Character building

A good story is nothing without good characters to accompany it, strong, believable characters are at the heart of all great storytelling. Accomplished novelists know that readers need to connect well with the characters long before they connect with the plot. It’s important to understand that a compelling character doesn’t have to be perfect, in fact, far from it. The people in your stories, need to feel real, they should have goals, fears, flaws and a voice that’s identifiable. So, it doesn’t matter if you are telling the tale of a schoolteacher in Kentucky or a rebel pilot in a far, far away galaxy, it’s how real, how grounded and how rooted in their own reality, that keeps the reader invested.

Characters also drive the plot, the choices they make, their failings help create an atmosphere, create tension. Its important to describe them well, how they look, how they dress, if they smell a certain way but just as important, is to describe how they feel, how they view the world, what makes them tick. Readers can relate to the characters challenges, and when they do they will want to know them more. Don’t settle for only creating a fabulously detailed protagonist, remember that villains and some secondary characters will deserve the same level of care and depth.

Something to keep in mind, your characters don’t always have to arrive fully constructed. They can grow and develop throughout the course of the story. Deciding how a character does or doesn’t grow, can lend true emotional power to a story. They may learn to love, become more honest, find courage or alternatively, they may turn their back on change and that could be a driving factor in a plot.

To build characters that are full of depth, it helps to identify their personal traits and whilst there are no fixed number of categories here, they can generally be broken down into ten. Take a look at the examples below and perhaps consider these categories when building your character profiles.

Moral Traits

A character's sense of right and wrong, how they behave ethically (or unethically).

e.g. Honest, loyal, deceitful, compassionate, selfish.

Emotional Traits

These reflect how a character experiences and expresses emotions.

e.g. Optimistic, anxious, calm, moody, hot-tempered.

Social Traits

These involve how a character interacts with others and fits into social environments.

e.g. Charming, shy, arrogant, awkward, manipulative.

Intellectual Traits

These cover a character’s thinking style, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.

e.g. Clever, imaginative, practical, narrow-minded, curious.

Motivational Traits

These relate to what drives a character and their desires, ambitions, and fears.

e.g. Ambitious, lazy, driven, fearful, adventurous.

Behavioural Traits

These describe consistent patterns in how a character acts, especially under pressure.

e.g. Cautious, impulsive, methodical, reckless, patient.

Physical Traits

Not personality-based, but still worth noting because they affect how a character is perceived and how they interact with the world.

e.g. Strong, frail, graceful, clumsy, intimidating.

Spiritual or Belief Traits

Reveal their belief systems, faith, or spiritual outlook.

e.g. Devout, agnostic, idealistic, fatalistic, zealous.

Adaptive Traits

Define how they handle change or adversity.

e.g. Resilient, rigid, flexible, panicky, defiant, adaptive.