don't have to be tied into positive ones, however. Whether overall 'good' or 'bad', any person can be untidy, lazy, or rude- all of which are negative traits.

Quirks/ Unique or Interesting Traits

These are fun. These are the things that can make you scratch your head about a person, things that don't quite fit their overall character sketch and as a result, stand out. They give a person a streak of uniqueness that makes them interesting and are often a contradiction of what one might expect about said person.

For example, a pacifist might enjoy shows or movies that depict gruesome violence. This is strange because one would expect a peace-loving person to shun all forms of violence. Another example is if our meticulously clean serial killer from before was actually a passionate advocate for, as well as a regular volunteer at local soup kitchens. This is odd because we wouldn't expect someone who kills at will to be particularly interested in the needs of the poor or to support programs designed to help sustain life. Quirks give a character depth and a grey area.

Make them consistent.

Have you ever watched a show or read a book that ended in a way that made you feel robbed? There can be many reasons for this, but one of the most common is a character acting- for lack of a better term- out of character and in a way that is inconsistent with who they've been up until that point. It feels like a betrayal to the character the audience has grown to know and love/hate. This is often a result of a writer needing to wrap up a story quickly and get to a specific conclusion. A good way to think about inconsistency is if a particular scene or event made you go, 'Huh?!'

An example is the Game of Thrones finale. In the end, it felt like Daenerys Targaryen was suddenly a power-crazy, dragon lady who didn't care whom she hurt. This is a far cry from the smart, intuitive, freedom-bringing, ambitious woman that had been developing throughout the seasons. She was always fierce, but equally compassionate. The ending leaned into her fierceness but with none of the compassion- and it felt off.

Note: It's one thing for a character to grow and change over time, even extremely so- this can be done, and it can be done well. But, importantly, who the character is doesn't change, they just grow and evolve in a certain direction. It's another thing altogether to make your peaceful character kill everyone at the end with no real and believable explanation. It might be interesting, but it doesn't quite stick. It doesn't make sense.

Let's explore how bad timing/ tempo can betray a characters consistency:

If your character has spent 3 quarters of the story being a staunch feminist who never wants to get married or play a typical wife role; it will feel very off if in the last quarter of the story she meets Prince Charming, abandons all her previous beliefs and is cleaning and cooking four-course meals for fun. This sudden change in character is jarring and almost comical. Now if this is the intended effect, then great. If not, you need to rework how these changes can follow a more natural and gradual timeline or give enough context and background for such a change to make sense.

How can you do this?

Go back in time in the development of your character and begin to lace in these characteristics so they aren't new and sudden. Perhaps her backstory is that her mother, who was a typical wife, was painfully betrayed by her father and she vowed she would never let the same thing happen to her. She may have self-sabotaged a few relationships when she felt herself getting too close to someone out of fear of turning into a woman like her mother.

If at the 3 quarter mark in the story, she suddenly has a breakthrough where she's forced to examine her behavior and decides to no longer live out of fear (let's say she has a great therapist), then her sudden change in character won't be so jarring. It will make sense. And, if written well, it can become the sweet ending that romance readers love so much. It's all in the explanation and timing.

Talk to your character:

Really. Have an internal or written conversation with your character. This will help you to know if they are real enough. Real people have opinions. Think of any real person you interact with regularly, be it your sibling, a coworker, a friend, or the girl at your local supermarket- that person has opinions. Even if you're not exactly sure how they feel about certain things, you can probably guess because you know them. You can probably guess, for example, how they feel about climate change or golf or vaccines, etc.

You need to be able to hold a free-flowing conversation with your character (or better yet, two of your characters) and have them stand their own. Make sure they are real and full of dimension. You can practice this by steering the (pretend) conversation to topics that make them angry or happy and have them take on these emotions. This exercise can also help you to make sure that you haven't created an offshoot of yourself, which is a trap authors can easily fall into (ask me how I know). So, this exercise will help you see how the character differs from you. If they don't differ at all, you need to go back to the start.

Get creative.

As with most things, there are no real rules. Think of these points as guides to help you build a solid character sketch. From there, add or subtract to it as you will and as you need to to get your desired outcome. Keep in mind that the most memorable characters of all time have been complex and interesting. Whether they are good or bad is secondary. Write characters you would feel excited to bump into because the idea of talking to them is interesting to you.

Lastly, remember that as with all things in writing- this will be a continual work in progress. Finding the right balance will take time and practice so do your best to enjoy the process.

Happy character development.

Sending my best,

Noni