How to Create a Believable Character

I do characterization sessions for schools and enjoy helping kids create their own. The following is exactly what I walk the kids through.

If the plot is the backbone of the story, then the characters are the heart. 

Creating believable characters is crucial to a good story. Your characters must have depth, personality, and the ability to evoke an emotional response from your reader.

Many writers envision the setting first and the people inhabiting that world second.  This sometimes results in shallow characters.  It’s easier to build a plot around an individual than force that character into unrealistic situations. Developing a character in depth, complete with flaws, will give you a basis for your narrative.

To build a character:

First, decide if your character is a male or female. Name your character if possible.

Two major factors will determine your character – their background and their personality type. Humans all share similar feelings and needs, but how they respond to those depends on their upbringing and their basic, fundamental personality. Backgrounds are as varied as humans themselves. Race, culture, religion, and economic status all contribute to one’s development as a person. 

BACKGROUND

RACE OR CULTURE	What is their ethnic background?
NATIONALITY	What country?  Or planet?  Or world?
RELIGION	Every religion has morals and standards.
UPBRINGING	Where and how were they raised?  Positive or negative influences?  Taught responsibility?  Taught right or wrong? A person’s moral compass is easily affected by their upbringing, and you need to keep this in mind when creating your characters. Consider also any childhood traumas.
SIBLINGS	How many, older or younger?
PARENTS/RELATIVES	Both parents?  Other relatives crucial to upbringing?
ECONOMIC STATUS	Upbringing and now – poor, rich, worked hard to achieve more, etc?

“Personality Plus” by Florence Littauer is an excellent book that outlines the four personality traits. Become familiar with these basic personality types – choleric, sanguine, melancholy and phlegmatic. They will also determine how your character reacts in any given situation. If you do not stay true to character, you will find them responding in a dubious fashion. Life altering moments happen for us all, but a sudden change for no apparent reason will be looked upon as a mere plot contrivance. These personalities often line up with the four birth orders:

Choleric- Oldest, leader, powerful, persuasive, insensitive, worker, extroverted, unemotional

Sanguine- Youngest, popular, playful, funny, unorganized, talkative, extroverted, emotional

Phlegmatic- Middle, peaceful, friendly, balanced, indecisive, slow, introverted, unemotional

Melancholy- Only, perfect, scheduled, artistic, organized, sensitive, introverted, emotional

PERSONALITY

TYPE	Which of the above personality types fits your character? And it can be a mix of two.
STRENGTHS	What is your character good at? What are the positive traits? Do they have a good attitude?
WEAKNESSES	Avoid the temptation to create a perfect character!  People are flawed creatures and the more imperfections and internal conflicts your character possesses, the more intriguing your story.  Give them weaknesses, impulses and unresolved issues.  Negative aspects of your character might improve and eventually vanish, but this needs to be developed slowly during the course of your narrative.
INTERESTS	Hobbies, studies, leisure, etc. These are often influenced by the personality.
GOALS	What do they want to accomplish? This can be the force that drives your story.
PRIVATE	How do they view themselves? Do they have secrets? Are there things they hide from others?
QUIRKS	What quirks or habits do they possess? How do they speak? Do they dress funny? Have any strange rituals? Pet peeves?

Consider how your character appears -

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

BUILD	Skinny? Fat? Athletic?
HEIGHT & WEIGHT
EYE COLOR
HAIR	Color and texture

And what other information will you need to know?

MISC.

B-DAY OR AGE
FRIENDS	Who are their closest friends?
SPOUSE/GF/BF	Are they married or seeing someone?
CHILDREN	Do they have children?
OTHER FACTS

Characters will always be the drive and focal point of any story. By putting a great deal of thought into your main characters, you will form interesting, relatable people.

Once you have established this foundation, you can begin creating an intriguing tale!