˒⠀S O T T . . . 𝙲𝙰𝚁𝙳𝙸𝙸𝙰𝙲

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❛ JUST 𝑺𝑻𝑶𝑷 YOUR CRYING,
IT'S A 𝑺𝑰𝑮𝑵 OF THE 𝑻𝑰𝑴𝑬𝑺. ❜

how to create an oc! ━━ no. 022
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     HELLO EVERYONE! Welcome to 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐓𝐰𝐨 of this book!

     In this portion, I will be going over an array of topics concerning OCs (original characters) and how to write particular characters. Characters happen to be one of my favorite topics to discuss whenever it comes to writing and I am very excited to talk about it here.

     Disclaimer: I am not an expert when it comes to anything I talk about in this book. So please, do not take my word as gospel. This is simply a resource where I provide personal tips and advice on an array of topics, as well as present to you research that has proven helpful to several authors.

     Now, buckle up. Today we will be covering how to create an original character. Or also known as something that every writer struggles with, including me.

     I, personally, have a very loving relationship with designing characters. It's a tremendous amount of fun, but I do acknowledge that it can be super frustrating. This is because you're making up a person, and a lot goes into it. Since I write fanfiction a lot and have since I was eleven, I've grown very accustomed to knowing the characters I create and learning the ways how to properly craft the characters I love. Hopefully, this chapter is helpful and beneficial to some of you!

     ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔? ⸝⸝ ⇗

          ╰─── Over the course of every book, TV show, or movie, characters often grow and evolve—unless you're Barry Allen from Season 5 of The Flash, then you have zero character development. However, without a solid base, what's there to build upon? Now, some authors like the thrill of never quite knowing who their characters are, and there's nothing wrong with that. (Honestly, I can be the same way with side characters.) Other writers, such as myself, like to know the people they're formulating as much as possible.

     ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄 ⸝⸝ ⇗

          Throughout my entire writing "career", I've had my fair share of hits-and-misses when it comes to creating a strong, solid character. But I never stopped trying because good writing starts with good characters. Nonetheless, it would be ignorant of me to ignore the fact that sharp, detailed character development is one of the toughest hills to climb, especially if you struggle with self-doubt, as many people do.

          If you're having doubts regarding any of your characters, I recommend turning to the holy grail of character profiling: the character profile templates.

     ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄? ⸝⸝ ⇗
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀→ ⺌ This section is inspired by Reedsy Blog. Credit for this portion goes to them. Disclaimer: I have added my own words, advice, and paraphrased sections of the article.

          Now, you may be asking yourself: What the hell is a character profile? or What's the point of filling out a character template? I never end up using all the information in my story, anyway! All right, that's true. You're right. In fact, you should never try to pack every detail about your character in your book. Not every aspect of who they are is necessary or important to the overall plot. So, only use what's relevant to the actual story—otherwise, you risk turning off readers with the dreaded "info dump."

          Yet an author always needs to understand their characters like the back of their hands. "In Creating Unforgettable Characters: A Practical Guide to Character Development, Linda Seger compares the depth of a character to an iceberg. The audience will only see a fraction (maybe 10%) of all that the writer knows about their character. But the remaining 90% is what makes characters actually feel well-drawn, flawed, and real—as though they could live outside of the book itself."

     ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐀 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄? ⸝⸝ ⇗
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀→ ⺌ This section is inspired by Reedsy Blog. Credit for this portion goes to them. Disclaimer: I have added my own words, advice, and paraphrased sections of the article.

          There are a lot of character profiles, or character sheets, if you will, out on the internet. Some of them are good and then there are some that ask you, "If your character was a color, what color would they be?" Once you start answering those kinds of questions in a character template, you might be dealing with overkill. It won't move the needle at all when it comes to actual character development.

          A better character profile is one that helps you build a holistic picture of your character in the context of your story. With this in mind, I built a character profile worksheet that is sectioned into four parts down below.

     ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐒𝐎𝐍'𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐓 ⸝⸝ ⇗
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀→ ⺌ Disclaimer: My character profile is not entirely my own. Several other ones have the same information and elements. I am not claiming this as an original.

          ╰─── 𝟬𝟭. The basics. "You don't get to the highest level without having the basics." Or, otherwise known as the "skin" of the profile.

           ➳❥ PART ONE: THE BASICS

FULL NAME
PRONUNCIATION
MEANING OF NAME
NICKNAMES
PREFERRED NAME
DATE OF BIRTH (DOB)
PLACE OF BIRTH
CURRENT AGE
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN (OPTIONAL)
SEX
GENDER IDENTITY
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
PREFERRED PRONOUNS
ROMANTIC ORIENTATION
MARITAL STATUS
NATIONALITY
ETHNICITY
RACE
RELIGION
STATUS (DEAD/ALIVE)
CURRENT/LAST KNOWN ADDRESS
LIVING CONDITIONS
DOCUMENT CITIZENSHIP (IF APPLICABLE)
DENTAL RECORDS
LANGUAGES

           ➳❥ PART TWO: PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

HEIGHT
WEIGHT
BODY BUILD
HAIR COLOR
HAIR TYPE
SIGNATURE HAIRSTYLE
EYE COLOR
FACE CLAIM (IF APPLICABLE)
GLASSES/CONTACTS
DOMINANT HAND
EXERCISE HABITS (IF APPLICABLE)
TATTOOS
PIERCINGS
DISTINGUISHING MARK(S)
NOTABLE FEATURES
GENERAL EXPRESSION
FASHION STYLE/AESTHETIC
JEWELRY
ALLERGIES
DIET RESTRICTIONS (IF APPLICABLE)
PHYSICAL AILMENTS
PHYSICAL TICS/MANNERISMS

           ➳❥ PART THREE: SPEECH AND COMMUNICATION

SPEED OF SPEECH
STYLE OF SPEECH (ELEVATED, EDUCATED, ETC.)
ACCENT
USE OF VERNACULAR
POSTURE
TYPICAL GESTURES
AMOUNT OF EYE CONTACT (HOW MUCH EYE CONTACT DO THEY MAKE WITH PEOPLE?)
PREFERRED CURSE WORD (IF APPLICABLE)
CATCHPHRASE
SPEECH IMPEDIMENTS
DISTINGUISHING SPEECH TICS
TYPE OF LAUGH (WHAT IS THEIR LIFE LIKE?)
TYPE OF SMILE
RESTING FACE (DO THEY HAVE RBF, ETC.?)
SENSE OF HUMOR
NERVOUS TICKS

           ➳❥ PART FOUR: SKILLS AND ABILITIES

PHYSICAL STRENGTH
SPORTS
OVERALL PHYSICALITY
INTELLIGENCE
AGILITY
STAMINA
TALENTS
DRIVER STATUS
INSTRUMENTS (IF APPLICABLE)

          ╰─── 𝟬𝟮. The flesh. "Characters don't exist in a vacuum—they're a product of their environment."

           ➳❥ PART ONE: BACKGROUND, THE PAST

HOMETOWN
SOCIAL CLASS
ECONOMIC STATUS
INCOME
EDUCATION LEVEL
TYPE OF CHILDHOOD
HOME ENVIRONMENT
FATHER'S BACKGROUND
MOTHER'S BACKGROUND
SIBLINGS
BIRTH ORDER OF CHILDREN (IF APPLICABLE)
CHILDHOOD PETS
CHILDHOOD FRIENDS
EXTENDED FAMILY MEMBERS
ARRESTS
PRISON/JAIL/JUVIE TIME (IF APPLICABLE)

           ➳❥ PART TWO: BACKGROUND, THE PRESENT, OCCUPATION & INCOME

EMPLOYMENT
JOB POSITION
PAST OCCUPATIONS
PRIMARY SOURCE OF INCOME
SECONDARY SOURCE OF INCOME
MONTHLY INCOME
YEARLY INCOME
CONTENT WITH JOB
SPENDING HABITS
MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION

           ➳❥ PART THREE: EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS

CLOSEST FRIENDS
ACQUAINTANCES
ENEMIES
HOW PEOPLE VIEW THEM
SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS (IF APPLICABLE)
WHO DO THEY DEPEND ON (IF APPLICABLE)
IDEAL DATE
IDEAL PARTNER
PAST RELATIONSHIPS (IF APPLICABLE)
CURRENT DATING STATUS
PARTNER'S PAST

           ➳❥ PART FOUR: ATTITUDE & PERSONALITY

POSITIVE TRAITS
TOXIC TRAITS
BIGGEST FEAR
PHOBIA(S)
PET PEEVE(S)
HABITS
HOBBIES
GREATEST DREAM
MOST AT EASE WHEN
LEAST AT EASE WHEN
THINGS THAT MAKE THEM CALM
BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT
BIGGEST REGRET
MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT
BIGGEST SECRET
TOP PRIORITIES
HOGWARTS HOUSE (OPTIONAL/IF APPLICABLE)

           ➳❥ PART FIVE: FAVORITES

ACTIVITY
ANIMAL
BEVERAGE
FOOD
CELEBRITY
BOOK
TV SHOW
MOVIE
COLOR
MUSICAL ARTIST
HOLIDAY
MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
SCENT
SPORT
QUOTE/PHRASE/SAYING
SEASON
VACATION DESTINATION

          ╰─── 𝟬𝟯. The core. "If you don't know who you truly are, you'll never know what you really want."

           ➳❥ PART ONE: PSYCHOLOGY

JUNG TYPE
JUNG SUBTYPE
ENNEAGRAM TYPE
MBTI PERSONALITY TYPE
MORAL ALIGNMENT
TEMPERAMENT
COLOR PSYCHOLOGY
ELEMENT
PRIMARY INTELLIGENCE TYPE
APPROXIMATE I.Q.
MENTAL ILLNESS(ES)
SOCIABILITY
EMOTIONAL STABILITY
OBSESSION(S)
COMPULSION(S)
ADDICTION(S)
DRUG USE
ALCOHOL USE

           ➳❥ PART TWO: THE PRESENT & FUTURE

WHAT IS THEIR GOAL
STORY MOTIVATION

          ╰─── 𝟬𝟰. The interview. Below is a list of questions that I find very necessary to be able to answer before you start writing. I have filled this out numerous times and have so many documents of this particular template.

     𝟎𝟏. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵, 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵?

     𝟎𝟐. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮?

     𝟎𝟑. 𝘋𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬?

     𝟎𝟒. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦?

     𝟎𝟓. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳?

     𝟎𝟔. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘰𝘧?

     𝟎𝟕. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵?

     𝟎𝟖. 𝘋𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘥𝘴? 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵?

     𝟎𝟗. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘫𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘴? (𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘴.)

     𝟏𝟎. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦?

     𝟏𝟏. 𝘋𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴? 𝘐𝘧 𝘴𝘰, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮?

     𝟏𝟐. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳?

     𝟏𝟑. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬?

     𝟏𝟒. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦?

     𝟏𝟓. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦? 𝘋𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦?

     𝟏𝟔. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯(𝘴)?

     𝟏𝟕. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵?

     𝟏𝟖. 𝘋𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴? 𝘐𝘧 𝘴𝘰, 𝘸𝘩𝘺?

     𝟏𝟗. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴?

     𝟐𝟎. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘗𝘋𝘈, 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘹?

     𝟐𝟏. 𝘋𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘩𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨?

     𝟐𝟐. 𝘋𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴? (𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺.)

     𝟐𝟑. 𝘋𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺? 𝘋𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨? 𝘋𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭?

     ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝟑 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒 ⸝⸝ ⇗
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀→ ⺌ This section stems from Just the Hiddles on Tumblr. Credit for this portion goes to them. Disclaimer: I have added my own words, advice, and paraphrased sections of the article.

          ╰─── 𝟬𝟭. Base character traits on real people. "Pay attention to the people around you. Use some of those quirks in your own characters. Mix and match. Pick some positive and negative traits."

          ╰─── 𝟬𝟮. Give people real flaws.  "Everyone has flaws, like real life-altering flaws. Perhaps they are notorious for avoiding difficult situations. Or they are clumsy. Or quick to anger. Make sure all your characters have honest-to-goodness flaws (not those surface flaws that are actually positive traits!). Make them bad at something. Make them struggle and suffer! Make them human!!!"

          ╰─── 𝟬𝟯. Give your characters a unique vocabulary. "Another great way to breathe life into your characters. Give them catchphrases, slang, etc. This can help determine a person's age, nationality, education, etc. It also helps make your dialogue feel more natural."

     I hope these were all helpful and if you have any questions or want more tips on this topic, let me know!

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❛ THEY TOLD ME THAT 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑬𝑵𝑫
IS 𝑵𝑬𝑨𝑹, WE GOTTA GET 𝑨𝑾𝑨𝒀
FROM 𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴. ❜
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