They’re the ones your readers laugh with, cry over, root for (or love to hate).
Whether you’re writing a sweeping fantasy, a gritty crime thriller, or a quiet contemporary drama, believable characters are what make your world feel real.
Here’s how to craft characters that feel like living, breathing people—flawed, fascinating, and unforgettable.
Start With the Core: Who Are They?
Before you get into hair colour and wardrobe choices, ask yourself:
What drives this character? What do they want—and why can’t they have it?
Motivation and conflict are the heartbeat of any character. Try building a simple profile:
Goal: What are they actively trying to achieve?
Fear: What are they afraid of losing?
Flaw: What gets in their way (internally or externally)?
Backstory: What past experience shaped them into who they are today?
A character who wants something but struggles to get it is instantly more compelling.
Show, Don’t Tell
Instead of saying “Maria was bossy,” show Maria taking charge in a meeting, steamrolling everyone’s ideas, then wondering why people are avoiding her. Actions, dialogue, and choices are where personality lives.
Let readers discover your characters the way we do in real life—through what they do, not just what they say about themselves.
Let Them Talk Like Real People
Dialogue is one of the best tools for showing character. Ask yourself:
Do they speak formally or casually?
Do they ramble or get straight to the point?
Do they use humour, sarcasm, swearing, filler words?
Each character should have a distinct voice. If you stripped away all the tags, could readers tell who was speaking?
Give Them Internal Worlds
What are they thinking that they’d never say aloud? What do they believe about themselves or the world? Even the most action-driven characters benefit from internal conflict, doubts, and contradictions.
A stoic detective might secretly believe they’re a failure. A social butterfly might fear abandonment. These layers add richness and resonance.
Make Relationships Matter
Characters don’t exist in a vacuum. They bounce off each other, challenge each other, change because of each other. Use relationships to reveal aspects of your characters that wouldn’t otherwise come out.
How do they behave with:
A sibling who still sees them as a teenager?
A new friend who questions their old beliefs?
A romantic partner they’re afraid to open up to?
The way they relate to others adds emotional depth.
Let Them Grow
A great character arc shows a change—subtle or dramatic—that feels earned. It doesn’t always mean they get what they want. But they should come out the other side altered.
Ask yourself:
By the end of the story, what have they learned (or failed to learn)?
This evolution is what transforms your character from a sketch into a story.
Bonus Tip: Use Character Sheets (But Don’t Get Lost in Them)
Character sheets can be helpful, but don’t let them distract you from the emotional heart of your characters. Knowing their favourite song is nice—but knowing why they lie when they’re scared is better.
Focus on what fuels their decisions, not just the surface-level trivia.
Final Thoughts
Crafting memorable characters isn’t about making them perfect—it’s about making them true. Let them be messy, contradictory, surprising, and deeply human. When your characters feel real to you, they’ll come alive for your readers too.
So take the time to get to know them. Sit with them. Let them surprise you.
That’s when the real magic happens.
