Creative Writing Crash Course – Lesson IV Character Creation: Bringing Your Protagonist (Therefore Your Story) To Life

DISCLAIMER: There are some spoilers for the series Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, The Lord of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, and A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. Read at your own risk.

Why Characters Matter Most

Your protagonist is the lens through which your readers experience the world. A perfectly structured plot means nothing if readers don’t care about who it’s happening to. Compelling characters turn stories into emotional experiences. They evoke empathy, spark curiosity, and ground fantastical or dramatic narratives in deeply human truth.

Characters aren’t just players on a stage—they are the soul of your story. Their decisions, doubts, passions, and fears are what bring a narrative to life. Long after a reader forgets the exact sequence of plot events, they will remember the characters who made them feel something. By focusing on character creation early, you lay the emotional and thematic foundation for everything else that follows.

A compelling plot without a compelling character is like a body without a heart—it may move, but it doesn’t breathe. That’s why crafting a dynamic, believable protagonist is arguably the most important part of writing a story that lasts. Understanding who your character is, what drives them, and how they evolve will shape your story’s tone, depth, and emotional resonance. Let’s build them from the inside out.

Building the Lens: How Your Character Sees the World

Every story is filtered through your protagonist’s eyes. Their beliefs, biases, traumas, and values shape how they interpret and react to everything that happens. How do they perceive the world—hopeful, cynical, afraid, curious? What experiences have shaped that worldview? How do they justify their actions to themselves?

Their perspective is more than just their opinion—it’s the filter through which your entire story will be colored. Is the world unjust or full of potential? Are people generally good or inherently selfish? Whether your story is epic fantasy or contemporary romance, understanding how your character sees the world gives you clarity on tone, theme, and plot.

So before you ever sit down to write, consider how your protagonist's perspective influences the story’s tone, moral center, and emotional resonance. Before you write your plot, define how your character sees the world—and why they see it that way. In Lesson V, we’ll explore the deeper roots of this lens: the trauma, beliefs, and internalized experiences that shape your character’s worldview, defenses, and inner logic. Then ask: how will that lens shift by the end of the story? What truths will they uncover? What beliefs will they shed—or cling to even tighter?

What Makes a Strong, Memorable Character?

A strong character doesn’t need to be likable—they need to be compelling. Memorable protagonists are those who feel real and evoke deep emotion in readers. You don’t need your readers to agree with your character. You need them to understand them. Instead of worrying about whether or not your character is relatable, concern yourself with whether or not they are resonant.

• Wants vs. Needs: What they think they want vs. what they actually need to grow.

• Flaws & Contradictions: Real humans are messy. So are the best characters.

• Strengths & Passions: What makes them admirable, interesting, or unique.

• Agency: They make choices—especially difficult or morally gray ones.

• Arc Potential: They need room to change, evolve, or unravel.

Don’t be afraid to give your character complexity. Let them be angry. Let them be selfish, insecure, idealistic, stubborn—just make sure those traits stem from something meaningful. Great characters often carry emotional wounds and wrestle with impossible decisions. These moments of tension become the heartbeats of your story.

The Four Selves: Inner vs. Outer Identity

Understanding the Four Selves—Social, Personal, Core, and Hidden—helps you create characters that feel deeply real. Each layer reflects a different aspect of identity, and the friction between them generates emotional depth, inner conflict, and powerful arcs. These layered identities within characters create tension and opportunity for growth:

• The Social Self – How they present themselves to the world

• The Personal Self – How they see themselves privately

• The Core Self – Their values, fears, and emotional truth

• The Hidden Self – What they don’t acknowledge, avoid, or repress

The Social Self

The Social Self is the face your character wears in front of others. It’s shaped by societal expectations, relationships, reputation, and the need to belong. This version of your character is curated, controlled, and often performative. Whether it’s a sarcastic mask, a noble persona, or a ruthless front, it’s not necessarily false—but it’s not the whole truth either.

Ask: How do they want to be seen? What image do they protect?

The Personal Self

This is how your character sees themselves when no one else is watching. It includes their conscious identity: strengths, flaws, self-worth, and inner dialogue. The Personal Self can differ wildly from the Social Self—someone confident in public may feel uncertain or inadequate in private. It’s honest, but still incomplete, often shaped by ego, memory, and bias.

Ask: Who do they think they are—and what truths do they avoid?

The Core Self

The Core Self is the emotional root system—your character’s rawest fears, values, needs, and instincts. This is who they really are at their most unguarded, and what drives their deepest motivations. It’s the seat of their empathy, shame, desire, and resilience. Revealing the Core Self over time makes a character’s growth resonate more profoundly.

Ask: What do they need to feel whole? What pain do they carry?

The Hidden Self

This self is buried even deeper—made of the things your character doesn’t acknowledge or may not even be aware of. Repressed trauma, shameful desires, or forbidden beliefs live here. The Hidden Self is powerful because it leaks out in unexpected ways: self-sabotage, projection, or moral conflict. Bringing this self into the light is often the climax of their arc.

Ask: What truths would devastate them if exposed? What do they deny at all costs?

As characters navigate challenges, these selves come into conflict or alignment. Personal arcs often stem from the protagonist discovering, confronting, or integrating these layers. Growth doesn’t happen all at once—it happens when these selves collide, crumble, or reassemble.

The more tension that exists between the selves, the more potential your character has to grow. Use this internal friction to create emotionally charged moments that drive change.

Character Archetypes & Subversions

Use archetypes to understand character roles—but avoid clichés. Ask: how can I give this archetype unexpected depth or direction? Can I combine two archetypes? Can I invert the expectations?

Think about how you might be able to subvert the archetypes: What if your Hero is selfish? Your Mentor deeply flawed? Your Trickster is the only honest one?

Archetypes are patterns, not boxes. They’re tools you can use or break:

• The Hero – The brave figure who embarks on a journey or quest, facing trials and growing into their potential. Defined by courage, action, and transformation. Core trait: bravery in the face of adversity.

• The Caregiver – Nurturing, compassionate, and self-sacrificing, the Caregiver seeks to protect and support others—often at a cost to themselves. Core trait: selflessness and loyalty.

• The Rebel – Challenges authority, breaks rules, and disrupts the status quo. The Rebel seeks freedom or justice, often driven by anger, trauma, or idealism. Core trait: defiance and a desire for change.

• The Trickster – Clever, chaotic, and unpredictable, the Trickster uses wit, deception, or humor to manipulate or reveal hidden truths. Core trait: cleverness and disruption.

• The Lover – Driven by connection, passion, and devotion, the Lover seeks meaningful relationships—romantic or otherwise—and fears isolation or loss. Core trait: emotional depth and desire for intimacy.

• The Outsider – Doesn’t fit into their world and often exists on the margins of society. The Outsider is observant, independent, and sometimes alienated—but offers unique insight. Core trait: isolation and perspective.

• The Mentor – A guiding figure who offers wisdom, protection, or training to others. Often experienced, world-weary, or nearing the end of their own journey. Core trait: wisdom and guidance.

A well-used archetype feels familiar but fresh. It connects to universal storytelling but still makes room for surprise and individuality.

Exercise: Pick an archetype and write a scene where they behave in an unexpected way.

Backstory: The Emotional Core

Backstory isn’t about pages of exposition—it’s about subtly weaving emotional cause and effect. It’s the emotional architecture of your character. Their past holds the soul scars that quietly dictate how they love, fear, grieve, trust, dream, or run. Because it’s not just about what happened—it’s about how it shaped them. Use backstory to inform behavior, shape motivation, and deepen stakes. Remember, your character’s past isn't just filler—it’s the emotional soil they’re growing from.

Ask Yourself:

• What are the defining moments that shaped them?

• What belief did they adopt to survive?

• What childhood beliefs or experiences still affect them?

• What moment fractured their sense of self?

• What memory do they try to bury?

• What memory keeps them going?

Remember: Readers don’t need to know everything. But you should. The more you understand where your character came from, the more grounded and believable their actions will be.

In the next lesson, we’ll go even deeper into this terrain, exploring how trauma, core wounds, and unmet needs create the emotional logic that drives everything your character does.

Desires, Fears & Contradictions

Desires and fears don’t just sit side by side—they tangle. What your character wants most often threatens what they fear most. The more they chase their goal, the more likely they are to run into the very thing they’re avoiding. This is where contradiction lives: the hero who fears failure but self-sabotages success, the rebel who craves belonging but pushes people away. These inner tensions are the soul of character-driven fiction. In Lesson V, we’ll look at where these conflicting forces come from—and how they’re often born of unhealed wounds.

Things To Keep In Mind While Creating Characters:

• Desire: What do they think they want—and why do they want it?

• Fear: What are they running from emotionally, physically, or spiritually?

• Contradictions: Where are they at odds with themselves?

Characters who want something desperately but are terrified of getting it? That’s juicy. Contradictions make characters feel alive—and set up emotional stakes for growth. Even the most heroic character should struggle with fear, doubt, or internal sabotage. Those layered emotions create a compelling inner journey.

Physicality & Presence

Your character’s body speaks before their words do. A clenched jaw, a worn-down heel, an untouched plate of food—all of it tells us who they are. Physical presence can project dominance or disappear into silence. Their posture might carry pride—or the weight of shame. Don’t just describe what they look like. Show how their body holds memory. Where do they carry stress? How do they shrink themselves? When do they lean forward with hunger or hesitate with fear? Physicality gives you a secret language to show emotion without saying a word.

How your character exists in their body tells the reader a lot:

• How do they walk, speak, gesture? Do they dominate or disappear?

• What are their physical habits—eye contact, nervous tics, posture?

• Clothing, grooming, accessories: do they express or mask something?

Body language is a form of subtext. The confident politician might wring their hands when no one’s looking. The hardened assassin might touch a token from their childhood. These details create authenticity, and they’re a great way to show rather than tell.

You can show a character’s confidence, exhaustion, rage, or insecurity before they say a single word. Physicality becomes voice—and presence becomes mood.

Voice & Dialogue

Dialogue is character. Every line should express voice, worldview, and emotional state. Consider what your character won’t say as much as what they will. Silence can be just as revealing as speech.

Remember, voice isn’t just how a character speaks—it’s how they see the world. What words do they choose? What do they never say? A character raised in a strict household might speak with precision and apology; a streetwise survivor might cut to the chase with slang and grit.

Dialogue is where belief systems leak out—through avoidance, sarcasm, repetition, or silence. Don’t just focus on clever lines. Let your dialogue reveal wounds, identities, and power dynamics. Let your characters interrupt, ramble, evade, confess. Let them lie. Real people don’t speak in perfect prose—your characters shouldn’t either.

Things To Consider:

• Tone, rhythm, vocabulary: Where are they from? How educated are they? Are they guarded or impulsive?

• What do they say vs. what they mean?

Character Introduction Techniques

The first time we meet your character should tell us something essential—even if they don’t know it yet. Show us a contradiction: someone confident in a moment of doubt, or someone overlooked doing something extraordinary. You don’t need a flashy action scene—what matters is emotional context. Let the first impression plant a question in the reader’s mind. Why did they do that? What are they hiding? That curiosity is what creates instant emotional investment.

Things To Keep In Mind:

• First impressions matter—how and when you introduce your protagonist sets the tone.

• Use action, contrast, or mystery to immediately hook the reader.

• Show something unique or emotionally resonant about them.

An unforgettable character introduction doesn’t need to be dramatic. It needs to be revealing. Even quiet scenes can leave a lasting impression. What does your character do the first time we meet them? What choice do they make—or fail to make?

Relationship Mirrors & Foils

Every relationship your protagonist has should reveal something about them. Mirrors show what your character can’t yet see—foils show what they could become if they made different choices. Think: the rule-follower paired with the rebel, the idealist paired with the cynic. These pairings reflect values, fears, and temptations. A foil can expose the worst in your character—or challenge them to grow. A mirror can help them see themselves clearly… or shatter their illusion. These dynamics create emotional stakes beyond plot.

Quick Definition:

• Mirrors: Characters who reflect or echo aspects of the protagonist

• Foils: Characters who contrast to highlight flaws, strengths, or choices

Relationships aren’t just side plots. They’re pressure points. They expose hypocrisy, heal trauma, complicate motives, or fuel change. Don’t just build a protagonist—build the people who shape them.

Think about who your character loves, hates, envies, or needs. These dynamics offer endless material for development and emotional payoff.

Character in Conflict

Conflict isn’t just about obstacle—it’s about exposure. Pressure strips away performance. When your character is forced to make a choice, it reveals what they truly value. Will they protect themselves or someone else? Fight or freeze? Conflict forces your character to confront the gap between who they think they are and who they actually are. These are the crucible moments where real growth begins—or unraveling takes root. And in Lesson V, we’ll dig into the subconscious why behind those reactions.

Things To Keep In Mind:

• What breaks your protagonist’s mask?

• How do they react under pressure? Who do they become?

• Use external events to reveal internal truths.

Throw your character into a situation that forces them to act outside their comfort zone. Let their choices tell us who they are, not just their words. Stress, danger, heartbreak—these are moments when your character’s truth leaks out. Don’t protect your protagonist from pain—use it to peel back their layers. Torture the f*ckers like the sadistic writer you are.

Case Study: Aelin Galathynius from Throne of Glass

Now that we've gotten this far, let’s bring these ideas to life with a character who embodies complexity, contradiction, and emotional evolution. Case studies can help illustrate how layered characterization unfolds across a story. One powerful example comes from Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series.

Understanding the Four Selves—Social, Personal, Core, and Hidden—can help you craft multidimensional characters. Each layer reveals a different facet of your protagonist, and the tension between them drives internal conflict. When these identities clash or shift, your character grows—and your story deepens.

Aelin Galathynius Character Deep-Dive

Wants: Freedom, revenge, and control over her destiny.

Needs: Vulnerability, trust, and acceptance of her identity.

Contradictions: A powerful assassin who hides deep emotional wounds; proud and guarded, yet self-sacrificing and fiercely loyal.

Voice: Bold, sarcastic, confident—often masking pain or uncertainty.

Four Selves:

• Social: Fearless assassin and queen-in-hiding.

• Personal: Lonely, angry, burdened by loss.

• Core: Protective, passionate, and unwilling to break her promises.

• Hidden: A young girl who fears being unloved or unworthy of her crown.

Aelin’s arc is about more than reclaiming a throne—it’s about reconciling the parts of herself she tried to bury. Her struggle with identity, loss, and self-worth creates emotional stakes as high as the political ones. Her resilience and defiance make her unforgettable—but it’s her moments of vulnerability that give her story its heart.

Scene Breakdown: Aelin in Heir of Fire

One of the most emotionally pivotal scenes in the series comes when Aelin trains with Rowan in Heir of Fire, finally breaking down and revealing the full depth of her grief over Nehemia’s death. For chapters, she lashes out and fights emotionally and physically. But in this moment, when her emotional dam finally breaks, we see the hidden self—a young woman wracked with guilt, trauma, and a desperate desire for forgiveness and healing.

This scene marks a turning point in her arc. Vulnerability becomes strength, and it deepens her bond with Rowan. It also reframes the reader’s understanding of her earlier anger and aloofness, transforming her from a fierce fighter into a fully realized, emotionally layered character. Her internal growth mirrors her external training and lays the foundation for the queen she is becoming.

Case Study: Frodo Baggins from The Lord of the Rings

Let’s look at another well-known and beloved character who also embodies complexity and emotional evolution: Frodo Baggins from The Lord of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Frodo Baggins Character Deep-Dive

Wants: To return home and live a peaceful, simple life.

Needs: To find courage, endurance, and spiritual strength beyond his comfort zone.

Contradictions: Humble and reluctant, yet chosen to carry immense responsibility; loyal but tempted by power.

Voice: Thoughtful, quiet, and sincere—often conflicted by burden and duty.

Four Selves:

• Social: The Shire’s gentle hobbit.

• Personal: A fearful but determined soul unsure of his ability to succeed.

• Core: Deeply loyal, self-sacrificing, and morally grounded.

• Hidden: A growing sense of inner darkness and the slow corruption of the Ring’s power.

Frodo’s arc isn’t about conquering others—it’s about enduring suffering without losing himself. His resistance to the Ring’s power, especially as it begins to fracture his spirit, shows how internal and external conflict work in tandem. His quiet bravery lies not in grand speeches or sword fights, but in persistence, compassion, and emotional weight.

Scene Breakdown: Frodo at Mount Doom

In the final moments at Mount Doom, Frodo stands on the precipice—literally and spiritually. Instead of destroying the Ring, he claims it. This heartbreaking moment reveals how the Ring has gnawed at his Hidden Self and how even the most virtuous heart can be worn down by prolonged trauma. His choice—and Gollum’s intervention—reminds us that the core of a character arc can be tragic and unresolved, and yet still meaningful.

Case Study: Arya Stark from A Game of Thrones

Another icon character to study is Arya Stark from A Game of Thrones:

Arya Stark Character Deep-Dive

Wants: Revenge, justice, and survival.

Needs: To rediscover her identity, rebuild connection, and reclaim humanity.

Contradictions: Cold and detached assassin with a strong moral compass; craves freedom but longs for family.

Voice: Blunt, guarded, and observant—always reading others and staying sharp.

Four Selves:

• Social: Faceless killer, water dancer, Stark girl in disguise.

• Personal: A lonely child desperate to avenge her family.

• Core: Resilient, empathetic, and fiercely loyal to her own code of justice.

• Hidden: A traumatized girl afraid she’s lost herself beyond repair.

Arya’s journey is a study in identity fragmentation. Her training to become “no one” is, ironically, what forces her to decide who she truly is. Her story is full of reinvention, withdrawal, and hard-won emotional reawakening.

Scene Breakdown: Arya Rejects the Faceless Men

When Arya refuses to kill the actress Lady Crane in Season 6, she draws a line: she is not a mindless killer. This choice reclaims her Core Self, even if it puts her life at risk. She begins as a girl shaped by vengeance but ends as someone who can make space for softness, honor, and personal truth. Her arc teaches us that reclaiming identity can be just as powerful as transformation.

Writing Exercise: Character Questionnaire

Flesh out your protagonist using the questions below, which draw from multiple levels of their identity, psychology, and past. These are the exact questions I use when fleshing out my own characters—designed to help you create someone emotionally real, richly layered, and compelling enough to carry an entire story. Whether you’re planning a standalone novel or a sprawling series, this is where your character’s depth begins.

Blank Character Sheet Questionnaire

Sign up for my newsletter and get instant access to a free downloadable version of this Character Questionnaire—perfect for your next story or series!

INSERT YOUR CHARACTER'S PORTRAIT HERE	Basics Full Name: Nicknames: Age: Occupation: Current Home: Situation: How do they enter this story? Motivation: What do they want? Favorite Quote/Saying/Thing To Say: Biggest Strength Biggest Issue? Strongest Trait: Misbelief: What is their misbelief about the world or themselves?
Behavior Personality: Habits: Ambitions/Short & Long Term Goals: Ambition Short Term Goal(s) Long-Term Goal(s) What are they dissatisfied with in their life? What do they believe will bring them true happiness and contentment? What definitive step could they take to turn their dream into a reality How has their fear kept them from taking this action already? How do they feel they can accomplish their goal while still steering clear of the the thing their afraid of? What do they want? What stands in their way? What happens went hey don’t get it? Greatest Fear(s): Phobias: Biggest Secret(s): Social Skills: Interior Talents:	Background Home: Important History: Family: Friends, Acquaintances, & Colleagues: Finances: Education: Physical Health & Mental Health: Religion: Romantic/Sexual Preference: Interest & Hobbies:
Appearance & Physicality Height Body Type Skin Tone/Ethnicity/Species Hair: Facial Description: Prominent/Distinguishing Features: Dress: Mannerism: Physical Talents:	Speech Normal Tone: Language or Accent: Favorite Phrases:

Filled-Out Example Character Sheet Questionnaire

BADASS PHOTO OF ARYA HERE	Basics Full Name: Arya Stark Nicknames: Arry, No One, Little Wolf Age: 9 (start of story) – 18 (end of series) Occupation: Former noble → assassin-in-training → warrior Current Home: Nomadic; returns to Winterfell Situation: She enters the story as a tomboyish noble girl who rejects traditional gender roles and expectations of being “a lady.” Motivation: Initially, revenge. Ultimately, freedom and self-definition. Favorite Quote/Saying/Thing To Say: “A girl has no name.” Biggest Strength: Resourcefulness and adaptability Biggest Issue: Emotional detachment and suppressed trauma Strongest Trait: Fierce independence Misbelief: To survive, I must become emotionless and alone.
Behavior Personality: Blunt, observant, independent, calculating; guarded but deeply loyal beneath the surface Habits: Sleeps with a weapon, scans every room for exits, rarely speaks unless necessary Ambitions/Short & Long Term Goals: Short-Term: Avenge her family & complete her kill list Long-Term: Discover who she is beyond vengeance & reclaim her identity and purpose beyond violence What are they dissatisfied with in their life? The chaos, injustice, and lack of control she’s endured since childhood What do they believe will bring them true happiness and contentment? Finishing her list—or finding a place where she belongs again What definitive step could they take to turn their dream into a reality? Let go of the list, return home, and reconnect with her remaining family How has their fear kept them from taking this action already? She fears that connection makes her weak, and that letting go means losing her edge How do they feel they can accomplish their goal while still steering clear of the thing they’re afraid of? By staying emotionally distant and telling herself she’s “no one” What do they want? Control, revenge, closure What stands in their way? Her own internal conflict and repressed trauma What happens when they don’t get it? She risks becoming truly hollow, emotionally numb, and disconnected from her humanity Greatest Fear(s): Losing herself completely / not being able to return to who she was Phobias: Powerlessness and being confined Biggest Secret(s): Sometimes she enjoys the kill; she doesn’t know who she is without vengeance Social Skills: Witty when she chooses to be, but often guarded and quiet Interior Talents: High emotional intelligence, strategy, memory for detail	Background Home: Winterfell, House Stark Important History: Saw her father beheaded; witnessed family and allies fall one by one; trained with Faceless Men in Braavos Family: Closest to Jon, deeply affected by her father Ned’s honor; conflicted but loyal to Sansa Friends, Acquaintances, & Colleagues: Gendry, The Hound, Jaqen H’ghar, Lady Crane Finances: Varied—grew up noble but lived as a beggar, a thief, and an assassin Education: Trained in swordsmanship, languages, poisons, stealth, theater, and death Physical Health & Mental Health: Physically agile and strong; mentally resilient but emotionally fractured Religion: Old Gods / a vague belief in justice and death as a force Romantic/Sexual Preference: Hinted attraction to Gendry, but largely emotionally withdrawn and guarded Interests & Hobbies: Swordplay, spying, disguise, stories of warrior women
Appearance & Physicality Height: Short Body Type: Slim, wiry, agile Skin Tone/Ethnicity/Species: Pale skin, Northern Westerosi (white human) Hair: Dark brown, often cropped or hidden Facial Description: Sharp, intense eyes, lean features, a hardened expression Prominent/Distinguishing Features: Stillness, intensity, presence beyond her size Dress: Simple, practical, often in disguise or dark colors Mannerism: Still, quiet; always alert; stares long and hard before speaking Physical Talents: Stealth, agility, swordsmanship, endurance, pain tolerance	Speech Normal Tone: Low, blunt, often cold or dry Language or Accent: Northern accent, flattened from time abroad Favorite Phrases: “Stick them with the pointy end.” / “A girl has no name.”

It's totally okay if you can't fill it out completely at the start! Use what is only most necessary for you and your story. As you discover more of your story, the character will tell you more and more about themself.

Challenge yourself to answer each question in the character’s voice—not yours. You don’t need to include every detail in your story, but knowing these details will add depth and consistency to how your character shows up on the page.

Reflective Prompt: What do you love most about your protagonist—and what scares you about writing them? Take a moment to journal about the emotional connection you have to your character. What parts of you do they reflect? What parts of you do they challenge? Do they force you to face something uncomfortable? That’s usually a sign you’re writing something powerful.

Common Mistakes in Character Creation

One of the most common pitfalls is creating a character who feels too perfect, too passive, or too plot-serving. Too Mary Sue. Characters without flaws, contradictions, or personal stakes often fall flat—even if they’re doing exciting things. Another mistake is confusing backstory for depth; dumping facts isn’t the same as showing emotional truth. Great characters aren’t built on aesthetics or archetypes alone—they’re shaped by inner conflict, active choices, and the consequences of who they are.

1. The Character Exists to Serve the Plot

• The Problem: Your character only reacts to external events without clear internal motivations.

• Avoid It: Build the character first—what they want, fear, and believe.

• Fix It: Rework scenes so their choices drive events, even when they fail or backfire.

2. Too Perfect, Too Passive, or Too Flat

• The Problem: The character lacks flaws, contradictions, or emotional texture.

• Avoid It: Start with a wound or fear, not just goals and traits.

• Fix It: Add a contradiction—something they do that undermines what they say or believe.

3. Backstory Overload

• The Problem: You’re dumping backstory in the first chapter—or relying on it for emotional depth.

• Avoid It: Know the backstory, but reveal it slowly through character choices and emotional moments.

• Fix It: Use dialogue, symbolism, or subtle flashbacks to reveal only what’s emotionally relevant in the moment.

4. Voice Doesn’t Match Personality

• The Problem: Every character sounds the same—or doesn’t sound like the person you’ve described.

• Avoid It: Think about education level, emotional tone, and worldview when writing dialogue.

• Fix It: Read dialogue aloud. Does it sound like them? Adjust rhythm, vocabulary, and silence as needed.

5. Static or Rushed Arc

• The Problem: Your character changes too quickly—or not at all.

• Avoid It: Character change should be earned through struggle, resistance, and turning points.

• Fix It: Identify 3–4 emotional milestones in the arc. Rewrite scenes to build naturally toward them.

6. No Emotional Stakes

• The Problem: We know what they’re doing, but not why it matters to them.

• Avoid It: Link external goals to internal needs, fears, or memories.

• Fix It: Ask: What emotional risk are they taking in this scene? Add pressure, doubt, or vulnerability.

Further Reading & Writing Resources

Want to dive deeper? These resources expand on today’s lesson and help you apply what you’ve learned:

• What Your Character Thinks They Want vs. What They Actually Need – Dive deeper into the emotional tension between desire and need. This post unpacks how this dynamic drives character arcs and adds weight to internal conflict.

• Mastering Dialogue In 3 Easy Steps – Learn how to make your characters sound real, distinct, and emotionally alive. This guide breaks down voice, subtext, and rhythm with actionable tips.

• POV 101: Understanding Narrative Perspectives in Storytelling – Explore how different points of view shape storytelling—and how choosing the right POV can enhance character depth and emotional connection.

Writing Exercise & Homework

You've just built the foundation of your protagonist—now it's time to bring them to life. Using the character you've created with the questionnaire, write a scene (500–1000 words) that introduces them in a way that reveals their personality, flaws, and inner conflict without telling the reader directly. Focus on voice, physical presence, and how they interact with the world.

Bonus: Include a moment of internal contradiction—a choice they make that goes against what they say they believe.

Concluding Thoughts

Creating a compelling protagonist is more than filling out traits or backstory—it's about shaping a living, breathing lens through which your story is told. When your character has contradictions, agency, and emotional truth, everything else in your story has the chance to resonate more deeply. Give them depth, challenge them, and let them surprise you. That’s where the magic is.

Next Steps

In the next lesson, we’ll explore The Psychology of Character—what drives your protagonist, what wounds they carry, and how understanding psychology deepens character arcs and emotional payoff.

Carpe scripturam!

—Bair✍︎

🔜 Next Up: Lesson V – The Psychology of Character: How To Write Believable Characters

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