Character Personality Tip Swap!

[GodlyFantasy12]

I know…the title is a bit of a mouth full. Let’s just call it CPTS lol.

So this was an idea I had while watching YouTube today. I know I’m not the only one, but I struggle with sometimes making different voices and feeling like my characters are really shining and easy to connect with.

Being a character oriented person I know that’s odd, but although I can see and feel in my mind, getting it down is another thing entirely.

SO……

I came up with this-The Character Personality Tip Swap!

Let me explain:

Most characters fall into certain categories, or more then one. You have your shy characters, your bold characters, your cocky characters, etc. so I had the idea that why not write a little logline about each MC or a character you’re struggling to “bring to life”.

In the logline (or paragraph lol), include little tidbits about them. Their personalities and feelings, and what you want to convey and/or are struggling to convey.

While some may struggle with a certain type of character, there are those who might thrive with that personality, which makes it perfect to ask those people for help!

Not only does this help us develop our characters more, but it gives us a chance to share more about what we love about them, and maybe even connect with them, and with those giving us the tips more!

For instance, sometimes it’s easier for me to talk about the characters then to actually write it in book form, ya know? So I may can help others and they help me.

I hope this doesn’t sound confusing lol!! I’ll give an example below!

#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSeb

[GodlyFantasy12]

I will start.

3 of my MC’s-

Arabella-Protagonist: So in my mind, I can see her clearly. She’s a bit of a quiet, but mature girl. She struggles with anxiety and lacks confidence in herself, and an incident in her past fuels her misbeliefs about herself. She doesn’t feel up to task to fulfill what she’s destined to, and honestly doesn’t want to go at all because it means leaving everyone and everything she’s ever known (except her best friend) behind.

 

November-Sidekick, sorta lol: November is a bit of an awkward but overall fun and adorable kinda guy. He has a very infectious personality and secretly has a crush on Arabella, his best friend. He’s chosen to go with her on her journey and has never questioned it, until the time came to leave. He then realized what it really meant to leave his family and home. More then that, however, November is very protective of Ara (although it doesn’t fully show in the first book). He believes he’s actually not courageous and wonders if he can truly protect her (which he can and he is brave)

 

So I’m struggling some with these 2. Writing them out like this makes it seem like I’ve got everything I need, but I’m still finding it hard to convey all of these emotions and traits through action, instead of narration.

So showing instead of telling lol.

Any tips? (And now, u can post about ur characters if u want/need tips!)

#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSeb

[Issabelle Perry]

@godlyfantasy12
Oooooh, this sounds AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Genie – main female lead: Genie’s got this really fun personality. She’s unique and bold and always that girl who’s gonna be herself. She’s fierce at times and doesn’t back down when things get tough. Perseverance, might be what I’m looking for. She also is a girly-girl, pink, frills, etc. you name it. But don’t underestimate her. She’s someone who acts like she has it all together but really she’s mostly confused about what she should or shouldn’t do. Which side she’s supposed to be on. (Does that make sense?) Even though she’s supposed to be a leader, she doesn’t know much of what she’s doing. Sometimes she’d rather let someone else take over the story. (Okay, I feel like I’m making absolutely no sense.)

Also godlyfantasy12, I have the EXACT SAME PROBLEM with writing characters, so if anyone has any tips, I could use some of them too!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God gives His hardest battles to His strongest soldiers.
TeenWritersNook.com

[GodlyFantasy12]

@issawriter7

Ooh! Okay, so it looks like you’ve got what I’m gonna call a Conflicted character. My Villain in my series is also a very conflicted character herself.

So here are my tips, feel free to use them or ignore them lol.

1. Sometimes there are different kinds of bold. Being cocky, and just being courageous. Depending on which you’re going for will help determine more about how she should act and think.

If it’s on the cocky side, then you can have her act very brash and speak her mind (but as with most cocky people, inside she’s not entirely sure of herself)

If it’s the moire courageous route, then maybe she takes charge of situations, conversations, or is willing to protect others (again, while she does this on the outside she can have no idea what to do on the inside) and really, true courage is being afraid and doing it anyway!

 

2. A few things in the Girly girl side. That does NOT mean she has to be preppy or stuck up, nor does she have to OBSESS over things like unicorns or bubblegum (although if she wants to that’s fine too!!) know that there are always extremes to characters. So is she the extreme in this case? Or no? That’s one thing to figure out with her.

For instance, if she isn’t extreme, then you don’t have to obsess over her love of frills and pink, just show it. Have her wear frilly outfits, but she doesn’t have to like twirl around or squeal. She can be sophisticated and mature but also be a girl!

And again, if you’re going for the overly obsessive route, then you do that! But if not, know that she can definitely be a girly girl and still be bold and fierce! Mention little things that give the readers clues that she likes certain things. Maybe she loves things that are the color pink, so her attention is often drawn to those kinds of things, and she wears accessories, and even comments on her own and others’ clothing but doesn’t make a huge deal about it.

It’s really easy to go overboard with characters like this, so that’s just some advice 😊

 

As for her internal conflict, have her be conflicted like I mentioned before. That is what makes a character relatable! We all have that part of ourselves that takes control and puts ourselves at risk, but we also have those sides of ourselves that wish to remain in the background and let others take control. Neither feeling is wrong per say, it just depends on which one you let rule!

So depending on how u want her, u decide which side of her rules the most. In the end, I think she needs to discover a balance between the two. She can be a leader, but also know that it’s okay to have others lead once in a while.

I hope this helps!!

#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSeb

[Scoutillus Finch]

@godlyfantasy12

It IS hard to convey this sort of thing for me, too. Maybe for Ara you can show her dragging her feet about the quest, maybe even trying not to think about it? It depends on how she is wont to avoid difficulties.

Perhaps November showcases his doubts by being excessively reckless and keeps on getting into scrapes in his over-the-top attempts to show he’s not a coward and trying to prove to himself that he can protect Ara?

 

Now, for my own characters:

Fabian is a timid intellectual whose brain has been inserted into the body of a giant anthropomorphic lizard/alligator. He is very moral and wants to work to change immoral society (it’s very similar to the ancient romans) but feels incapable with his frightening new body and afraid of sharing the vital information that he was unearthing — information that nearly got him killed and that threatens the way his world views reality and his very government. However, in the story I am seriously considering killing him off and leaving other characters to figure out what he was on the brink of finding out.

Tammy is a young girl (somewhere between 12-15) that was forced to become a cyborg-gladiator when her parents couldn’t afford to get her the medical attention she needed after an accident in the factory she worked in as a mechanic (crawling into giant moving parts of machines is not a good idea). Obviously, it’s realistic if she’s somewhat traumatized and Jade, (my protagonist) takes pity on her and begins protecting her and caring for her as if she was his younger sister. Any suggestions for showing that the relationship is NOT romantic (Jade’s like, around 29, so it’d be weird if he liked a fifteen-year-old)?

We crazy people are the normal ones.

[GodlyFantasy12]

@scoutfinch180

Oooh very interesting!!

So for Fabian, if you’re going to kill him off, make sure it has meaning and reason, so as not to make your reader feel cheated. Sounds like he has quite a bit of internal conflict going on. Basically, what I took from that, is he’s a hero who looks and feels like a monster, and because of that believes he can’t truly help or tell others what he’s discovered. Does he have a POV? If so, especially make sure killing him off has a reason. Perhaps he sacrifices himself or something like that. If he’s not a POV character you don’t have to worry quite as much, but still put thought into it.

(Question, is Jade a “villain” I didn’t finish all of your short story, so I may be a bit confused lol)

 

For Jade and Tammy, it’s super simple. Make them like they’re siblings. It should be a bit easier due to the age difference. Have them quarrel like siblings, make up like siblings, talk like siblings, etc. He can show her affection in an entirely different way then romantic. Make her like family to him.

 

I have a project in mind about a character who takes care of a young boy, and so they’re like siblings even tho they aren’t really related. In her case, she doesn’t know how to live without him, that’s how fiercely she loves him.

If anything, Jade’s love for her might end up being stronger if he feels like she’s family to him.(Especially depending on his familial situation)

#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSeb

[Issabelle Perry]

@godlyfantasy12
Ooooh, YES!!!!!! Those were really awesome tips!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God gives His hardest battles to His strongest soldiers.
TeenWritersNook.com

[Alexa Autorski]

Ah, this is a remarkable idea, so I’ll jump in and tell you about some of my characters! I completely understand with struggling to write down characters fully, so I think this is a wonderful way to express them! Okay, so I’m not very good at writing character summaries, so fingers crossed!

Newton Rowne (third main character?) : Newton is a villain in the beginning of the book. He’s been a child soldier for seven years, which has made him cold-hearted and gruff. When he’s fourteen, he escapes from the villains and leaves his old life behind, becoming a scavenger before meeting my MC. But when Newton begins to reform himself, he’s actually kind-hearted and sincere. And because Newton has a speech defect (he has a stutter), he’s insecure and has a tendency to feel self-conscious. Being a child soldier, he never learned how to love, and was scared to. But after his redemption, he learns how to love and how to be happy, by owning his mistakes and being a new person. Newton is one of my favorite characters in this book because of his huge character arc and how much he redeems himself, going from being a cold-hearted scavenger to being a kind, goofy sidekick/love interest for my main character.

Caira Watson (protagonist) : Caira isn’t the heroine you’d think would save the world. She’s been in ice for the last 1,000 years because of a prophecy, and she loses her memory. Caira is very quiet and introverted, and loves to read books in her free time. She’s also very clumsy and doesn’t really know what she’s doing half of the time, and she’s super shy. She’s very protective over the people she loves (like her twin brother, Deek) and she can be brave when she needs to be. Caira is the “Chosen One” because she’s one of the only people left who possess special powers. For this reason, Caira’s official title is “The Prodigy.” Caira is personally my favorite character because she’s extremely relatable to myself. I wanted to portray her as being the story’s heroine with cool powers, but also as a normal teenage girl. Also, because she’s been asleep for one thousand years, it takes her a while to adjust to modern life, which can be pretty humorous 😀

[Anonymous]

@godlyfantasy12 @issawriter17 @scoutfinch180

So, I have done extensive studies on character behaviorisms. In fact, I graduated from WPU (Writer’s Psychological University) in 2019 with a doctorates in First-Person POV and a masters in Conflicted Character Behavior. 😆

What I mean is, I can help.

Before you can even define a character’s personality, you must define their voice.

For example, I stereotyped my heroine Rina as a strong, fierce, coldblooded female pirate. However, her personality didn’t come forth until I got to know her, hear her. One’s voice says a lot about a person–book characters included. She could never make up her mind, she was always overreacting, and the conflict? Through the roof! All of this came about when I picked a font and started writing. I wrote one chapter from her POV that basically ran through the important parts of her backstory and introduced all of her friends (aka, her crew members) in the way she saw them. Here is the chapter if anyone would like to read it: Held Captive Chapter 1

That’s when I got past the stereotype of being tough and realized that so many little nuances–the way she describes things, her views on certain things, how she reacts to some thing more than others–is what defines her personality.

If you read the chapter, you’ll find that (1) she’s greedy. She so hyped up about capturing the ship and getting men for her crew that she’ll do whatever she can. Even though she’s a born-again Christian now, I can still see some of that greed in her eyes. (2) She likes to mess with people. Like “teasing” Billy with the threat of being killed, she still likes to toy with people and annoy them. Sometimes it’s comical. Others it’s more like “Come on, Rina. Be mature.” 😉 (3) She doesn’t take other people’s crap. Keaton and Elliot drive her nuts–and she’s always trying to fix them (however, she has yet to do so.) (4) Why she’s trying to fix people all the time? Because, deep down, beneath a crusty exterior, she really love them and she’s extremely loyal. All she really wants is a friend, even though she won’t admit it. She’ll keep those friends she does have at arm’s length to keep from losing them. (5) She’s afraid.

All I had to do was pants one scene (or chapter), and all of this was made clear to me. Whether or not you’d ever include it in the actual book, I recommend writing one chapter or scene, just going through all the events and people your main character has in their life. You’ll have a foundation on your backstory and secondary characters too.

Now, I have a voice for Rina. I find that choosing a font that reflects their personality to write in makes that so much easier. For Rina, I use Book Antiqua, because it’s got that beautiful, antique look to it without being difficult to read. Like Rina–unconventional and beautiful, but still practical.

That may not work for everyone, however. It’s all trial and error, guys. I’ve watched Rina’s voice and personality grow so much in the last two years (and three books).

As for Conflicted Characters? Well, it’s conflict. I’m currently working with two of the most conflicted characters ever, and I’ve still not gotten a handle on things. They have been so hypocritical and are basically two walking oxymorons. I think the biggest thing for me is that I’m conflicted with them. Not only is their conflict due to their personality–it’s also due to their views. And, of course, that’s what personality stems from. Their views are skewed, and I myself am not certain of the correct alignment. I’m bringing up a lot of controversy with this book (and these two characters) that is philosophical, theological, and cultural–and driving me crazy. So I’ve been getting just as much revelation as they have. I’m coming to realization with them.

That’s the best way to write conflicted characters. Be conflicted with them. If their personality is similar to yours, focus on those things you don’t know or understand either. Same goes for views. If their struggling with something you don’t have the answer to, ask questions with them. You’ll be surprised at what you learn.

Now, as for the loglines.

Rina Bennet (main character and one of five POVs): Rina is no doubt a very unconventional young lady. She’s a tough-as-nails pirate-turned-privateer captain. And she’s also a mother. In this book, she’s saddled with two toddlers and a ship full of idiots–not to mention her husband is on a mission of his own, leaving her to handle everyone’s junk. She’s an asymmetric balance of indecisiveness, anxious oblivion, and determination. Everything solid and constant about her is flipped around when her old self–the greedy, heartless pirate–comes to haunt the caring mother she’s become.

Keaton Clarke (hero and one of five POVs): Keaton is the epitome of conflict. “At times, he’s the most definable, vivid, and pragmatic sort of person, running as smoothly as the gears of a clock. Then others, he is a dark, distant, smoldering man with a depth far beyond his years. Sometimes, he has the attitude of a child—fantastical, whimsical, hopeful, creative. Dreaming. Then night falls along with his nightmares, and all else drifts away.” After losing his entire family at sixteen, he’s stuck in limbo between the depressed man he is now and the curious, loving boy he used to be.

Daisy Sharow (heroine and one of five POVs): Daisy is no simple equation. After losing her father and family farm, she and her sister were left to the streets–and, eventually, to the slave trade. Daisy sacrificed herself to spare her sister, and now she’s torn between the thread of faith she’s barely holding onto and the loud roar of the life she’s fallen into. She is in all ways too selfless, oblivious to her own needs, and focused only on one thing: her sister. Might sound like a good way to be, but when she’s separated from her sister, everything falls apart. She can’t control her emotions or her loneliness, which leaves her feeling more empty than ever before.

 

This was probably too long of a post, but I hope something I’ve said helps! 🙂

[GodlyFantasy12]

@gracie-j

Wow thanks so much for the incredible advice!! Love it!! And ur characters are sooo well built! Wow!!

 

@writerlexi1216

What are u wanting help on? Or are I wanting help at all lol

#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSeb

[Alexa Autorski]

@godlyfantasy12

*cue nervous laugh

I probably didn’t make that clear enough, did I? Yeah, I’ve got some struggles…

First off, it’s hard for me to write my characters without it feeling like they’re all somewhat similar. Like, it’s hard to give them their own distinctions sometimes (perhaps it’s because each of my characters are so different from each other? It can be difficult to write about a character who is so vastly different than myself).

And secondly, as I already mentioned, Caira is usually quiet and shy, but on the other hand, sometimes I envision her with more of a strong personality. The same goes for Newton, too—I feel like I’m trying to give him too many personalities (gruff and cold, but also sweet and gentle).

I’m probably the only one who has this problem, but alas, this is one of my many writing struggles (it’s more of a problem with the two characters I highlighted; the others aren’t as bad). It can be hard, at times, to not fill your characters with too many traits. I love my characters, but maybe I need to focus on not “overloading” their personalities… I notice that bad habit frequently…

[Issabelle Perry]

@gracie-j
Oooh, these were some AWESOMELY AMAZING TIPS!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I TOTALLY agree about the character voice!!! I used to not realize the importance of it, until recently. It’s been one of the areas I’ve mainly focusing on improving these past few months, so this was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <33

God gives His hardest battles to His strongest soldiers.
TeenWritersNook.com

[Anonymous]

@writerlexi1216 Maybe I can help…

#1 For your first issue, the best distinction is voice. What is voice? you may ask. Well, it’s not the way your character talks–it’s how you write them. For example, when they’re watching the sunset, what do they see? Beautiful hues of color, a glorious painting across the sky? They’re visual and poetic, whimsical and full of life. Do they see the ending of one day? They’re melancholic and thoughtful. The beginning of a new day? Philosophical and hopeful. Do they just see a giant star? Well, then they’re no-nonsense and tough.

One way to help you get a good foundation in voice is to give the character one or two key phrases (could be an exclamation like “What in the great googly moogly?” or an adjective they apply to everyone/everything). Or give them something they focus on more than others. For example, some people immediately look to another person’s eyes. Others to their mouth. Me, I all but study people’s noses.

You’ve describe Caira as quiet and shy, so here’s how I would apply these three things to her. (1) She sees the beginning of the new day when the sun sets (so maybe she draws her strength from her hope for the future), (2) she doesn’t exclaim very often, but when she does, it’s usually the same soft-spoken word (maybe wow or my goodness), and (3) you said she doesn’t know what’s she’s doing half the time, so maybe she gets distracted (or nervous) when encountering new people and watches their mouths to keep from getting off track and having to make eye contact.

Make sense? Then you go and apply these three things to your other characters in different ways (so, to differentiate, Newton probably just sees the sun setting like always, always says darned, and is focused on people’s eyes to gauge their thoughts).

#2 I know exactly how you feel about this one! My character Keaton is both cold and emotionless and so cute and sweet! (He’d probably kill me if he knew I’d called him cute…). The trick is to find out what triggers that other part of their personality. If they appear one way on the outside, something’s got to make them feel the other way (i.e., strong or gentle) on the inside. So maybe thinking of or being around her twin brother makes Caira suddenly feel strong, giving her an almost reckless courage to face any villain or situation. In her POV, blur her thoughts until she’s only thinking about what must be done to protect her brother so that we see just how deep her love and loyalty is for him. Make sense? In Newton’s case (I already love him, btw!), whenever he’s around Caira (maybe when she’s being exceptionally shy or she’s crying or something) he can let his guard down and maybe talk to her, comfort her, wipe away her tears. Give him something in his backstory to make him soft in that manner. Maybe he had a sister or best friend he lost.

I’ll use my Keaton as an example. Keat lost his younger sister when he was fifteen (long story…), but losing his parents afterward really hardened him. When he’s in a dangerous situation or around his friends (the tough pirate guy ones, not Rina), he’s all stone cold, quiet, emotionless. All brooding and “I don’t care.” But when he’s around his little sister’s best friend? He melts. Suddenly he’s fifteen again and his sister and her friend Daisy are playing, falling down and skinning their little bony knees. He wants to protect and love Daisy, just like he failed to do with his sister. See what I mean?

#3 As for overloading their personalities, I feel ya. You’re not the only one who’s had these problems at all! My suggestion would be to not try and figure out everything about your characters. Get the basics straight, then let the rest slowly unfold throughout the story. You can go back and rewrite parts you need to, where the voice or personality isn’t as strong as it should be, but feel your way through first.

Anyway, I know you didn’t ask for all of my overwhelming ranting, but I hope this helps somehow!

[Anonymous]

@godlyfantasy12 Thank you so much, girl! I’m glad I could be of service!

[GodlyFantasy12]

@writerlexi1216

So, as for the first thing, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Those two characters do seem pretty different, and you can fix/refine things in later drafts (unless you’re in later drafts so maybe get some beta readers to help you know if characters are too similar or don’t have distinct voices)

As for the other issue…

Tip 1: Perhaps Newton needs to gradually become more open and sweet. I do love how you put it as his present self is fighting with his past self. That’s a really great way to put it. That needs to be his true inner conflict, along with any guilt/past abuse he’s endured. Perhaps he wishes to open up, and be that side of himself, but it takes him a while, and maybe it only comes out in random spurts, as if he’s trying to contain it but can’t. And maybe Caira brings it out of him more.

As for Caira, same thing. Make it a gradual transition. Inner conflict is needed, and it seems to me that some of what you imagine for their personality is something they need to grow to thru their inner conflict.

 

Example: Caira is shy, a wallflower, quiet and unsure of herself. She’s awkward and clumsy, and doesn’t have a clue about this new world.

Newton is a war weary young man whose still trying to recover from a past filled with pain, and reunite with his old self.

They compliment each other! Newton’s gruff nature helps Caira overcome her shyness and be bold, while her fun outlook on life helps revert Newton back to his young self. Understand? Use these personalities as their inner conflict, and let the new personalities come gradually.

Hope that helps!!

#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSeb

[Author]

Posts