What techniques do you employ to bring your characters to life?

[Bokyongyo]

For me I focus heavily on scripting, it’s probably the longer parts of making the comic for me, but I find it the most fulfilling part to complete. And like you said, when outlining while usually 75 percent set in stone I leave the rest for script/dialogue ideas that come up out of nowhere and seem natural.

At this point of my comics story, some of my characters have a particular “voice” to me. So I always ask myself now “Would she really say that?” Or “Would he even act this way because of this?” And 9 times outta 10 it steers me in the right direction in making them actually believable

[darthmongoose]

I think in a comic, something people frequently overlook is things like posture and personal space. You often get people whose characters all stand and sit the same way while they rely purely on dialogue to get across the personality. I personally think it's really important to get across that physical side of how characters inhabit a space. Do they lean in when people speak? Do they fold their arms to create a barrier? Where do they carry tension?
I use this technique when I perform characters as a dungeon master, and I also apply it to comics. You have to really get into the character's bodylanguage and embody them to give the best performance.

So when I think about my characters, it's like Rekki is this coiled spring. She's usually got her legs bent and her shoulders tensed like she's really to punch somebody at a moment's notice, and she even has a tendency to "put up her dukes" (raise her fists) when she's excited. Readers don't necessarily consciously notice "oh yeah, Rekki has tense bodylanguage", but I like to think they feel it subconsciously, and that it supplements the dialogue and brings out the characterisation.

[MeltingCORE]

@Ranty-cat It is me, ever-present, The Watcher of All Creators 🤌 (Actually, this is just my fave website so I spend most of my online time here - you're welcome btw!)

@AmeTsunami That's a good way to infuse realism into your characters!

[burgundy]

Trauma XD
I try to give my characters enough depth to make them seem real, but it's important not to shove too much info into your reader's lap or it will end up doing the opposite. Unique traits are always good, too. Like maybe a character is always initially distrusting or flirts with everyone or can't stop talking about their pet duck.

[joannekwan]

I think one of the simplest ways is to make sure my characters experience a gamut of emotions within the story. Like I find it unrealistic if a character is gloomy or happy all the time. Even the most brooding of my characters find peaceful moments sometimes, even if it's not elation, it leans toward a positive direction.

[Moctemma]

I follow the natural path for my characters based on their personality. For example, my protagonist is depressed and shows suicide tendencies, so when I write her being positive, I throw a little negativity. She's slowly learning to love herself, and she'll pick the natural path for that change; seeing her terrible future if she continues like that.
I can't do a total change from one page to another and without warning showing her as the most positive person in the world. That'd "break" the character and people will notice the unnatural behavior.

Giving life to your characters is easy, keeping it is where most writers fail.

[sevenstarsofeightIam]

The interplay between character types will build upon itself. I give this excerpt from The Space Bum as an example.

They marched into the farmlands just outside the suburbs of Port Arthur. Sam suddenly stopped and sat on a whitewashed wall. The boys sat down from him by several feet. Besh joined the Captain. Behind them, a field of brown corn stalks moved languidly in a gentle breeze. The late afternoon sun chased long shadows across the dirt road.

Sam was slumped forward as Besh seated himself to the right of the sweating Captain. The bag of ammo sat between his black boots and the APE lay across the Captain’s knees, under tired arms. Besh removed his backpack and dropped it into the dirt.

“It shouldn’t be much longer,” said Besh sympathetically.

Sam replied, “I’m tired and cranky. Mostly, I’m hungry. If I don’t get something to eat soon, Beasley will be walking into Port Arthur on one leg.”

Aghast, Beasley asked, “Why me?”

Raul laughed and jabbed a finger into Beasley’s ribs, saying, “Young and tender, man.”

Beasley stood and walked to the center of the road. He turned and replied to the Captain, “Well, I think you should consider a vegetarian diet.”

[crowstories]

I can't even explain it, most of my main characters straight up write themselves. I can hear their tone of voice and see their body language/mannerisms when I imagine a scene, and I try to capture that. Putting them into different situations results in surprising revelations. For instance, I recently had my characters go to a bar, and learned that while my anxious MC with a rigid routine still drinks cheap beer out of habit, even though they can afford whatever they want now, my charismatic chaos god likes sugary cocktails (and lots of them) and has absolutely no shame about it.

[katewindloft]

I try and give all the characters bright eyes. I make their eyes stand out. If there sad the eyes are dull. If they're excited or happy, their extra bright.

https://tapas.io/episode/2210669

[MeltingCORE]

@crowstories You put it into perfect words! This is exactly what I experience when I let my mind wander. My characters do they want, I just seem write it down.

[crowstories]

A lot of my writing process just involves dissociating while characters do stuff in my imagination... then periodically I snap out of it long enough to write shit down.

[TheGentleArtist]

Same thing here. I just have my character's be themselves to be more, well, realistic in a sense; the interactions with others, their little extra traits, and what not. Like having sass with one another. So in a way, it's like a learning thing between creator, audience, and the characters' themselves.

Imagining them in random animated scenes and showing that just makes the story better tbh. They feel less restrictive and more freeform in a sense.

[crowstories]

LMAO all of my characters have some degree of sass, even the nice, innocent ones. It is the most compelling character trait!

[Kaydreamer]

I speak all my character dialogue out loud! Most of my characters have different accents, use different words, and have different ways of speaking. 'Acting' out my dialogue, then writing those lines down, makes the dialogue flow well, and ensures the distinct voice of each character shines through very strongly.

I also pay attention to the body language of my characters. My protagonist tends to have a relaxed stance, with his hands in his pockets. (And when he's uncertain or sad, he kinda shrinks into himself.) Boxer is also relaxed, but very confident, has very 'big' movements, like a lion. The Merry Maiden stands very tall, and appears quite regal. She loses some of her stiffness when she's not in a professional or command environment. Blues Scale likes leaning on stuff, and he's got smooth, flowy movements. (When he's not grappling confused, angry couriers.) And Glitch floats around like a demented pompom.

[Oto_Kouda]

For me, I give my characters non-plot-related thoughts and habits. For some characters, I'll give them songs that they like listening to, study (or non-study) habits, along with conversations in the story that are just... pure conversation, like their opinions on slow-burn romance stories or other topics. That way, they seem less like fictional characters and more like people I've been secretly recording and turning into a story!

[TheGentleArtist]

It definitely is

[drbwp4]

Normally I will write the dialogue first. Then when I go through to edit, I will add any mannerisms that the characters might have. However, if I have a clear vision of what the characters are doing during the dialogue I will write them out quickly. I am better at dialogue so I try to get that out first and then I look back at how the characters are reacting.

This site might help a little as well. I feel that character development affects how I write dialogue immensely.

Character Development: How to Write Great Characters [Worksheet]

[rajillustration]

When I'm drawing I try to remember that you have to stretch beyond where a person would naturally be, and it's overacting, but illustration tends to stiffen as you render--so I try to go past the point of exaggeration like 150% and it ends up being normal. Kind of like how if you act on a stage that's far from the audience, you have to make bigger movements.

As for writing, I always like human moments. So when things are slowed down, the things characters do that are very human--quirks in how they eat, habits they may have. It's relatable stuff that makes them feel like a person and less like a vehicle to deliver the plot. Kinda like how in star wars we had a whole segment of Rey cooking that bread with water. It's a very human moment, despite the Sci-fi setting, and just a really great way to get to know her better.

[RyzaCobalion]

History, realism, trauma, and layers of characterization. Because it's one thing to make characters feel like not just actual characters but feel actual people living in the world they're in. Whether they're the protagonist or the antagonist of the story. People are not always born to be bad or good but rather they're molded and become good/bad by the environment around them. And how they evolve and progress for better or for worse is what makes you invested in them. Will the main character break their code of honor to get the job done? or the main antagonist finally sees that they've done is wrong and finally break down to their limit? That to me what makes good character writing.

[chestnutriceeee]

Little things. Clearly insignificant things. Maybe your characters are playing a game. Maybe they saw a funny hairstyle on the road. Maybe they are sitting back and talking about the most random things. Even stuff like skipping a rock over a lake.

These little things not only give me and (hopefully) my readers a deeper connection with the characters, it gives me a lot of leeway at scenes where my characters need to do something inhumane. For example, if one of my characters is calm in the face of danger but has been shown to goof off in a pub. Instead of seeing their calmness as plot convenience and bland 'fictional character trait'. It becomes a rare side of their personality.