How many personality traits does a character need?

Two main ones: one that shows right away, and one that comes out later and argues with the first. The rest will grow out of them in conversation.

Do I have to give my character flaws?

Yes, but it works better as taboos and fears than as a list like "lazy, stubborn." A weakness that blocks their want is your main source of scenes.

Why does my AI character agree with everything?

Models try to please by default. Write in the description that the character can argue and refuse, and give them a couple of taboos.

How long does it take to create a character?

A draft takes about fifteen minutes. A good character gets polished over a couple of evenings of chatting: you notice where they sound flat and fix one line.

Can I base a character on a real person?

Borrow traits and habits from people you know all you want; every writer does. But don't use a real person's face or name without their consent.

Creating a Character From Scratch: Five Mistakes That Make Them Boring

Updated October 12, 20267 min readЧитать по-русски

In brief

A boring character rarely comes from a lack of imagination. More often, five "sensible" choices are to blame: too many traits, no inner conflict, a hero who's too nice, backstory instead of behavior, and a voice with no quirks. You can fix all of them in one evening if you go in order: two traits and the tension between them first, then a want and a fear, then speech, and looks at the very end.

Mistake one: too many traits

"Smart, kind, sarcastic, loyal, sensitive, hot-tempered, loves cats." Seven traits and not a single personality. When there are too many qualities, they cancel each other out, and in every scene the character shows a random one.

Two is enough. One you see right away, the other shows up later and pushes back against the first a little. Everything else will grow out of those two on its own.

Mistake two: no inner conflict

If both traits point the same way ("kind and caring"), the character has nothing to wrestle with inside, which means nothing to decide. Conflict is when qualities pull in different directions: brave, but terrified of being alone; a cynic who secretly helps out at a shelter; a cold debt collector who's ashamed of his job.

Pairs like that produce unexpected choices. You don't know ahead of time which side will win today, and neither does the character.

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Creating a Character From Scratch: Five Mistakes That Make Them Boring

Mistake one: too many traits

Mistake two: no inner conflict

Comments

Mistake three: the character is too nice

Mistake four: backstory instead of character

Mistake five: a voice with no quirks

The three-scene test

The order of work

How it works on my-idol.ru

FAQ

Mistake one: too many traits

Mistake two: no inner conflict

Comments

Similar articles

Mistake three: the character is too nice

Mistake four: backstory instead of character

Mistake five: a voice with no quirks

The three-scene test

The order of work

How it works on my-idol.ru

FAQ