How to Write The 100 Fanfiction ✓

49 | how to make your character more realistic

1. Give them something to fear.

Everyone is afraid of something. Even if stoic characters claim to have no fear, it always exists and can change a person's behavior when they are forced to face them. For example, when Lexa's power was threatened by Roan, she acted on a whim and killed Queen Nia. Whatever fear(s) you give your characters should change their behavior and be somewhat of a drive for them. A common fear is one's loved ones dying, which is a staple to almost everyone.

2. Give them some enemies.

If your character has nobody opposing them, what's the point of the story? There should be one or more people in the story that your characters do not like and the feeling goes deeper than mutual dislike. Even if it's just the Grounders if your character is a Sky Person, giving your character enemies makes them much more concrete.

3. Remember that not everyone should like your character.

As much as we would like to, we can't make everyone like us. There is always going to be someone who doesn't like another person for whatever reason, so the same should be true for your character. Maybe someone hates their constant optimism because it seems unrealistic. Maybe someone dislikes what the character stands for or how they treat others. Clashing personalities is also a common reason for a mutual disliking. This is separated from the "enemies" tab because someone not liking your character doesn't have to make them sworn enemies. 

4. Give them a health complication.

What happened to all the anemics?? All the asthmatics??? All the diabetics?? Natural selection?? There are almost no health complications in the show except for the genetic disease in the McIntyre family that was never named or described in 5x13. I can't tell you how many people I know with asthma (including myself) and I know at least five people with diabetes. The fact that these people are nonexistent is pretty difficult to believe.

5. Give them allergies.

Since the Sky People have been in space for 97 years, they have never been exposed to real oxygen or pollen. Pollen can bring on those good ol' seasonal allergies– the runny noses, red and itchy eyes, sneezes, and scratchy throats. Even a Grounder character can have them because your body falsely detects pollen as dangerous. In your body's attempt to fight off what it believes to be harmful, it produces a chemical called histamine, which produces allergy-like symptoms. 

They can also be allergic to certain foods. Maybe they're a delinquent who is allergic to nuts, but they don't know it until 1x08 and they have a reaction. Maybe they're a Grounder from Floukru who's ironically allergic to fish. Some ideas are nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, and various types of fruit.  

6. Give them a disability.

Disabled people freaking exist! They are very underrepresented in modern media. Whether this is a physical or mental disability, including it in your story can mean a lot for many people. Right now, Raven is the only disabled person on the show. I find it difficult to believe that not one person with Down Syndrome was born on the Ark recently; the life expectancy is currently at 60. That far in the future, I'd expect it to be higher. 

7. Remember that their family should be important.

Many authors, regardless of fandom, completely ignore the OC's parents and leave them almost completely out of the picture. Even if both of their parents are deceased, this should be an important factor in their life, like it was for Charlotte. For example, Murphy's father was floated for stealing medicine for him, causing him to set fire to the guard's living quarters. This is also the reason for his antagonistic attitude in season 1. Parental relationships were very important on the show; Sergeant Miller and Miller were one of my favorite dynamics.