However, if the twist is excessive, it can threaten the core of the character, so it’s best to create contradictions and conflicts that only occur in specific situations such as in the above examples. When a character shows a side of themselves that is against their main traits, such as a selfish person that becomes patient in certain circumstances, or a strong person that sometimes gets upset, it makes the character seem more human.
This is where we need to capture their personality twists and their backstory.Ī twist in your character may seem like an inconsistency, but it is an important component of a character’s depth. Now we can move onto something that will make the character appealing. This results in confusion and a character that leaves little to no impression on the audience.Įstablishing an original character’s main trait and branching out is just the beginning. Without consistency, it’s hard to know how a particular character, such as someone that’s “easily angered” but “nice,” will react in a particular situation. Once decided, we can then start branching out from the main trait.įor example, “selfish” can be broken down further into “picky” or “hated by others,” etc.
In one word, how would you describe your character? Think of foundational character traits such as selfish, cold, emotional, passionate, etc. That being said, let’s try not to add too many ideas all at once, but instead, aim for about two or three main traits. Out of all of these, personality is the most important. What kind of background would they have? Are they comic book characters, a character with a worldview from the inside, are they designed around a specific motif?.In a story, what kind of role would this character have? (Protagonist, antagonist, supporting role, etc.).