CHARACTER DEVELOPMEN T: HOW TO WRITE

STRONG CH AR ACTERS IN YOUR NOVEL

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Strong character development is one of the most important aspects of writing a fiction novel. With strong
character development, your characters will be more memorable, and most important ly, your readers will be
able to relate well to them, just as if they were a real live human being.

With a little bit of experience and practice using these character development activities, you’ll soon master the
art of character development in no time!
In this post we’ll share with you the 5 steps to learning how to create memorable characters in your novel, along
with some practical character development exercises to help you gain practice and confidence.

W H AT I S C H A R AC T E R D E V E L O P M E N T ? W H Y D O E S I T
M AT T E R ?
In order to fully understand how to build strong characters in your novel, you first need to have a good
understanding of what character development is – and why it is so important in the first place!

So what does character development mean exactly?

While there are many different interpretations for the definition of character development out there, I define
character development as this:

Character Development Definition: The process in creating a persona in a story AND the changes this
persona goes through during the course of the story.

The key here is to realize the character personality development process is not just the act of sitting down and
conjuring up an imaginary person – it is also showing your readers how this persona changes and transforms
throughout the course of the story.
W H O C AN B E A C H AR A C T E R I N M Y N O V E L ?
The characters of your novel are in most instances the people who the story is about. You will typically have
between 1-2 main characters and a handful of minor supporting characters in your book.

Do you know the differences between main and minor characters? Learn More Here: What You Need to
Know About Main & Supporting Characters.

Your main characters are usually the people in the book who are central to the story. If you are writing in the
first person, the story may be told from their point of view. Without the main character, there would be no story.

Supporting characters are people who add dynamics to your story. They work to compliment the main character
– and often need to add to the overall conflict to the story. A supporting character is not as critical as a main
character, but the story should still need to rely on this person in order to be the same.

If you can completely remove a character out of the book without affecting the plot, you may want to reconsider
whether you even need that character in the first place!

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O F C O U R S E , N O T AL L C H A R A C T E R S A R E H U M A N
Of course, I say “people” here – but characters can be any type of animate being. Animals, mythological
creatures, and advanced artificial life forms are all candidates as main characters, depending on what type of
genre you may be writing.

For example, when writing children’s literature, it’s not uncommon for many of the characters to be animals.
One example of a non-human character would be Peter, the main rabbit character in the story Peter Rabbit by
Beatrix Potter.

Even supporting characters do not need to be humans – many can be animals and other types of creatures.
While we are on the topic of rabbits in fiction stories, one such case is the rabbit in the much loved C.S. Lewis
classic Alice in Wonderland.
 The rabbit in Alice in Wonderland is an example of a supporting character which is not human.

There are not a lot of rules on what a character can and can’t be – the key to making a character is all about the
development of character – and these are all the personality traits and behaviors that make the character come
to life!

Now that we understand what character development is and who our characters can be, we’re ready to get onto
the 5 steps of strong character development!

H E R E AR E T H E 5 S T E P S O F S T R O N G C H A R AC T E R
D E V E L O P M E N T T O C R E AT E M E M O R AB L E
C H AR A C T E R S I N Y O U R N O V E L :
These 5 steps will guide you along creating realistic and relatable personas in your story – and ensure that your
character fully grows throughout the plot!

STEP 1: IDENTI F Y YOU R CH AR AC T ERS & THEIR ROL ES IN

THE STORY
The first step may be an obvious one, but an essential one! You need to know who wi ll be the main people in
your book. It’s important to identify not just who they are – but also what their roles are in the book.

For example, if you’re writing a story similar to Peter Rabbit, you would identify first there is a rabbit named
Peter. You may even consider some basic personality traits, such as being troublemaker or not being very good
at listening to directions.

However, it’s important you also identify the roles of the character in the story. Peter is a main character, but
you need to think about what role he plays in the overall storyline.

In the story, Peter is a young bunny. He is the son to the mother rabbit, and a brother of his sisters Flopsy,
Mopsy, and Cotton-tail. This adds to the overall character development of Peter, because if h e were a grown-up
rabbit in the story without a mother worrying about him or perfectly behaved sisters to compare and contrast
with, you would miss a lot of the conflict in the story.

Even minor absent characters can have important roles. Continuing with the Peter Rabbit story, Peter’s father
was turned into stew after being caught in the farmer’s garden. This “raises the stakes” in the novel on why it is
such a bad idea to sneak into the garden in the first place!

We never see Peter’s father in the story, since he has passed on, but the introduction of him as a character adds
to the suspense and conflict when Peter decides to pay the farmer’s garden a visit. Likewise, Peter’s sisters are
relatively small supporting characters – however, without them being there we would not realize just how well-
behaved a young rabbit could be compared to the bad decisions made by Peter!

These roles are classic archetypes we see quite often not only in books, but even our own human lives. Most of
us who grew up with siblings can relate to a time where we were the “bad one” or the “good one”, as this is a
common relationship dynamic between siblings and the parent-child relationship.

Remember, dynamic means stimulating activity, change or progress. Taking note of common relati onship
dynamics can be quite helpful in identifying how each character’s role is going to influence the outcome of your
story and the overall growth of your main character.
AN IM PO RT ANT NO T E AB O UT USING ARCHET Y PES AND ST EREO T Y PES:
AVOID CLICHES!

While using generic relationships between archetype characters can be helpful to identify roles and dynamics
between people in your book, try to avoid character cliches while writing when possible!
 For example, many fairy tales have the evil step-mother – a wicked woman who despises or is jealous of the
step-daughter. This character has been “done to death” as the saying goes – and likewise will make your story
seem uninspiring.

If a character is a cliche stereotype, it will likely turn readers off, espec ially if they know the stereotypes are not
usually true about individuals.

To overcome this, try changing your character to have some behaviors or motivations that are NOT the
stereotype. Maybe the evil step mother is not cruel and narcissistic, but instead she’s seen as “evil” because she
is too kind, helpful and overbearingly loving to a reluctant step-child.

If you find yourself working with common archetypes, ask yourself: What can I do that will add a twist? Can I
think of any real-life examples of this stereotype? What would make the person a unique individual and not
quite as predictable?

T RY THIS CH AR AC T ER D EVELO PM ENT EXERCISE:

In this exercise for step 1, ask yourself these questions:

 Who are your characters?

 What Roles do they play?
 What is their relationship to the other characters?
 What are the relationship dynamics between each character?
 Does my character fit into any stereotype? What traits will help avoid any cli che’s and ensure my character is
not flat or predictable?

STEP 2: GET INSIDE Y OUR CH AR ACT ER’S HE AD

The next step, once we’ve identified each character and the role they play in the storyline, is to really get to know
your character inside and out. While you will want to make a note of their physical appearance and main
personality traits, it can be helpful to dig in even deeper.

Using Character Development Questions can be very helpful for understanding your character’s quirks – and
their main motivations. Even if you do not use all of the details in your story (and you probably shouldn’t!) – it
is still a worthwhile exercise to practice.

Answering questions about your character will give you as the writer a complete picture of the person and
influencing elements of the story. Knowing how your character might react when angry for example will give you
a starting place when you are ready to write the major rising conflict scenes.

REM EM BER: IT ’S NOT JUST W HO THEY ARE IN T HE B EG INNING – IT ’S

WHO THEY BECOME

Because development of characters is just as much about how they grow and change from the beginning of the
story to the end, having an intimate knowledge of little details can make a big difference at how well you are able
to convey this to your readers.
For example, let’s say you have an idea for a main character named Jane who is a rather shy, timid, middle aged
woman who has all but given up on life. After being fired from her last j ob, she is desperate for any type of work,
so accepts a job as a cafeteria worker at a tough inner city school.

The story of transformation can happen in a number of ways, depending on what story you want to tell. Maybe
in the story Jane will be forced to speak up on an important issue on behalf of the students. As the writer, you
could then show the readers how she transforms from being shy and depressed to finding something she is
passionate about and building her confidence.

Or, you could have Jane fall in love with the principal and has to learn to believe in herself enough to initiate a
conversation that leads to that first date. Or, maybe Jane finds out the school is planning to poison the students
during lunch next Tuesday and only she can save everyone.

Whatever the plot may be, the important thing is that your character goes through changes in their personality
and behavior – in a realistic and believable way.

If you understand the little details about Jane and why she is the way she is and how her i nner mind works,
you’ll be better prepared to write about how she changes in a way your readers can understand and relate to.

ST EP 2 EXERCISE: DO W NLO AD T HE CH AR ACT ER DEVELO PM ENT

WORKSHEET:

Download our character development worksheet and answer the questions for each of your main characters.

Once this step is complete, take some time to think about how your character will grow and tr ansform by the
end of the novel. What will change about your characters?

STEP 3: RESE ARCH, RE SE ARC H, RESE ARCH

Research can be a writer’s worst nightmare – especially if you’re using the excuse to research as a
procrastination method to avoid writing!

However, doing your initial research about your characters before you start writing is very important, because it
can actually save you the time-sucking distraction of trying to find information mid-sentence or mid-chapter.

You should research as much as possible for anything you do not have direct experience with. Even if it is a topic
you know a lot about, you should still try to research and fact-check just to make sure you have accurate
information.

For example, let’s say you are writing a novel where your main character is a cardiologist at a busy hospital. Not
only would you need to research some basic information on cardiology as a profession, but you would need to
make sure you are aware of medical customs and laws where the hospital is located.

Even if you were the office assistant to a cardiologist as a past job, if the story is set in a different state or
country, there will likely be many differences that readers who know better would be able to spot as being
inaccurate.
Historical novels are another example of where a lot of research might be necessary. If you’re writing a story set
in the revolutionary war time period, it would be important to make sure everything you write is historically
accurate. Having mistakes about dates, people, places or events would surely cause some readers to become
upset!

YES, THERE IS SUCH A THING AS TOO M UCH RESEARCH

Of course, you do not want to spend too much time in research, because research can lead you to become very
distracted.

Do as much research as you can beforehand, but if you’ve spent more than 2 months researching and have not
written a single word yet, you are using research as an excuse to not write!

ST EP 3 CH AR ACT ER DEV ELO PM ENT ACTIVIT Y: G ET BUSY RESE ARCHING !

Try one of these methods to gather research for the characters in your novel:

Browse Forums & Discussion Groups: Facebook, Reddit and topic specific forums can be quite helpful
here. For example, if you were writing a story about a guitar player, you might want to spend some time reading
the discussions at guitarforums.com, or at the very least joining a guitar related Facebook group.

Interview Someone: If you are writing a story about a nurse, find a friend who is a nurse who you can
interview to learn about some of their day-to-day activities. Is your main character a college student? Find a
college student to interview!

STEP 4: STRON G DI AL O GUE = STRONGER CH AR ACT ER

DEVELOPMENT
Dialogue is an important part of almost every story. The way your character talks and interacts in conversations
with others can make a big difference on how well your audience can connect with the person or creature.

There are a number of factors that can help you build strong dialogue between characters, but one important
key is staying consistent.

Consistency is very important. Staying consistent with your characterization of each person is what makes the
people in your novel memorable and helps readers identify with the character.

If your character is a conservative and traditional person and then all of a sudden out of nowhere starts
swearing and dropping profanities, this might not only cause confusion – it could turn off some readers who
related to the character’s traditional values earlier in the story.

It’s also important to make sure through dialogue your characters are distinctively different. For example, if you
have the characters David and Daniel, you would want to make sure each has unique identifying p hrases, tone of
voice, and mannerisms while talking.

Otherwise, your readers may have to go back and reread a section as they try to remember which character is
David and which one is Daniel – and that’s NOT a good sign!
 STEP 4 EXERCISE: DIALOGUE WRITING CHECKLIST

After you write a scene which contains dialogue, ask yourself these questions:

 Is the dialogue consistent to the characters personality traits and behaviors?

 Is the dialogue distinctive enough that it is easy to distinguish between multiple characters?
 Does the dialogue stay true to what someone would expect of the character?
 Is the dialogue realistic for the character I am trying to portray?

STEP 5: SHOW, DON’T TELL

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “show, don’t tell” as one of the main wri ting rules.

Well, it may be cliche, but it is a very good tip for helping you write a convincing story with strong characters!

This is an example of telling:

Mindy couldn’t believe she would never be at the beach house again. Tears welled in her eyes while she walked
away.

This is an example of showing:

Mindy locked up the beach house one final time and slipped the key into her pocket. She looked towards the
edge of the ocean through puffy and blurry eyes. She didn’t think it was possible to cry any more than she
already had, but the tears came on again anyways, bursting out of her like a fierce and unexpected storm over
the ocean.

Now, I just made these two examples up, so they are nowhere near “perfect” of course – but for example’s sake
hopefully you can see a big difference between the two.

The first one doesn’t really give a lot of detail, nor does it make us feel emotionally connected in any way to the
story. We’re not really sure what’s happening.

With the second example, we are more descriptive – Mindy is looking at the ocean through puffy, blurry eyes
and then comparing the outburst of tears like an unexpected ocean storm.

Making use of body language and feelings is very important when you are writing and will help you more
effectively convey your message to your audience. When your readers can visualize a scene while they read and
can relate to what the person might be feeling or experiencing, it is easier for them to be attached to the story.

It can take some practice to fully master the concept of “show, don’t tell”, but the good news is the more you
write the easier it gets!

STEP 5 EXERCISE: 1 P AR AGR APH 3 WAYS

 Take something you have recently written and now rewrite it in 3 different ways – even if you are already
confident it shows and does not tell. Try to use different ways to describe the character’s actions, thoughts, and
feelings.

Here are three ways you can rewrite one paragraph:

 Write the paragraph using vivid descriptive detail – include a literary device such as a metaphor or simile to
describe a thought or action
 Write the paragraph with as few as words as possible. How can you convey the same emotion, tone, and
message with fewer details?
 Write the paragraph as dialogue between two characters.

It might seem redundant to do this, but this simple act of rewriting one simple paragraph in three different ways
can sometimes yield interesting results!

C H AR A C T E R D E V E L O P M E N T W R I T I N G D O E S N ’ T H A V E
T O B E H AR D
It doesn’t have to be difficult to practice character development in writing – and in many ways, it can be one of
the fun and exciting parts of the process when writing a novel.

When you are able to convey your characters effectively, it will help your audience connect with the story and be
drawn into reading about what happens next.

Taking some time to research and practice these creative character development activities and exercises can be a
very helpful way to get on the right track of becoming a successful author.

W H AT ARE Y O UR THO UG HT S?

Do you have any questions about character development? What techniques do you practice to help create
realistic and strong characters? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!

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FILED UNDER: W RITING TIPS

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Soldier93
I starter writing a story a year ago for fun sake. but after chapter 15 I suddenly thought I would write it for real and serious. At
chapter 40 I feel like I’m writing the story that goes around and around. And now I am at chapter 100 and a fella comment by saying
my characters in the story are boring because of no character development. So here I am, identifying my weakness and mistakes in
my writing. This information really help people like me to learn how to write. Although I have to admit I think the hardest
part… Read more »
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6 months ago

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thinkwritten
Writing for fun is the best way to start! It takes some practice, but as with all things the more practice the easier it gets with time.

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6 months ago

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Divyansh Mishra
This was actually a good advise
Especially the “showing not telling” part it helped me to understand how to write my story in a better way
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2 months ago

Author

thinkwritten
Glad it helped you!

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2 months ago
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Quin
This is a wonderful guide to writting bestsellers. Keep it up.
1 Reply

2 months ago

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