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Characters are not just puppets you tie with strings to move around as per convenience of the plot. They're people, with choices, desires, obstacles and flaws. So today, I'm going to show you how to shape them imperfectly.

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ᯓᡣ𐭩 Step 1: A rough sketch.

Sum up your character as a mix of different traits, tropes, or existing characters. This helps because you know and love your comfort characters, so you'll know your character better. However, don't rely fully on one or two characters, or don't make your charcter an exact replica of your favourite one. Feel free to experiment, mix up, and add your original ideas!

Since you've probably not understood my advice... because I'm bad at explaining, feel free to dm/ask me if you have any doubts! (I'm trying to keep this as short as possible)

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ᯓᡣ𐭩 Step 2: The lineart

Confine your character. Give them unique traits and flaws. Quirky habits and rational/irrational fears. Don't necessarily give them a backstory yet.

Most importantly, give your character strengths and weaknesses. Especially weaknesses. Making your character overly perfect usually makes them boring. Your reader won't feel connected to them and if your reader doesn't feel connected to your character, they won't bother to read the story.

Remember, your story thrives on the connection between readers and characters, not a fancy plot or magic system.

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ᯓᡣ𐭩 Step 3: Filling colour

Go through your character's personality, write it down if you want, and then decide their appearance. Their name, surname, and other details. This step can be done after "Step 4", but I prefer doing it before so I have a character to visualise in my head who's no more faceless. Maybe decide things for them that wouldn't even be mentioned in the story, like birthdays.

Having a clear appearance of the character in mind now gives you an image of your character as a person, not just an expressionless puppet. You can have fun experimenting with different colours, styles, and maybe even draw it out if you're an artist!

Get creative!

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ᯓᡣ𐭩 Step 4: The background

Add the world around your character, if you don't already have one. Give them family members, friendships and other relations. How do their parents/friends treat them? What is their relationship with their siblings (if any) like? How did this affect their upbringing?

A person's background and upbringing reflects a lot in their character. The same is true for fictional characters. Therefore, when deciding the past of your character, don't have it simply exist as a little tragic backstory. Don't simply kill of their parents because, "they can't do cool things with their parents being alive." Have your character's backstory shape the way they are today.

Like, maybe they flinch everytime someone touches them, because they were used to beatings/sa? Maybe they stutter at random words because they were made fun of for their voice in the past? Little things matter.

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ᯓᡣ𐭩 Step 5: Shading

Give your character a side no one, or only a few, knows about. Write the voice inside their head. What thoughts do they not speak aloud? Is it because they're afraid? Doubting themselves? Or because they're sure no one will listen?

What thoghts keep coming back to your character's mind? Not just of the past, but the future, or maybe the present? Are they an overthinker? Do they keep secrets? Are they good at keeping secrets?

It's really helpful to write down your character's thoughts or inner monologue, as a writing exercise that makes you understand them better. Maybe write a scene about them talking with another character, or just themselves. Write a scene from their childhood or future. It doesn't matter if the scenes are important to the book or not, or even if they're part of the character's life. They can just be little headcanons or AUs for them.

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That's it! Feel free to be original, unique and don't care about sticking closely to these steps. These are just words of advice, and I would be glad to know how you feel about it. Tips and critisms are VERY welcome!