There are several different elements to writing a good novel. One of the most important ones is making sure you have strong characters that readers can connect with on some level. Even if they’re the story’s villain, they still need to feel real enough that readers actually care what happens to them.
Here’s some solid advice for creating characters that feel like actual people instead of cardboard cutouts.
Don’t Get Hung Up on the Wrong Details
I’ve read way too many books that spend entire paragraphs describing every detail of what their characters look like, down to the exact shade of their eye color. Most of the time, this just bogs down your story. Instead of telling me her hair was blonde, show me how she constantly tucks it behind her ear when she’s nervous, or how it catches the light when she laughs.
Save those lengthy descriptions for things that actually matter to your plot. Your reader doesn’t need a police sketch of every character.
Stuck? Use Name Generators
I get it. Sometimes you sit there for an hour trying to figure out what to call your protagonist, and suddenly you’ve lost all momentum on your story. This happens to writers more often than we’d like to admit, and it’s frustrating because names feel so important.
Here’s the thing: you can always change names later. What you can’t easily fix is the plot hole you created because you spent three days obsessing over whether your character should be called Sarah or Emma instead of actually writing their story.
Give Characters a Look
Just because you shouldn’t obsess over appearance doesn’t mean you should ignore it completely. Having some visual reference can actually help you write more consistently. I keep photos in my character files, and sometimes I’ll even use character creators in video games to build a rough idea of what someone looks like.
It sounds silly, but it works. When you can picture someone, their dialogue often comes more naturally.
Characters Have Background Readers Won’t See
Create a backstory for every important character, even if 90% of it never makes it into your actual novel. Where did they grow up? What was their first job? Maybe they got suspended in high school for starting a food fight, or they’re terrified of dogs because of something that happened when they were six.
These details shape how your characters react to situations in your story. You might never mention that your protagonist failed their driving test three times, but it could explain why they’re so defensive about their competence in other areas.
When you understand your characters this deeply, writing their reactions becomes much easier. They stop being puppets you’re moving around and start feeling like real people with their own motivations.
Hero, Antihero or Outright Villain?
Before you start writing scenes, figure out what role each character plays in your story. Are they the hero trying to save the day? The antihero who does the right thing for the wrong reasons? The villain who thinks they’re actually the good guy? Don’t just throw characters onto the page and hope they find their place.
This doesn’t mean your characters can’t surprise you as you write, but having a starting point helps you write them consistently.
Characters Need Conflict and Flaws
Perfect characters are boring characters. What makes someone interesting is their internal struggles and the ways they mess up. Think about the grizzled detective who drinks too much, or the brilliant scientist who can’t maintain a relationship to save their life.
What keeps your characters awake at night? What makes them make bad decisions even when they know better? What old wound still hurts when someone pokes at it? These internal conflicts drive how characters behave when the pressure’s on.
Flaws and growth are what make readers invested in your characters. Nobody wants to read about someone who has it all figured out.