#writing realistic characters
We’ve all been there. Staring at our planning document with a long list of characters who are like our children. We love every single one of them, but what about the reader? Will they get confused? Will they be able to keep track? Will they care about any of your characters if they don’t get enough page time?
If these questions have plagued you, it might be time to think about who gets the chop. To help with the dilemma, I have put together a list of questions to ask yourself.
- What does each character bring to the story thematically?
- List what each character does to advance the plot?
- Could any of these things easily be done by another character?
- Do they all have distinctive personalities?
- Do they all have distinctive mannerisms/speech/appearances?
If you’re struggling to answer these with a clear yes or no, it might be time to bin some characters. Bonus questions to consider are:
- Is there potential to merge two characters into one?
- Does this character need a name, or are they just an extra?
Hope this helped!
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