by Creating realistic characters is a lot like breathing life into your characters in your work. You can easily make your own characters stand out while taking readers through a series of emotions. One of the most important things a writer should be able to do is create realistic characters, especially if you are beginning your journey.
In this guide, we are going to take you through some easy steps that will assist you come up with believable and unique characters. No matter if you are writing stories, scripts, or novels, it will be beneficial to learn how to create powerful characters. Let’s get started?
What Makes a Character Believable?
Let’s start with what it means for a character to be realistic before we get to the specifics of creating them. A realistic character is one who has a backstory, flaws, strength, and a unique personality. They should have goals, fears and problems like ordinary people do or something like that. The more readers relate to the character, the more they become interested in the story. Now let’s delve into how such characters can be created.
1. Start with a Clear Character Goal
Great characters always have a desire or want. This is known as their goal. It can be as basic as looking for a missing dog and as complicated as saving the world. Your character’s goal is what makes him or her act and move forward most in the story. If your character has no goal, then your character may run like a flat one, which might make it hard for the reader to care about the character.
Let’s imagine that your character goal is to become the soccer player of the year at your school. This goal provides them with a purpose to strive, face obstacles, and overcome them to become who they are. Remember, to build realistic characters, you need to give them clear goals that make sense within the context of the story.
2. Understand Their Backstory
Who a character is today depends on their previous experiences. The experiences of their upbringing reveal their behaviors and the choices they make. You must reflect on their backstory when developing a more realistic figure. This will provide a guideline to the readers on why a character acts a certain way.
For example, If raised in a large city your character likely has adapted to rapid living and is more independent. On the other hand, someone from a small town might value community and close connections. Reflecting on a character’s past helps you deliver them engagingly and makes them more approachable.
3. Give Them Strengths and Weaknesses
Every person has flaws and so must your character. For a character to feel realistic and relatable, you must shed light on their strengths and weaknesses. Just as real people do, your characters need to have certain excellence in some skills while struggling with others.
When a character is too perfect he or she can become boring cause they won’t face real challenges. Rather, think about what they are good at or something they want to work on. For instance, maybe your character is great at sports but barely passing in their academic results. Including their weakness and strengths add depth to your character.
4. Develop a Unique Personality
Each realistic character reflects their individual traits. When writing, focus on the way your character interacts with the world, along with their tastes and their responses to different scenarios. Their personality highly reflects their behaviors and relationship with other characters.
A fun way to enhance personality is by giving quirks to your character, small behaviors, or habits that set them apart. Perhaps they dress in odd socks or show a fascination with random facts. Such points uplift your character’s reality for readers.
5. Let Them Make Mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes, and your characters should too. When you build believable characters, allowing them to fail or mess up makes them more realistic. Characters who succeed at everything can feel unrealistic, but when they fail, it creates opportunities for growth and learning.
For instance, if your character is trying to solve a mystery but jumps to the wrong conclusion, it adds tension and makes the story more engaging. Readers appreciate characters who overcome their mistakes, and it helps make the character arc—how they change over time—more powerful.
6. Use Dialogue to Show Their Voice
The way a character speaks reveals a lot about who they are. Dialogue is one of the most important tools for showing personality and emotions. To make your character’s voice stand out, think about how they talk. Do they use formal language or are they more casual? Are they shy or outspoken?
For example, a confident character might speak in short, direct sentences, while a nervous character might hesitate or use more fillers like “um” or “uh.” By paying attention to dialogue, you can build believable characters that feel distinct and memorable.
7. Give Them Relationships
No character exists in a vacuum. Just like in real life, characters interact with others and form relationships. These relationships can help reveal more about your character’s personality, goals, and conflicts.
Think about who your character is close to, whether it’s a family member, a best friend, or a rival. These relationships help to shape your character and give readers more insight into their life. For instance, a character with a strict parent might act out in rebellion, while one with a supportive sibling might find comfort in tough times.
8. Make Their Appearance Match Their Personality
While appearances aren’t everything, how a character looks can tell readers something about their personality. Think about the details of your character’s appearance and how they reflect who they are.
For example, a character who’s always in perfectly neat clothes might be someone who cares about order and control. On the other hand, a character with messy hair and mismatched clothes might be more laid-back or chaotic. Appearance is another way to build believable characters who feel fully realized.
9. Show Their Growth Over Time
A believable character is one that changes and grows throughout the story. This is called a character arc. By the end of your story, your character should have learned something or become a different person than they were at the start. This growth makes the character’s journey more satisfying for readers.
For instance, if your character starts out as shy and timid but learns to speak up for themselves by the end, that shows growth. The key is to make sure the change feels natural and earned through their experiences in the story.
10. Create Internal Conflict
Last but not least, believable characters experience internal conflict. This means they face struggles within themselves, not just external challenges. Maybe your character wants to do the right thing but feels torn by their fears or desires. Internal conflict adds depth to your characters and makes them more relatable because readers can understand their struggles.
For example, a character who wants to win a competition might feel guilty about defeating their best friend. This kind of inner turmoil makes the character more complex and their journey more compelling.
Final Thoughts
Building believable characters takes time and practice, but it’s worth the effort. When readers connect with your characters, they’ll be more invested in your story. Remember to give your characters clear goals, backstories, strengths, weaknesses, and unique personalities. Let them make mistakes, grow over time, and experience conflict.
By following these steps, you’ll be on your way to creating characters that feel as real as the people around you.
