Idk how to make other characters talk like they are there own person. Isn't it just me thinking what they would say? It's not actually what a person like that would talk like. Idk wtf I'm doing tbh been stuck awhile just because I feel like its not that person talking but me. How do you guys go about this?
Maybe I just need to go out and touch grass and talk to people idk. But I'm looking for certain kinds of people this is just really confusing and frustrating looking at words on a computer or book is a lot different than actual people talking in the moment.
What I'm trying to say is how do you make your characters feel like they are people.
How to write good characters:
- set out one specific thing the character wants, like a current or life goal, and something they need but dont necessarily know about
- if you're not sure about their personality, pick a character you like from a different story and adapt the most exaggerated version of that person.
- then, sand off the inconsistencies and add a little depth with traits and interests that you'll only know once you know that person.
- give this character this kind of social gravity well in the setting. They should affect the world around them to some extent and be embedded in it. The village guard isn't just standing there like a flag pole 24/7. He's got relationships with every other person in the village, because its a small place. He probably has a side hustle and a family or old parents that smack talk him for not getting married younger. Anyone who appears in the story for more than a chapter should have this depth.
- and finally, make their looks tell their story. This isn't just about hair, scars, being thin or obese, muscular or flabby, etc. It's also about what they wear day to day, what items they have on their person, how they move (mongolian horse archers, sailors and prison hardened criminals have a specific gait to them), what habits they have, and even ethnicity (are they native that part of the setting, and is it relevant?).
To make the characters feel as real as possible, show them acting different in different situations. Like a contrast between a social and private face, or a situation where they ""break character"" because of stress or a sense of anonymity. Listen to interviews to figure out how people talk in casual conversation.
Also, avoid """banter""" type dialogue at all cost, unless its actually funny. I see a lot of these in passable and good amateur novels, and it really brings the stories down, it almost feels like the characters, who are supposed to be friends, colleagues or partners genuinely hate each other and do nothing but argue. Its actually insufferable to read a dialogue where the characters exchange ironic humor quips like they're in a marvel movie or something. In general, dialogue should tell you something about the history between two characters, and shouldn't spell out motivations. Cliche lines people sometimes pull straight out of their favorite manga are best avoided.