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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/25316
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/25316
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I'm a plotter. I develop and plan my novels and characters well before I write them. When it comes to character development, I make sure that my characters (or at least the central ones) are people that the reader wants to read about. I make them people the reader will find interesting, and will cheer on past the end of the book. I achieve this by giving them details (certain traits, detailed and central inner conflicts, etc.).

I recently read an excerpt of a novel. The excerpt had a profound sense of character. The character felt like a real person, even though I was reading an excerpt and knew nothing about that character. The emotions, thoughts, and actions all just felt _authentic_. I can't really say why. That's why I'm asking this question.

I believe this is referred to as a **sense of character** : that undefinable _something_ which just makes characters seem real. I'm not always missing this sense of character in my novels. Not by a long shot. Sometimes a character falls flat though, and I'd like to know what I can do about it.

**How do I create a sense of character?** Being a plotter, I'd obviously prefer a formula, a process that I can follow. I realize this might not be the case however.

_Note: This question can easily be subjective, so please do not answer with just the opinion of one person. That method might not (and probably will not) work for everyone. I'd like methods that work for a wide variety of people._

Original score: 3