Character Development

Ren

I'm not clever enough for this...
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Some of my characters are feeling a little cardboard lately, so I've been working with that a lot the past few days. Anyone have any tricks/excercises they use to help develop characters?
 

sheadakota

part of the human equation
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I create entire histories for my characters. Lots of it will never be mentioned, but I find it gives them depth- I include quirks and bad habits, likes and dislikes, and include them into the characterization, just knowing how they would react in any given situatiuon helps make them real when you write them.
 

Ren

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Mine have histories and so on, but they just don't feel real within the book yet. I've been trying to think of some little games to play with them that might help, but not much luck so far. ^^
 

Histry Nerd

Moving Forward!
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Ren -

I found a great method recently that is working well for me. I took each of my major characters (including the bad guys) and wrote a one-page (or so) synopsis of the story from his or her point of view. It has helped me round out the story with details I hadn't necessarily thought about, and really helped me figure out what each one wants and how he means to get it. You might give it a shot and see if it helps.

Hope it helps.
HN
 

MetalDog

Woof!
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I grill mine mercilessly, shining a lamp into their faces and slamming my hand on the desk.

Why are you doing what you're doing? What's in it for you? Why are you so reckless/mean/cowardly/kind/quiet/loud? Why did you turn away from them without answering? How did you get all the way here anyway? What makes you think you're qualified to be a major character? Why couldn't someone else do your job better and how did you stop your closest rival from getting the post? Did you nobble them? Did you? Huh? DID YOU?
 

Ren

I'm not clever enough for this...
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I grill mine mercilessly, shining a lamp into their faces and slamming my hand on the desk.

Why are you doing what you're doing? What's in it for you? Why are you so reckless/mean/cowardly/kind/quiet/loud? Why did you turn away from them without answering? How did you get all the way here anyway? What makes you think you're qualified to be a major character? Why couldn't someone else do your job better and how did you stop your closest rival from getting the post? Did you nobble them? Did you? Huh? DID YOU?

lol I love you.

Marry me?
 

Ren

I'm not clever enough for this...
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:D If you mean, "have a drink?" Please! If you mean "Ren, are you drunk?" Not at this time.
 

johnnycannuk

No, I'm little people now
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I like MetalDog and Histry Nerd's ideas.

I like to base mine either on one real person, or on an amalgam of two or three real people.

That way, for some situations, they are, in fact, real.

And yes, the all have fake histories and back stories. If you can do it (and not everyone can) have a conversation with them, as if you met them at a coffee shop or a bar.

If you put them in ordinary situations and let them do ordinary things, it will never make the book but you'll get to know them.