I often ask myself if characters are weak or if they seem unrealistic. I always ask myself if I could see this character in reality.
It’s easier to make characters believable when they are human. By human I mean that they have positives and negatives. Maybe they have an anger issues. Perhaps they have a drug abuse problem. Things that don’t affect the main story and only add to the characters development work best.
Not everyone needs a sad background. If we look at life everyone has problems. Everyone has faced hardship. The rich, the poor, the healthy, and the suck, we all have our crucible.
Having problems adds depth to a character. Having connections with other people adds layers to a character. The mention of a characters family and friends, even if not all of them are shown, gives the feeling of a bigger world. Our character does not exist insi de of a bubble. They should know more than just the people essential to the story.
Characters need hopes and drea me. They need to be people. Looking at Greek mythology we can see wonderful examples of this. Zuse has a sex problem. He made babies with everyone. Every God in their pantheon had stories and flaws. Thery are still interesting because they were so human.
Often times characters change. A character that undergoes a change of belief can make for a powerful arc.
I hope this helps you with character development and building a deeper connection to your characters.
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