How to Write Stories People Will Love

Question 24: Avoiding cardboard characters

Demi9639 asks: I feel like all the characters I try to write are so cardboard cut-out like. How do I make them more real?

One of the things that makes a story stand out, even if it has an unoriginal plot, is animated characters. When I say "animated", I mean you can picture them in your mind, or even better, you can picture them in your living room. To animate your story characters, they need to do more than go through the motions of the plot. They need to express a personality.

Think about any book or movie character. Which one leaps into mind? Why did it leap into your mind first? On a whim, I thought of Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Why did he jump into my mind?

Facial Expressions - He's got a funny lip curl when he's surprised or disgusted.

Mannerisms - He makes broad or swishy hand gestures when he speaks. He also runs like a girl, which oddly works for him.

Clothing - He dresses a certain way, and hates being without his hat.

Verbal Tendencies - He's well-spoken for a pirate, yet somewhat slurs when he speaks, even when sober.

Behavior - He rarely loses his temper, and consistently thinks of himself first. Although he also consistently helps good people if he can manage it while helping himself.

For your important characters, think of their personalities. Make them different from each other. It's not enough that they look different. They need to act different as well. Think about nervous tics, personal habits, food preferences, phobias, likes and dislikes. Fill out their personalities in your own mind, and when you write them, express some of those things during dialogue or daily interactions. Keep them consistent. That's how a character becomes memorable - when they feel like a real person.