How to Write Realistic Characters (Without the Spec Sheet)

Writing realistic characters is hard, but it’s arguably the most important part in crafting a great story. When readers go into your novel, they expect to feel a connection to the characters you’ve created. Without that connection, it’s much easier to put down your story and pick up something different.

One of the most popular resources for building characters (at least as far as I’ve seen, especially on the internet) is character specification sheets. While this can be a great way to figure out key details of your characters, making them feel real goes beyond eye color and height. Every character, like every person, is different, and there are a few key things they need to garner support from your readers. Whether you’re in the planning stages or early drafts, think about incorporating these five things into your scenes.

1. Interaction with Other Characters

No man (or woman) is an island. And if your character doesn’t interact with anyone around them, it will be difficult to picture them in 3-D. Sure, they can look in the mirror and reflect on their past for pages on end, but nobody sees themselves exactly how others do.

Some things to think about: How do side characters react when your main character speaks to them? How do your characters act differently around different people or groups? Who does your character want to be, and how does that conflict with who they are?

All of these things are difficult to express if a character is isolated. If you’re worried a character is falling flat, throw them into a scene with someone they wouldn’t normally interact with and see what happens!

2. Personal Growth

Of course, a character cannot feel real unless he or she is dynamic. Any character, but especially your main character, should undergo some sort of change throughout your story, even if it’s a negative one. Without that growth, the story becomes inconsequential and your character lacks interest.

Some things to think about: How does your character react when faced with hardship? Does he or she rise to the occasion? Or do they avoid the problems in their life? What does this teach them about themselves?

3. Likeability (or Redeeming Characteristics)

I’m all for writing unlikeable characters, but it’s important to remember that even the villain is a hero in his or her own mind. Without some basis for empathy, a villain quickly becomes boring and flat. Even the smallest gesture can be enough to have your readers questioning their feelings.

Some things to think about: How did your villain become a villain? What backstory can you give for your character to explain his or her actions? How does your character feel about him- or herself? What is your character’s weakness?

4. Strong Desires

Everyone has something they want. Whether it be world peace or a glass of water, your character will not be realistic if they don’t want something. Normally, this is the jumping off point of a story, but smaller desires popping up in the middle—and even sometimes conflicting with one another—makes a character more relatable.

Some things to think about: What is your character’s goal in the story, and what conflict can you throw in the middle to make the reader care? Who and what do they care about the most? What are the stakes if this character doesn’t get what he or she wants?

5. Some Level of Mystery

Finally, a certain level of mystery makes characters come across as more complex. Whether other people find them mysterious or they haven’t yet figured themselves out, nobody is clear-cut in terms of who they are.

Some things to think about: What does your character not like about him- or herself? What do they keep from other people, and what do they struggle to admit even to themselves? What aspect of their personality are they working to discover?

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