5 resources on how to create a character

Do you want to know how to create a character?

You want to create multidimensional, exciting and believable characters. You want your readers to absolutely fall for your characters and your story. But developing characters and making sure they have a wide variety of traits can be a daunting task. That’s why I’ve created this list of 5 quick resources on how to create a character worth reading about.

5 awesome resources on character development

Writing a book is no easy task, and character development isn’t either. Sometimes you need a little help with creating your characters. Don’t worry my friend, help is here! I’ve collected a list of 5 places for you to go and find more information. You might find writing prompts, exercises and reading material, that’ll help you with developing some well-rounded characters.

It’s up to you if, when and how you use these resources – but here are a few options for you.

1. Writing exercises (made by Pernille)

Of course, the first item on the list is this very blog you’re reading right now! Have you checked out my list of writing exercises or all my blogposts specifically for writers like you? If you haven’t – this is the time to do so, you can always come back to this list, when you’re hungry for more. I can especially recommend my exercise on finding your character’s motivation when you create a character.

2. Pinterest

Yes, I am a big fan of Pinterest, whenever I need inspiration or motivation. It is a goldmine for creatives within every field, and writers are no exception. There are a ton of images and boards related to character development so jump in and get started! (You can start by looking at my Pinterest board for writers, where I’m constantly pinning new content to get inspired by).

3. E-courses & blogs

There are a lot of bloggers and schools out there, creating courses and other valuable resources on how to create a character. Some of them, just like me, are here to help writers like you. Here are three to get you started;

Kristen Kieffer from Well-storied has a free e-course on complex character development
Nownovel.com has a blogpost with an elaborated list on developing character arcs
M. Weiland from Helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com has this incredible and long blogpost series on how to create a character arc

Like I said, there are so many (other) accessible resources out there, and it’s just a browser-search away!

Try and search for help with specific challenges you’re currently facing with your writing. You might find something helpful that will give your novel some extra depth and flavor. Just remember, that not all advice fits exactly your style, genre or story. You need to learn to sort through all the information and use only what is relevant and helpful to your work.

(For example, sometimes you need to know what your character looks like or what color eyes they have. At other times, a character’s physical features can be irrelevant to the story. It’s a matter of knowing what’s important in order to be able to convey your story.)

4. Personality tests

This one might not be included in your regular ‘how to create characters’ guide. But think about it, there are so many different types of personality tests and ways to put people into boxes. You might as well turn it into your advantage! Think about taking different tests and combining them, to make multidimensional characters – we are never just one thing.

Try experimenting with drawing inspiration from some of these, and see what else you can find out there;

Enneagram
Myers Briggs
Hogwarts Houses
“16 personalities”
Buzzfeed tests
Lifestyle segmentation models such as the Minerva model, used in marketing

There is no one saying you need to follow them as rules. And I’m definitely not saying you should absolutely include the results in your book. Look at it as guidelines to help you form different types of characters, without needing to know their eye color. There are so many possibilities and it’s just a matter of finding what works for you!

5. Skillshare

Skillshare is an online learning community, perfect for creative people. Here you can find online classes in almost anything, including creative writing. Cretainly you’ll be able to find classes to help you on how to create a character that is believable and interesting.

It’s worth a shot and you can even get a two-month free trial, if you sign up using my referral link here>>. (That means I get a free month of Skillshare, if you choose to continue taking classes after those two months).

So far, I am using Skillshare to learn to read music, optimize my time management systems and paperquilling, just to name a few! I’m also considering making my own classes, to teach more in depth about the writing exercises on the blog.

Have you tried all these things but are still not getting the results you want?

I offer skype sessions and written feedback for authors and I’d love to help you on how to create a character. Feel free to contact me, to hear more!

What do you normally do when writing and developing characters? Do you have a list of things you answer, do you draw them or do they just appear out of nowhere?