To be clear, by weak I don't mean that they don't lift weights, or that they're couch potatoes, I mean that they aren't developed! If all your characters kind of sound the same, and act the same, and are the same people with different names and looks, then you need character development! Or also if they change too often in the story (Considering they don't have multiple personality disorder!), then that's you not knowing them enough... So here are 5 ways to get to know you're characters inside and out, as well as make sure they aren't a cardboard cutout!
1. Interviews!
I like to interview my characters, almost as if they're movie stars starring their own role in a movie about them. (I have some examples here!) Ask them about the big stuff (So Bree! How did it feel when your mom abandoned you in a vampire feeder prison?) and the small stuff (Hey Jamie, how old are you?) and whatever else in between you might have to ask.
And not only do you get to know important details about them, but you get to write their tone and way of speaking too! (Sabrina: Um, I dunno, BETRAYED?! Yeah, the obvious, and also kind of angry and hopeless. VS Jamie: Um, let me think... About 355, I think? Kinda hard to keep track once the numbers are bigger! According to Sabrina, I'm extremely immature, but I think she doesn't mind. With so few people this old there really aren't many standards to live up to.)
These can also be great teasers for your book, as you get to give away some great tidbits of the story while warming your readers up to your characters!
2. Use Real People
A great way you can do this is to use someone in your life. Instead of starting from scratch, all you need to do is think, "What would N do in this situation?"
You just need to be careful with this, because what if N reads the story? Don't make it too obvious that you're copying someone in real life, especially if they happen to play the villain/an annoying character/ex of main character/etc.
Just because they double as a fictional character doesn't mean that you might not have real-life broken hearts and bones!
3. Character Sheet
Making a character sheet is similar to an interview, except you aren't talking to someone who isn't there... You write down a list of everything that could possibly be useful (Looks, personality, family relationship, favorite food, allergies, pets, etc.) and write down all your answers!
Then, also make sure they add up... Is your character allergic to wool clothing and yet their favorite food is mutton? Yeah, different parts of a sheep, but still kinda in the same boat... Or body... Now demolished corpse... Yeah.
This is great for if you want to know everything, but don't exactly have the time to write questions and responses that your character might say.
4. Find Unique Character Traits
I think the book Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson is an amazing example of this... One character is always making up silly, weird metaphors, and another has both an Irish (I think) and southern accent at the same time (That's amazing, I know, you have to read the book to understand!)
Those kinds of things not only make your character more interesting, make it clearer who's speaking, and make them more unique, but there are endless possibilities! They can be speech, unique looks, a talent, a way of thinking, a phrase they say a lot, something they wear or carry, anything! These traits should reflect a lot on the character too, so look at their background or personality and see what you can do (Like in The Hunger Games, Katniss had to take care of her family and hunt, therefore she is great at shooting a bow and arrow, which is one of her biggest identifying traits! Not to mention that the method of shooting from a hidden spot and avoiding direct conflict as much as possible is her preferred way of going about things... I could go on!)
Anyway, your character's traits don't need to be the most perfect, symbolic thing ever for them... But that's kind of the goal, so no pressure!
5. Connect Them To The Plot
If you already have a plot down and just need characters to suffer and potentially die to make it happen, just take a look at what your plot needs. Does it need a brave hero to embark on a quest? Yeah? Then you don't want a wimp of a main character, or a stay at home mom with toddlers. Will your main character fall in love with someone really hard to get noticed by? Then they best be determined, or if you're looking for some roadblocks for them, make them afraid of looking stupid because taking chances is going to be the only way for them to stand out!
If your character doesn't connect to the plot, then either the plot is going to crumble (I want it if it happens to crumble like a cookie; I love cookies.) or your character is going to undergo some major changes which may or may not look good in the story...
If they need to change for the first few chapters to go smoothly into the danger zone, then you should change them before you write them. If you're getting to the climax, and they haven't needed to change too much until then, you might want to make the beginning of the story a bit more challenging... If you're up at the climax and your character is different from the beginning of the story and is ready to face the challenge (even if they're terrified and doubting themselves) then you just had some good character development!
(It's natural and ideal for them to change positively from the beginning to end; gaining confidence, skill, or a sense of adventure is great and necessary!)
So those are my tips for knowing and developing good characters! I hope they were helpful to you!
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