How to Create a Good Character: Step-by-Step Guide

It is important to comprehend that any great story does not start with a plot, but only with a person, a character, so living to make you believe that they can just step out of the page into your reality. But how do such characters exist? how to create a good character? And in what way do you give life to a creation of your fantasy? This manual is your road map on how to paint a blank canvas into a breathing, living being with a history, heart, and soul. We shall not merely describe, but enter into your psychology. You will get to know how to find out their worst fears, follow the wounds of their past, and know the burning passion that is driving them. A good personality is not one that is perfect; they are made by their own mistakes and misdoings, the things that make them easy to relate to.

They are the wheels of your story, and it is their good and bad decisions that make a story memorable. Using these steps, you will be well prepared to create characters that not only serve to move your plot but also win the hearts and minds of your readers, leaving a lasting impression even after closing the final chapter.

Start with a Strong Concept

You must uncover the gist of your character concept before you write a line of dialogue. The initial concept is what we can consider the DNA of your character, as it is the basic building blocks that will determine the personality, their motives, and their contribution to the tale. To begin this process, I would recommend that you look at the known archetypes and get inspired by the world around you.

Using Archetypes as a Foundation

An archetype refers to a universal pattern or model of a character. They are immediately identifiable since they exploit our shared interpretation of storytelling. Archetypes are not to be copied, but they can be used as a potent initial point.

• The Hero: This is an archetype that appears to be the hero in a mission. You can expand on this by adding a twist to it by providing your hero with some unexpected fault, some personal drive, or a special skill-based trait.
• The Mentor: This is a wise figure who guides the hero. An interesting twist is a mentor who is not perfect, who has some other vested interest, or even one who must learn something himself.
• The Rebel: This character is a defiant character who questions authority and the status quo. You might enquire what the cause of their rebellion is, a good or a destructive one?

Finding Inspiration

To get out of the simple archetype, you must seek inspiration that will put life into your character. This inspiration can come from a backstory, failure or success, happiness or loss, etc. This could be the first step towards building a promising character that engages with the audience: 

• Observe Real People: Keep an eye on the people that surround you, the way people speak, a peculiarity they have, and you will get an idea of a character. You may get inspired by people you have met on the bus, people in authority, or even your friends and family members.
• Drawn from Personal Experience: This can be a great source of authenticity since you are feeling, loving, and can relate it to what you have experienced. The inner conflict of a character could be based on the struggle you have experienced in your life, and their journey will become more believable.
• Ask "What If?": Begin by asking a question that contradicts an argument. What would happen if it were the villain who was right? Or what should the elected one not desire the power? The questions might take you on a very special and interesting journey, and you would end up with a character that defies the norm and leaves the reader shocked.

Define Motivation & Goals

It is necessary to know what makes a character compelling when developing a story to comprehensively answer how to create a good character. Character Motivation and goals are the two components that are needed here, a goal being the particular what that a character is attempting to accomplish, and motivation being the internal why that drives them. They are put together to form a cohesive and intentional direction of your character, and their actions seem to be quite rational and personal. In the absence of a compelling drive and an objective, the actions of a character may seem disjointed and lack drive, and an audience will struggle to identify with their progress.

Motivation

The motivation is the force that makes the character act. It's the "why" of their behavior. The motivation of the character is based on the most inner desires, needs, or fears. It may be internal, such as the need to be in love or to be powerful, or it may be external, such as the need to survive. A powerful motivational force renders the actions of a character believable and comprehensible to the viewers. Consider the example character for better understanding:

Goals

Goals can be defined as the things that a character desires to accomplish. These are tangible "what" that a character is struggling to achieve. A character goals list can be a direct product of the motivation of a character. One might be motivated by the desire to gain freedom, and a goal would be stealing a spaceship to do it. Goals provide the story with a clear direction and develop a sense of purpose. 

You must tie your characters with goals, as it ensures the consistency and authenticity of your characters' decisions. 

Add Strengths and Flaws

An exceptionally strong character is never absolutely good or absolutely bad, and that is they to how to make interesting characters guide. Their capabilities are what enable them to be admirable and capable of pushing the story forward, whereas the flaws bring challenges, conflicts, and reality. The balanced use of strengths and weaknesses makes your character rich, relatable, and emotionally appealing, which makes the audience interested in your story.

Strengths

Strengths refer to the traits or powers that help a character get their goals and overcome obstacles. These could be physical, intellectual, emotional, or moral. To illustrate this point, Harry Potter is a brave person, can think on his feet, and is loyal, which helps him to get out of the dangerous circumstances and inspire people. Sketching strong points is necessary in order to have a personality with a skill to drive the story forward and resolve the conflicts.

• Physical: strength, agility, endurance
• Intellectual: intelligence, creativity, problem-solving
• Emotional/Moral: loyalty, courage, empathy
• Practical/Social: leadership, negotiation, teamwork

Flaws

Flaws are imperfections, limitations, or failures that challenge the nature and introduce conflict. They are either internal, like impulsivity or uncertainty, or external, like resource scarcity or social disadvantage. The impulsiveness and the minor obstinacy of Harry, on some occasions, turn out to be detrimental, and this makes his journey more realistic and engaging.

• Internal: impulsiveness, self-doubt, stubbornness, jealousy
• External: lack of resources, social limitations, dependence on others

The Interplay of Strengths and Flaws

There is a strong relationship between the strengths and flaws. Something that was a strength in one situation turns out to be a weakness in the other situation. This animated play brings depth and realism, and the character does not feel one-dimensional.

• Tip: I suggest writing one or three strengths and three weaknesses when developing your character. Reflect on each of them in relation to their actions, decisions, and relations throughout the narrative. Impressive personalities are unforgettable not only due to their abilities but also due to their fighting, development, and triumph over their flaws.

Make Characters Relatable

To make a character relatable to an audience, provide them with human attributes, such as emotions, relatable decisions, and challenging choices, which can be done with the help of Character Building Questions. When a viewer can relate to a character, they become a part of their story and care about their destiny.

Emotions: The Anchor to Reality

The emotional life of a character is what helps them to be real. Demand, and do not tell, their feelings. Rather than indicating that a character is sad, slouch the shoulders, stare down, or shake the voice. Provide them with a variety of emotions, not just one or two. They are supposed to experience joyfulness, anger, fear, and even frustration as real people feel. The emotional response of the character towards what is happening makes them feel alive and provides the viewer with a clear perspective into their internal world.

Decisions & Choices: Defining Moments

The decisions a character makes, particularly in trying moments, define the character. Their decision-making expresses their beliefs and values and their driving forces. An appealing character usually encounters the same kind of conflicts that we encounter in our lives, albeit at a higher level. A hero might be forced to make the decision between saving their friend and the world, a decision that can make their strength and sacrifice not insignificant. These are the instances that define a character.

Imperfection: The Key to Relatability

No one is perfect. Likable characters possess their flaws and mistakes. They may be impulsive, obstinate, or shortsighted. These are their flaws that make their victories even more gratifying and their losses all the more painful. They make wrong choices, fall, and must stand up once they fall. It is this battle with their humanity that makes them relatable and ultimately, more compelling.

Bring Them Alive in Dialogue & Action

The last phase in the process of character development is to go further than the stage of planning and actualize them by allowing them to interact with the world. Bring out their personality traits and consider that the character of a person is defined not by what is said about the person, but by what they think or do.

Dialogue: The Character's Voice

Dialogue is not only talking, but it is a continuation of your personality in your character. All the lines of conversation must sound original to that particular character.

• Vivid Vocabulary: Does your personality speak formal, slang, or jargon? The words a character uses can also tell about their education, social status, or occupation.
• Patterns in the Speech: Focus on the implication of a character speaking. Are they short and direct or long and waffling in their sentences? Are they unable to talk fluently when they are nervous, or do they interrupt others when they are excited? Such little details make the dialogue seem natural and real.
• Show, Don't Tell: Shows dialogue to indicate emotions and motivation of a character. Rather than the character saying that they are angry, make them yell, clench their fists, or use a rough voice.

Action: The Character's True Self

Actions of a character usually speak louder than words. The character of one can be seen in the way they act, particularly under pressure.

• Meaningful Actions: All the actions of the characters must have a reason. Will the character fight or will they escape? Do they assist a foreigner or care about themselves? These decisions characterize their ethicality and move the story on.
• Physicality: The way that a character holds themselves can be a story. A confident personality traits may be tall with a loose stance, whereas the shyness of a personality may be reflected by a bent posture or avoiding eye contact. Physical expression of emotion, thought, and personality.
• Show, Don't Tell: Like dialogue, action is used to demonstrate a character. Rather than saying that the character is brave, have them run into a burning house to rescue somebody. Rather than claiming they are a good person, demonstrate them making a little sacrifice so that other people will benefit. Actions make a character solidary in the minds of the audience.

Examples of Well-Crafted Characters

One of the best methods of learning about Character Development is by studying well-developed characters. The reason why these characters are unforgettable and long-lasting is that the personality, motivations, and development of these characters are real. They demonstrate to us the way all the elements of creating a character can be brought together to make an impressive whole.

Literature

In literature, a writer has the special privilege of getting into the inner world of a character through their thoughts, feelings, and personal narration. Such an in-depth exploration of their mind makes it possible to have a more complex and subtle deep insight into their motivations and the nuances of their transformation, producing some of the most timeless characters of storytelling.

Movies

Films tend to use visual narration and the actor's acting to illustrate the change of character. The finest movie lines are depicted by a combination of effective dialogue, significant acts, and a character's attitude transformation on the screen, making them memorable and impressive:

Games

Video games provide a special chance to develop character since the decisions made by the player directly affect the character's direction. Such a dynamic relationship may result in an experience that is more personal and immersive: 

Checklist for Good Character Creation

To make sure that your character is highly developed and interesting, consult this checklist to check every necessary aspect. This is a way to ensure that you are going in a right direction. You can also check out the Character Templates and Sheets I created to build your own character: 

The Foundation

This is the part about the essence, the basic aspects of your personality. Before you dive into the details, however, you must have laid out the bare bones of the structure that will accord your character a feeling of being purposeful and historical.

• Powerful Concept: Does your central idea stay strong in your character concept?
• Biography: Do you feel their history and how it influenced them?
• Motivation & Goals: What is your character motivated by, and what is its primary goal? Making a character goals list, can be helpful. 

The Personality

When the groundwork is laid, you can start entering into the personality traits and nuances that make you feel like yourself. This is where you put into them their oddities, their vices, their pathos.

• Strengths/Weaknesses: Are they a combination of virtuous traits and realistic flaws?
• Relatability: Does an audience relate their emotional state and the choices they have to make?
• Voice: Do they speak in a distinctive way, which makes them what they are?

The Role

An excellent personality does not live in a vacuum. The section is dedicated to their role in the overall story and how they relate to the plot and other characters.

• Character Arc: Does the character change significantly in some way, or is he/she an unchanging element of the narrative?
• Role in plot: How do they work as a central character in the story as a protagonist or an antagonist? 

Bringing Them to Life

The last, and maybe the most significant step, is having gotten out of the planning phase. These points refer to the revelation of the personality and motivations of your character in your deeds and in dialogues, so that they become real to the audience.

• Dialogue: Do they sound natural and tell us their personality?
• Actions: Are their deeds consistent with their motivations? Do these motivations characterize them?
• Consistency: Do they act consistently, or are changes of character well justified?

With the help of all these boxes, you can make sure that your character is not a name on a page, but a character who will be truly developed to appeal to your audience.

Conclusion

The process of creating characters is a process of transforming a basic character concept into a complete person. It starts with a great idea, develops motivation and objectives, and enriches it with a well-developed biography of merits and vices. You make a character come alive by identifying their particular voice and employing their actions to demonstrate what is actually happening with them. The final effect of the process is that it creates a strong character development that makes the journey identifiable and memorable to any viewer.