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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/41216
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/41216
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

It's difficult to answer this definitively since there's information you've been unable to share thus far.

So for more of a general "how to approach answering this for yourself" answer - I tend to apply a rule of thumb that properly interesting characters for a story are ones that you should be able to describe in no more than a couple of paragraphs discussing them as a person and stating the premise of their place in the story **without** plot spoilers. If you can read that back (or better yet have someone of your story's intended demographic do it) and think "that sounds like something I'd be interested in seeing that character in that situation play out" then you're doing okay!

For some examples from existing characters/stories:

> Agent Dana Scully is a no-nonsense FBI agent with a background in science and medicine and a rising star in the Bureau. Assigned to partner the unconventional and conspiracy-theorist Agent Mulder she is tasked with debunking his theories and investigations into cases that have a decidedly paranormal-seeming look.

As per Amadeus' (excellent) answer this immediately sets up the "crucible" for Scully (she's been _ordered_ to work alongside Mulder), obvious routes for "conflict" (putting a skeptic and a "believer" together in a situation with ambiguous paranormal aspects - you _know_ they are going to argue)

> Shaun is an exceptionally ordinary underachiever. Unsuccessful in his career - he can't even get the shop workers at his job to listen to him, his relationships - his long suffering girlfriend has just dumped him, and dysfunctional with his family - he still can't accept his new step dad. He's unable to navigate the basics of everyday life and unable to think beyond his routine of video games with his housemate and going to his local pub. Shaun is not exactly Mr Maximum Effort - but he must step up when a zombie apocalypse strikes and everyone he loves is endangered.

So here you've got someone who on the face of it is not that interesting. They aren't successful, they have no notable skills or abilities, they are an every-man. However you put that every-man into a decidedly unusual circumstance that they can't walk away from (you can't just elect _not_ to take part in a zombie apocalypse!) and you've got your crucible. You've got plenty of conflict lined up - an ex-girlfriend, a resented step-parent and Shaun vs. his own tendency to give up.

Let's try the same thing with your characters..

> Podia. Her father is Japanese whilst her mother is English. She can speak both languages fluently but struggles with written English. A zombie apocalypse begins while she is in town.

Well, you've got a crucible(ish) - as in my above _Shaun of the Dead_ example she can't just opt-out of that. But what is it about Podia that makes it particularly interesting to see _her_ go through this experience? How does her mixed heritage relate? With the information we have that's little more than an aesthetic choice, you can see there's perhaps a slight challenge for her to overcome in the event that it becomes important to read or write some English I suppose, but it would be awfully contrived to sustain a whole story on that. For putative MC there's not a lot to work with there, Podia seems by far the least interesting of the bunch.

> Stacy. She was born in Brazil but she grew up in the UK. She's got a "wicked death-glare!" (Quote from Jackson) and tends to speak her mind without caring about others opinions. She had to take anger management as a kid because her 'free speaking' got her into a lot of fights, mainly with Felix. She doesn't abbreviate words when she speaks. She knew Felix before everything and had heard of Podia and Jackson.

Ok, this gives us a bit more to go on. She's prone to speaking her mind, even when it might get her into trouble (some good potential for conflict there), and her pre-existing history with another of the characters gives her not only a reason to be with the group but also some more potential for conflict. Doesn't abbreviate when she talks? Marks her as unusual, gives options for conflict as it might irritate other characters - allowing stress to be projected/transferred onto something, careful though as it may end up being irritating to the reader. Brazilian? Since she grew up in the UK that's purely an aesthetic choice and has zero bearing on how she might navigate the story vs someone who was born in Basingstoke.

> Felix. Felix was born in Canada with one Russian parent whom he tries to forget. They essentially forced him into learning Russian (which isn't important to the story but it's fun to add details). He "swears like a sailor" (Also from Jackson), and tends to pick on/bully those he deems weaker than him. He knew Jackson and Stacy (as well as knew about Podia) before the story.

The Russian background and language is a fun little fleshing out of the details - although unless you plan on using it as a Chekov's Skill it's not a detail that means overly much. He swears a lot - a good way of giving him his own "voice" and differentiating him a bit in the group. You can also use it to show reactions to exceptional circumstances - by having something shock/surprise him so much that he _doesn't_ swear! (Robert Jordan used something similar with one his minor Wheel of Time characters - but it's worth noting that the character gets very, very hard work to read at points because the cursing is taken so far that for them to deliver about 3 words of plot advancing info takes 15 or 20 words!). Tendency to bully has some potential for conflict and growth - does he try and take charge? do the extreme circumstances force him to reassess his preconceptions of people he had previously labelled as "weak" in a new light? There's some questions I'd be interested in seeing play out during the story.

> Jackson. The poor lad had a troubled childhood and eventually moved to the UK, the main setting of the story, which is where he met Felix and followed him like a lost puppy. He's pretty artsy and has a 'detective' mindset. He knew Felix and had heard of Podia before the story.

The second weakest after Podia IMHO - "troubled childhood" - YAWN. Him and every other cliched teen character ever. Loyalty to Felix is interesting though - it can set him up for a part in group dynamics in conflicts that Felix may ignite. Pretty artsy? No bearing on the situation, I can't say I've ever wondered how an artsy-type would fare in a zombie apocalypse. "Detective" mindset sets up some minor potential for conflict - such as having his deductions go contrary to Felix's more bullish opinions.

Original score: 4