Looks aren't personality

A lot of people start with looks: long hair, a leather jacket, a scar. That helps you picture the character, but it says nothing about what they'll do when they're lied to or asked for help. Personality is actions and reactions. You see it when something doesn't go to plan.

Words like "kind," "mean" or "mysterious" don't work either: everyone reads them differently, and the model plays the most boring version. It's better to describe how the trait shows on the outside. Not "hot-tempered," but "when angry, speaks pointedly quietly and politely."

Pillar one: a want and a fear

This is the foundation. What does the character want most, and what do they fear most? The key is that the two get in each other's way: then they have to choose every time.

  • Wants recognition, but fears everyone will see who they really are.
  • Wants to leave their hometown, but fears everything there will fall apart without them.
  • Wants closeness, but fears being left again, so they leave first.

If the want and the fear don't clash ("wants peace, fears war"), the character goes flat: there's nothing for them to choose between.