how do I brain

DM: That would be very inefficient and volatile

Writing characters is tough. Writing the right character for your story is even tougher. Here’s a few quick tips to kick your characters into high gear: 

Don’t plan too much. Sure, it’s great if you know your character’s favorite color, but over-planning in my case has always lead to failing characters. In my experience, my most successful characters came about very organically. Once you get a taste of their personality, it spills out. You know as much about them as your reader does, you remember to write the important things. You will know them just well enough to know that you can figure out anything you don’t yet know about them. 

All characters want something. Don’t give them too many wants. You might write out a list of twenty five things they want, but it’s not worth it. Come up with one thing they want more than anything else. See ahead to what kind of conflicts they’ll have. It’s easy if their wants go along with their conflict, for instance, the girl with the self esteem problem wants only to feel appreciated. Remember: not all characters should have to want the same thing. Other smaller problems are subplot. 

Make memorable characters. A character does not have to be a total weirdo to be memorable. Sometimes, it’s just how normal and relatable they actually are that’s going to make readers like them. The rule to go by though: give them personalities. Give them opinions and habits, make them moody sometimes. No one is happy all the time. A character with personality is going to be memorable. Think about your favorite characters in published works of fiction or movies and think about their various habits to get you started.