Creating Compelling Characters That Readers Will Remember

Creating vivid, memorable characters is at the heart of every great novel. Readers are drawn to characters who feel real, whose struggles and triumphs resonate on a deep level. But how do you craft characters with such depth? How do you ensure that your characters are not just placeholders for your plot, but living, breathing entities that can drive your story forward? In this guide, we'll explore various strategies to help you create complex, multi-dimensional characters readers will not soon forget.

Understanding Character Development

In crafting a good character, it’s important to first understand the basics of character development. A well-developed character typically has:

1. A Backstory: This includes their history, experiences, and the events that shaped who they are. A character’s backstory isn’t just a collection of facts—it’s the foundation of their motivations and personality.

2. Personality Traits: These define how your character thinks, feels, and behaves. Personality traits should be consistent, but they should also allow for growth and change over the course of the story.

   1. Using personality tools and profiles can help you build a complex yet realistic character. For example, combining the foundation of cognitive functions proposed by Carl Jung and further developed in the MBTI with the core motivators and fears of the Enneagram can make a character idea more concrete and detailed.

   2. Once you have a concrete character, however, do not rely solely on stereotypes. While some stereotypes can provide comedic or intriguing details, moments when your character deviates from the expectation will be far more memorable and compelling. Balance is key.

3. Motivations: What does your character want? What drives them? Understanding your character’s desires and fears is crucial for creating a narrative that feels authentic and engaging. Even your most unimportant side characters need to have reasons behind how they act.

4. Flaws and Strengths: No character should be perfect. Their flaws make them relatable, while their strengths allow them to overcome challenges. Again, balance is key here—your character’s strengths should be just as compelling and original as their weaknesses.

5. Relationships: How your character interacts with others can reveal a lot about who they are. Relationships—whether familial, romantic, or platonic—add layers to your character and create opportunities for conflict and growth.

Crafting a Cohesive Character

Now that you have a foundation for your character’s personality and motivations, here’s how you can create a cohesive, multi-dimensional character:

1. Start with a Core Idea: Begin with a basic concept of who your character is. Are they a reserved and reclusive artist? A driven, competitive lawyer ? You can use tools like the MBTI and the Enneagram as a starting point. For example, perhaps you want to write a story about a kind, loyal defender (ISFJ; Type 6) who likes to garden.

2. Add Originality: Figure out what quirks and unexpected traits can add originality and depth to your character. Maybe your reclusive artist has a daredevil side and a hidden talent for public speaking. Or perhaps your competitive lawyer can’t take anything seriously and fills courtrooms with jokes. Don’t just write a story about an ISFJ gardener who gardens. Write a story about an ISFJ serial killer with a guilty conscience and a green thumb.

3. Develop Their Backstory: Once your character idea is solid, flesh out your character’s history. What events led them to become the person they are with the quirks they have? How have their fears, experiences, and motivations shaped their life choices? Perhaps our serial killer/gardener (let’s call her Jane) has always struggled with compassion and empathy but vividly remembers a kind, parental figure from her past who taught her how to care for plants.

4. Plan Their Arc: Consider how your character will change over the course of the story. Will they overcome a flaw or fear, such as an Enneagram Type 3 learning that there’s more to life than external validation and accomplishments? How will their traits and behaviors evolve in response to the challenges they face? Maybe Jane’s guilty conscience continues to bother her, motivating her to change her ways, but she finds it difficult because of police attempts to apprehend her.

5. Create Relationships: Think about how your character interacts with others. How does their personality affect their relationships? For example, an executive challenger (ESTJ; Type 8) might struggle with intimacy, but over time, they might learn to open up and trust others. Jane may find someone who reminds her of her parental figure, giving her the strength and support to turn herself in to the police.

6. Test Their Limits: Put your character in situations that challenge their core beliefs and fears. This will create tension and growth, making them more dynamic and interesting to readers. Perhaps Jane’s new friend goes missing, testing her new resolve to be a better person on her own.

Conclusion

Developing strong characters is a complex process, but it’s also one of the most rewarding aspects of writing a novel. By combining tools like the MBTI and the Enneagram with a deep understanding of your character’s backstory, motivations, and relationships, you can create characters that are not only believable but unforgettable. As you write, remember that your characters are the heart of your story—treat them with the care and attention they deserve, and your readers will be sure to follow them wherever they go.