It’s no secret that realistic characters bring life and realism to a story and make it unforgettable. A realistic character is a character who’s complex and multifaceted. Readers connect with them because they feel like real people. But if you, the writer, don’t treat your characters like real people, you better believe they’re not going to feel like real people to your readers.
There are several different methods writers use to develop their characters into more life-like people. One great way is to make the characters do something. Put them in different scenarios and then write mini stories about them outside the context of your larger story. Seeing how your characters act in different scenarios shows you who they are as people.
This was my motivation behind making the Random Scenario Generators. On the surface, the scenarios seem mundane but any scenario you can put your character in can be a treasure trove of information. (Plus, it’s just a fun challenge to try and create something epic out of something mundane.)
Let’s look at an example
I’ll use the Single Character Scenario Generator for this example. And I’ll be exploring a character my sister and I created named Corey.
Scenario prompt:
Corey goes to a sporting event.
Alright, like I said before, it’s pretty mundane at first glance. But let’s dive a little deeper and ask ourselves some questions.
Does Corey want to be at the sporting event?
No.
What sporting event did Corey go to?
A basketball game
Did Corey go with other people?
Yes, his friend Tukker.
What are his feelings once he gets to the sporting event?
Dislikes it
With these questions answered, I have a pretty good idea about what to write. So, I write an incredibly short story. Like 100-200 words short.
The mini story:
Corey has never been to a basketball game in his life. He’s never even watched one on TV. Hell, he’s not even sure what basketball is. But he knows Tukker must have been desperate if he was asking him to go, so he says yes. He knows he’s going to regret it.
When they get to the game — dressed in his leather jacket, faded blue jeans and beat up sneakers — he sticks out like a sore thumb among the team apparel clad crowd. But he barely notices the funny looks everyone gives him. Tukker clearly enjoys himself. But Corey doesn’t have much fun, and wouldn’t go again on his own, but if Tukker asked him again, he’d probably say yes.
What did we learn about the character?
When I’m done writing, I take a look at what this story is showing me. Here’s what I’ve learned about Corey:
He’s judgmental: evident in the fact that he’s never seen a basketball game but still dislikes it
He’s a pessimist: assuming he’s going to hate the game before he even gets there
Isn’t afraid to be different: not noticing/not caring about the weird looks he gets
He’ll do anything for his friends: he went to the game for the benefit of his friend and would do it again even if he didn’t really like it.
Why this method is great
These mini stories can be written in either the past or present for your character. Writing them in the past can create a memory bank for your characters. All of our experiences as humans help determine how we act in the present. So, when you’re writing a particular scene it’s much easier when your characters have real memories to draw from.
It’s also just plain fun. Creating round characters can be a daunting task. But by doing what all writers do best, tell stories, it takes the difficulty out of it.
Now it’s your turn
Hop over to the Single Character Scenario Generator and try this out for yourself. Feel free to share the results in the comments or tag @52Prompts on social media.
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