There are two extremes when creating characters: making them too consistent or too chaotic. One leads to cardboard cutouts and the other creates confusion. Real people aren’t like that and neither are great fictional characters.

The Myth of Consistency

In real life, character traits shift with emotion, and context. A nun might swear. A stoic father might cry at a movie. Even the most cheerful friend can act cold and distant.

People (and good characters) are more layered than the stereotypes we often rely on.

Core Traits and Their Edges

Every person (and character) has core traits that outline who they are. Think of it as their character framework. The key is to show not just the traits, but the edges of their idiosyncrasies and often morality. Where do they bend? Where do they break? What caused them to do the thing you never thought they would do?

A good trick is to use contrast.  For example, A loving mom who loses her cool. A selfish character that donates anonymously. These moments tell us more about who they are than consistent stereotypes ever could.

Think about all the different moods you saw in your family members in growing up. The loving mother who put your artwork on the fridge and called Grandma to brag about it is the same person who might go off the rails yelling at you when your socks don’t make it into the hamper.

If done well, these moments shouldn’t contradict who the person is but instead reveal their character and endear them to the reader. Those “out of the norm” moments are the moments we can best relate to.

The “What Are They Like?” Shortcut

When someone asks you, “What are they like?” you usually distill a person into a few key traits, often with a “but”:

“She’s really stingy, but she spends a lot on her dog.”

That one sentence gives us:

• Her frugality
• Her emotional attachment to her pet
• but also a glimpse of her contradictions

It also makes us wonder why she is that way. Why is the dog of such importance that she readily spends money on it? Is there something that happened in her past where she has a hard time with people and can only relate to pets? Or did she lose a pet when she was a child, maybe because of something she failed to do to take care of it, and is now overcompensating in order to atone?

Writing Exercise: Bring It to Life

1. Choose a character you’re working on.
2. Ask yourself: “What are they like?”
3. Try to include a “but” in your answer.
4. Then write a single line of dialogue about them. It should be something another character might say.

Example: “He’s totally unreliable, but he’s the first person I would ever call in a crisis.”

That not only tells us something, but it also hints at what’s lurking beneath the surface. It also sets up the story for a later explanation as to why that character is the way they are. It’s a good hook that keeps the reader engaged.

Great characters are made by revealing the edges of their core traits. This makes them relatable. Show those core traits, then show where they stretch, or even break, under pressure.

-James