How to make a good character?

Pixytokisaki14

Pixytokisaki14

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I always felt my characters feel bland and sometimes more robot than human. I wanted to ask, what are the questions in making a good character? What defines a good character? And even How to make my character stand out from the rest?
 
RepresentingEnvy

RepresentingEnvy

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The first thing that I think about is that every character has motivations. They have wants, desires, and wishes. A character is more than just defined by a singular emotion or trait. They have goals. Every character will feel alive if you give them direction. The characters aren't there just to serve your MC. They are also MCs in their own life. Even if they are a love interest, they still have their own wants.
 
Corty

Corty

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Roleplay. When you make up a character, consider their personality, upbringing, past experiences, ideals, and whatever else. You most likely won't share it with the readers, but you still have it in your head. Roleplay with them, think about what they would do in XYZ situation, and with that, develop their personality.

Whenever something happens to them in the story, first think about what they would do. Then, go from there. This is the closest tip I could give.
 
Pixytokisaki14

Pixytokisaki14

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Corty said:
Roleplay. When you make up a character, consider their personality, upbringing, past experiences, ideals, and whatever else. You most likely won't share it with the readers, but you still have it in your head. Roleplay with them, think about what they would do in XYZ situation, and with that, develop their personality.

Whenever something happens to them in the story, first think about what they would do. Then, go from there. This is the closest tip I could give.
Click to expand...
For a person who writes smut fanfics you sure do give some good writing tips. Thanks! :blob_cookie:
 
RedHunter2296

RedHunter2296

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A while ago I made a guide, but since everyone ignores it I'm going to cheat and just copy and paste it.

It's quite long, so I'll put the summary made by ChatGPT, Let me know if you want the extended version.

The text provides valuable insights and tips on how to write more realistic characters in a story. Let's analyze and discuss some key points:

  1. Individuality of Characters: The author emphasizes the importance of tailoring characters to fit the specific needs of the story. Whether it's a children's story, a psychological narrative, or an action-centered plot, characters should be designed to align with the genre and contribute meaningfully to the plot.
  2. Protagonism and Perspective:
    • The tip to consider each character as the protagonist of their own story adds depth and complexity to their motivations. This ensures that characters are actively pursuing their goals, creating a more engaging narrative.
    • The idea of limited points of view introduces an element of mystery and suspense. It prevents characters from having omniscient knowledge and encourages the development of misunderstandings, adding realism to the story.
  3. Character Backgrounds:
    • The notion that every character has a story before the main plot unfolds is crucial. It emphasizes consistency and prevents characters from appearing inconsistent or contradictory.
    • The mention of characters having families, even if not present in the narrative, adds depth to their backgrounds and reinforces the idea that they exist in a broader context.
  4. Distinctive Dialogue: The advice to give each character a unique way of speaking contributes to the richness of the narrative. It helps readers distinguish between characters solely based on their dialogue, fostering a more immersive reading experience.
  5. Character Defining Traits: The suggestion that characters can have defining traits beyond their main characteristics adds nuance. It acknowledges that individuals are multi-faceted and can have interests or attributes that go beyond what is immediately apparent.
  6. Dual Faces of Characters:
    • The idea of revealing a character's true nature in the face of adversity is a powerful storytelling tool. It allows for character development and can lead to surprising twists in the plot.
    • This concept adds a layer of complexity to characters, showing that their behavior can change under extreme circumstances.
  7. Imperfections and Flaws:
    • The emphasis on giving characters flaws and highlighting these imperfections throughout the story is crucial for creating relatable and interesting characters.
    • The example of exploring difficult issues, such as a hero having racist tendencies, demonstrates the potential for complex and thought-provoking narratives.
 
Pixytokisaki14

Pixytokisaki14

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Corty said:
I have only one fanfic for funzies and my main story is not a smut novel but a fantasy story. :blob_teary: It isn't focusing on sex just refuses to fade to black when it happens. :blob_pat_sad:
Click to expand...
Its okay, patt patt. I have some experience with smut fanfics when i was writing back at Wattapad. The stories i wrote there make me ask.
"Wtf was I was smoking when writing this?"
 
KuruKinaar

KuruKinaar

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Personal quirks helps make a character feel real. Everyone has something that's funny and unique that they like, for example: having a tradition they follow religiously, strongly disliking something that makes no sense to dislike, something odd that is extremely liked by this character, etc...

That's one of many examples of making your character feel real and immersive.

You can also have more detailed backstory to said character slowly revealed, reasons for morals, tragedy in their history, contradicting emotions...

Overall, put a lot of thought and detail where if you sat down with your character and asked them a set of questions, and you know how they'll respond each time and be consistent, and their personality of how they respond is also in the interview with them (do they divert the question to something else, do they make eye contact with you, how thorough are they with speaking.)

Just, a lot can be done lol.
 
Generic.Archdemon

Generic.Archdemon

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Pixytokisaki14 said:
For a person who writes smut fanfics
Click to expand...
WHAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTT!



*Me haven't read any of Cory's books coz I turn off signatures.
 
ArchlordZero

ArchlordZero

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Most of my "good characters" are based on a real person I met, either a friend, acquaintance, my ex-girlfriend (fuck her cheating ass), and even those people I don't like too much.
And most of my "robot characters" are somebody I just made up from my head.
 
ACertainPassingUser

ACertainPassingUser

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And please pursue realism before fantasy and stylistic character.

Character isnt just defined by "Realistic personality" and "Goofy Distinct Stylistic personality".

The path isnt "Realistic or Stylistic"

The path is "Normal bland personality -> Realistic personality -> Distinct personality"

You need to know how to create normal and realistic personality before you can start trying to create distinct personality that stand above the rest.
 
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