What brings a character to life?

[miramiee]

Woah thank you all for your input! Everyone is super helpful.

Sorry if I have one more question though... how do you handle character development? I'm working up my main character to go from being insecure about his own abilities to him being sure that he can at least do his best. But I don't want to lose the qualities he has that characterizes him to begin with. So what do I do.

[DiegoPalacios]

For this is important for your character to have more than one personality trait (in this case, insecure about his abilities)

Here is an example: Joe is an insecure kid who hides his insecurities using humor and joking around. After some life-changing adventures, maybe a pep-talk from a mentor, etc.... he overcame his insecurities. But he still jokes around and makes people laugh.

This example has only 2 personality traits, but the point is that personal changes doesn`t neccesarily change every aspect of a person.

Also, to make a character development beleivable, it must have a solid reason for a person to change. Also, not every change comes easily, because it often involves a change of habits and/or mindset. For example, the insecure guy will not become confident in just one second. He must have reasons to be able to believe in himself.

[MinNCompany]

In my opinion, only one thing: flaws, flaws, flaws. Make your character imperfect: impulse, petty, whatever. Failure brings characters to life.

But it seems here like you're struggling more with a pacing/exposition issue? "Show don't tell" is a good rule to follow. Make sure your characters react to their environment, to each other - and especially to whatever their conflict is.

Dialogue is a powerful tool that can change the way we perceive a character. If you have a shy character, their way of speaking may be more indirect (Compare: "I'm hungry." "Don't you think we should eat? It's been a while since we ate.")

As for character development, i think it helps to have relapses while progressing - two steps forward, one step back kind of deal. Life isnt a linear progression and similarly, characters shouldnt gradually develop new traits - it's a rocky up and down path to climb.

Good luck with your comic! ^^

[antwyonsimpson]

Making your character relatable. Give the quirks and flaws that an actual person would have. Give them depth and actual meaning for their actions.

[scythe]

Your characters should be real people to you. You should know what's happened to them their whole life. You should know how they'll react or respond in any situation. What I'm saying is they should be living real lives in the world inside your head.

If they're that alive to you, all you need to do is give them something interesting to do and write about it.

[amortelito]

You are so right. What they do or say is not enough to give life to a character. I think that characters feel most real when they have their own personality and ideology. And that allows them to have genuine reactions to what they are experiencing. I wrote many adventures out of nowhere just by asking "what would they do if".

At times I plan a scene and end up drawing something completely different. Because it is not about what I want them to do...Is about what they would do. And sometimes I personally don't agree with them but let them be.
They have their own tastes, likes, dislikes, humor, fears, motivations, they are a person regardless of the plot. To incorporate that into the dialogue, just do that "what would they say".

This applies the same when you see a development. The character changed for a reason, and now the responses would be different than before. The character can even explicitly address this change of behavior. "I have been so trusting and naive, but not anymore." "I want to believe you but I have been betrayed". That means the character is s still kindhearted but something happened. Didn't lost the trait.

[Ironscarf]

Put him in a situation where he has to make a choice: to act, to take a stand or to walk away. If he takes a stand to help someone else lets say, but thinks he will fail, then his lack of confidence makes him more a hero than someone who knows they will win. He then finds the strength to act in future, while hiding his insecurities from everyone but the reader and those closest to him. But those ongoing insecurities are what help us to identify with him.

[frixelkind]

I think characters are brought to life when they have contradictions in them. In sounds counter-intuitive, but most of the people I've met are paradoxes in their own right. People are volatile, it isn't easy to generalize them or set them in stone. And in my opinion, when characters are written the same way, they feel more organic, and their actions have a lot more behind them.

I think about what causes a person to go against their principles and how it adds to the complexity of their character.

[shazzbaa]

What brings a character to life?

An idea I read in the book Story by Robert McKee (which I super recommend to anyone willing to take the time to read it) that kinda changed the way I looked at things, is when it talked about how some creators will argue over which is more important: Character, or Plot? And the book said that's an impossible question, because Character IS Plot. Think about it this way: if you have a character who is a hero, but nobody in the story is ever in danger, then you'd never get to see how heroic that character is. The plot of the story has to showcase Who your character is and What they value by threatening those things in some way. Yes, characters are more than what they say and do -- but what they say and do are the only way we'll get to see it!!

So, if there's something you want people to see about who your character is and what's important to them, then the plot has to hilight that in some way -- a cowardly character has to be put in danger, a shy character has to be put into conflict, a brave character needs someone to save that would put themselves in danger, a kind character needs to be put in a situation where it will cost them something to help someone.

And when you know what your character is willing to risk or work for, you can also have the story bring different values into conflict -- if you have a character who values both his family and his dreams of hollywoood, and you put him in a situation where he has to pick one -- if this hollywood contract moves you far away, and your family will have a tough time without you, do you follow your dreams, or help your family? -- then that's REALLY INTERESTING because we get to see that conflict, and find out what he values more. If a character is cowardly, but also loves her sister, then when her sister is in danger, which desire wins out?

And that can be a lot of where character development comes from -- something that changes the character's values. A character is afraid of fighting, but when they run away from a fight, a friend gets hurt, and then that changes how they look at things -- that might make it worth it to them to learn to fight. Or a character who's cynical because she thinks anyone who's nice to you has something to sell -- until she meets someone who's genuinely kind, out of love, and her desire to connect to that person starts to win out over her fear of being taken advantage of.
I think an important thing is for the audience to have a hint of where character development came from, emotionally -- that it's not just "he's cowardly, but now he's a little braver, and now he's a little braver" -- it's "he was cowardly, but now he has a reason to try to be brave, and he doesn't quite get it the first time, but the second time he does a little better."

[Luminosophy]

Body language is the number one key to me. Body language is the MAJORITY of communication, so I would sit down and work out patterns that are unique to an individual. For example, crossing your arms is said to be a sign of closed off/ defensive. This isn't really true, only for some people it is. A lot of people will rest their arms that way simple because it's comfortable. You can show that with otherwise friendly signs, such as smiling or otherwise having a very relaxed posture. Some people fidget a lot. It doesn't have to be a sign of anxiety or nervousness. Some people just naturally move constantly and find it hard to sit still. Basically everything they tell you about body language as a rule, throw it out the window. It's only useful on a case by case basis.

There's also speech patterns and other verbal quirks. Though be careful about going overboard. Majority of people use proper/ fluent grammar. What's common is to often have certain phrases or words that a person will constantly repeat without realizing it. I just watched a kid on a news clip who couldn't help but start most of his sentences with "Well apparently,...." I tease my boyfriend a lot because he's very analytical. Any facts you present him get turned into "Well, technically....". Small things like this can bring personality through dialogue.

[ryoko]

This! You've managed to put into words what really brings characters to life. I feel like when I draw, I'm essentially drawing a documentary of their lives, since they just run around inside my head doing stuff.

[Im_moron]

this is one video which gives some good points on it

another is to play around with flaws? well... authentic flaws

I certainly based a lot of the funny jokes in Really Angsty which my readers liked from personal experiences regarding my own incopitence and being overly ambitious

always always ALWAYS try to look to real life experiences and the real world to write into characters, even if it's a high fantasy, because that is going to get some level of attachment to these characters...

never got that thing you've always wanted because several people cucked you and you lost your oppurtunity to get that thing you've wanted? like a card, drawing tablet, acceptance into a college?

you can use that experience to write the same reaction into the villain where all his hard work has fallen flat, dreams crushed.

if you haven't experienced it, maybe interview some people who has better experience in it.

[scythe]

So true. Whenever possible I try to remove dialogue if I think I can achieve the same thing through body language alone.

[Luminosophy]

I do this a lot too, lol. I've done a one page comic in complete silence just for fun because it's great to be able to tell a story without words. xD

[Wumbl]

I'd say that inflection is important. Giving them a unique way of speaking makes what they say stand out, makes it personal to that character.

Also I find that how they describe themself is important. How their personality impacts their self-image is something that has to be considered. Other characters might be able to see things about them they're not self-aware about. They might have a very good understanding of themself for a particular reason. Either way, trying to imagine how their personality impacts their view of what's going on is important.

As an example a religious character might respond differently to something than someone less religious. Their culture might impact how they see the world... Maybe they've had a specific upbringing or they've had an experience in life that effects how their emotions work in their mind.

Their traits should have an origin, whether positive aspects or flaws. The way they think and act should be shaped by their background as well as personality type.

Do a bunch of world building and drafting! Figure out your character's important details. A lot of people get too into likes and dislikes but it's much more important to decide their behavioural patterns.

[inkythoughts]

I think one thing is giving them multi-layered personalities (though this usually only becomes visible the more often they show up in different contexts imo), and for character development you need to give them a Want and a Need, ideally the two create a conflict so the character needs to work on a solution within themselves.
My MC Endres for example has the deeply settled need for love, appreciation, and closeness. However, whenever he is close to someone, it turns out badly and he doesn't want anyone to get hurt anymore. He also craves for affection from his love interest but knows (or believes to know) that his love interest wouldn't be happy with him, and he wants to see him happy and safe above everything else.
Throughout different lessons he learns that 1) he isn't at fault for wanting affection, 2) he isn't at fault for others getting hurt by their own decisions, and 3) sometimes people like you back even if you don't expect them to and genuinely are happy with you around.
However, Endres' struggle isn't about whether or not he wants or needs to survive for the greater good because he wants to serve his country the best he can and everyone confirms he can do so the best in surviving. So here won't be a really good chance to show character development.
His sister Malika wants to be perceived as independent and powerful but she needs to ask for help for her emotional/psychological well-being. She does not struggle with the want to fulfill her political role as she can still ask for help despite that.
Mae, yet another MC, is prone to jump into action because she feels restless if she doesn't do anything, she wants to change her negative situation actively - but she needs to be patient for her girlfriend to open up to her, she can't improve their relationship completely on her own as, well, it always needs two to tango.
I think you get my point now.

Another thing is, as a lot pointed out before, that they should stay true to their character in several instances. A truly humble character wouldn't boast about their success, and neither would they dress in absurdly expensive and flashy robes. With their body language they probably wouldn't want to stand out much either and might even be overlooked in a crowd of people.
If characters talk about how nice/selfless/humble/... they are, they usually appear to be the exact opposite. I realised this while I was reading Dickin's Bleak House - one of the main characters always talks how humble and virtuos she is, but truth be told, that only makes her look very vain and gives her a very big "holier than thou" attitude, not exactly traits that make her very amiable.
A "show don't tell" attitude is always the best imo when it comes to character traits - if a character should be perceived as especially nice, show how they donate to the poor anonymously/in a "don't mention it" way, if someone is bullied, they'd stand up for them, or ask for an extra lunch package when they see their classmate's family can't afford their kids' meals anymore.

About character flaws, I'd be a bit careful with "don't use this as character flaw because it actually isn't one" advice since I think a real flaw is something that literally sabotages the character's ambitions.
Clumsiness can be a ledgit character flaw if your character is required to be not clumsy, for example as a professional thief, but it won't work as a flaw if they work as e.g. a graphic designer because it doesn't sabotage them in the same way. This way, it's just some cute quirk but it doesn't put them into maybe even lethal situations like with the former profession.
Is he a secret agent and literally needs to be closed off to keep national security up? The worst flaw he could have would being a total blabbermouth. But remember to give them positive traits as well that kind of smooth it out, in this case he might be a valuable asset as he can manipulate people well enough that they willingly share their secrets, otherwise why would he be a secret agent in first place?
Is your character's goal to find the love of their life and be married happy ever after? Wouldn't it be a shame if they literally sucked at flirting and can't be honest about their feelings? I think you get the twist.

Also, relateable characters don't necessarily have relateable traits but more often than not relateable struggles. E.g. I don't relate to Keith from Voltron: Legendary Defender because he's a hothead and doesn't think things through but because he pushes people away before he is attached to them and thus has several emotional walls up as he's scared to get hurt yet again. People relate to Saitama in One-Punch Man because nobody recognises his value to society despite being highly qualified - not because they can smash any opponent within only one punch, or went into a similar fitness craze.

[darkone4587]

Honestly I have to say the most basic thing to make a character feel real is giving them agency in some way shape or form.
Having watched a series where the lead had no form of agency or motive and just did things because no reason, I say that is the most basic thing you can give a character as a start to make them feel real.

[off_brand_barbie]

Letting them take on a life of their own.
Meaning just let your fingers go freely and don't overthink...once you get a character established I've found that if you don;t over think it.....it's almost like they come to life on their own..

[Rhonder]

Sorry if I have one more question though... how do you handle character development? I'm working up my main character to go from being insecure about his own abilities to him being sure that he can at least do his best. But I don't want to lose the qualities he has that characterizes him to begin with. So what do I do.

I think the important thing with this is to make sure your characters have several layers to them. If they're 1-Dimensional and are simply defined by their flaw, then they will unavoidably make a drastic change when they get over that. Some characters might be fine this way: if one is so obsessed with their flaw that they lose their other aspects, this might be perfectly reasonable.

However most characters are defined by more than one aspect, and those other aspects kind of dictate how they are when they come out on the other side of their development. I'll use some characters from "My Hero Academia" as an example (since I've been watching that lately, so it's on the brain xD)

On one hand, you have Midoriya, who starts out very insecure due to his lack of superpowers and feels internally conflicted because he wants to be a hero but is powerless to do anything about it. One of his secondary traits is kindness, another is righteousness. After he gains an ability, he (slowly) begins to gain confidence, and falls back on his kindness and righteousness to inform his decisions. Those elements are still there, although he's no longer the quivering middle schooler he was at the start. His development reinforces his positive qualities.

Then there's Bakugo. He starts out extremely confident and arrogant. However after some of the early events in the show you can see he starts to undergo the opposite changes as Midoriya: he starts becoming more insecure about his ability to always be the best. This again reinforces his other personality traits though, and those influence how he acts moving forward: he becomes even more aggressive and cocky than he already was, desperately trying to affirm to himself that he really is the best.

I wont dig into it any deeper just in case you haven't watched/read it and are planning to, but basically as long as you have characters with several layers, simply peeling one off and modifying it will still leave the rest of the character underneath

[Stardust-clearwater]

Characters come to life when they have hopes, dreams, flawsand something or someone else to interact with. Characters generally have a surface personality which is the first thing you would see if they were drawn out. The surface then gains depth when you give those traits a cause and its gets rooted up by something else ie. a disaster, a nosy and unpleasant person, a love interest.

Their flaws don't even have to be flaws all the time. I've noticed that in most cases a persons greatest virtue is also their greatest vice especially if it's taken to the logical extreme. Like someone who is exceptionally determined will also be extremely hardheaded and stubborn. Someone who is kind is also prone to being taken advantage of. The coward is usually the most cunning. The brave one is usually just as reckless. Things like that. Someone who is intelligent could also be prone to over analyzing something, followed by arrogance because they are sure of their own intelligence.

If you are avoiding info dump you can give the characters interesting reactions. like on this page.

Unfamiliar :: Page 125 | Tapas

The twin girls' flinch speaks volumes about what they have gone through.

Other instances could be hesitating before doing something or getting super excited. Jokes and jabs between your characters.

Character development likewise comes from these little actions slowly changing through out the story, for better or worse. Someone who one hesitated to fight begins to step forward with out comments, a cheerful person slowly losing interest in their favorite things. stuff like that.

The best and most fun way to force character development i've found, is to break them. at some point make the worst possible scenario come true and they will grow as they over come it. You say your character starts out really insecure right? make sure that isn't his defining trait, then have a crisis like something he could've stopped but failed because he couldn't muster the willpower to do it. Write the immediate aftermath, how the other characters treat him (to they help him, do they give him the cold shoulder? do they give him up as a lost cause?), and what he does about it. Make his nightmare scenario happen and let him rise above it.

If you have a story planned out I assume you already have the disaster planned out so mostly just keep the little things consistent.