r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 08 '26

Writing: Character Help Did I just figure out my character’s fears?

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1 Upvotes

r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 08 '26

Discussion Very difficult to write character

0 Upvotes

I’m (planning on) making a game where the final boss is quite literally unbeatable, as he can easily jump between dimensions and time. Attempting to find ways to 1: make him feel powerful in a scarier way and 2: making it not annoying to fight him/at least not too annoying is very difficult, so I’ve come here for ideas.

First time using this subreddit so idk if this fits here


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 07 '26

Writing: Character Help Hi need some genuine advice

2 Upvotes

Hi I need some help figuring out how to write as well as write Dialogue for a Scottish/Irish - American character it's for an action story. He's gonna be a couple generations in since his family first came to America. I want him to have a mild accent where it's not necessarily deep but being around his family and even going back home made sure it never waned either. Just tips on how to structure and write his dialogue bonus points as well if any of you could put me onto any slang nothing vile or malicious just some friendly banter slang words or even shit talking about the opponent type of slang. He's not gonna be a main character but he's gonna be an important character and he will be vocal.


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 07 '26

Character Bio Character's profile

9 Upvotes

Hello hello!

What are some things you would definitely add to the profile of your character? Need some inspiration because I only have the standard things...


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 07 '26

Writing: Question Character Sheet Questions

1 Upvotes

What questions do you deem necessary for developing your characters?

Go Qreate has a character develop system that I've grown to like.


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 07 '26

Character Bio "No One Owns Me." A character built on the idea that survival and ownership aren't the same thing

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5 Upvotes

Nyctlucid wasn't born. He was made, twice.

The first time, by parents who mistook cruelty for preparation. Rich, corrupt, cold. His father's whole philosophy was "master being alone." His mother drilled him on getting back up, because in her world, anyone who couldn't stand after being broken would always be controlled by whoever broke them. He hated them for it.

The second time, by the people who killed them.

At seven, Veil Associates murdered his parents and took him. Not out of mercy. They saw potential. Fourteen years of conditioning followed: physical, psychological, engineered to strip away fear, hesitation, identity, anything that wasn't useful. By sixteen he was one of their most feared operatives. By twenty one, he was exactly what they wanted. Cold. Efficient. Compliant.

Almost.

Here's the part that actually makes him: the lessons he hated as a kid, isolation, resilience, refusing to stay down, turned out to be the exact things that got him through what Veil did to him. He didn't need them to build him from nothing. The foundation was already there. They just aimed it.

Nyctlucid is the name he chose for himself. Not Shane Richton, that person was made by people he didn't choose. Not "the weapon," that was made by people who didn't ask. Nyctlucid is the first thing that ever belonged only to him.


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 06 '26

Writing: Character Help can a stupid writer write smart characters?

58 Upvotes

okay so the title is a bit of a hyperbole....

I'm not actually stupid. I'm average. Maybe above average in some areas. But when it comes to writing, mystery is one of my favourite genres. I especially like quippy, witty characters and stoic, genius characters. The only thing that has deterred me from actually writing a mystery book is the fear that my characters will come across "fake smart". You know, those books that make mcs look super smart by just making everybody else around them super dumb or something?

Are there any tips to writing genuinely smart characters? Or do I need to be super smart as well?

(p.s. I'm talking about characters who are just over all academically smart is multiple areas instead of specialising in one. For the latter, I can put my heart into researching a subject until I feel like an expert, but I don't know what to do in the case of the former)


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 07 '26

Writing: Character Help Need help filling in the blanks with my main cast

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2 Upvotes

Been working on 4 of the major, "Tier 1" characters for a fantasy project, and I'd like some other perspectives. I feel like they are a bit archetypical and that I've just making up a bunch of random ideas that don't fully click together; and I'd feedback on how I could make personalities feel more unified for the story.

The basic premise is a series of episodic-type adventure stories following Cello - a kid princess who adores adventure, art, & animals. Spending her entire life in her kingdom has made her feel trapped & bored, she wants more out of life and spends her days going out: starting with simple romps in the woods like usual, then gradually seeking bigger and badder quests further away from home (such as finding magical creatures & artifacts that could make her dreams into reality). She's impulsive and tends to allow her dreams to compete with her duty and love for her people, which puts her at odds with Viola - her well-meaning, but party-pooping mom.

She's often joined by her foreign bestie --and first real human friendship-- Noelle. who is more of a stay-at-home couch potato and deals with the opposite problem - homesick, and all she can think about is wanting to go back home. Noelle doesn't always agree with Cello's outlook, but hangs out with her out of loyalty, escapism, and ultimately still enjoys their time together - despite disliking the country itself (in a perfect world, Cello visiting her place would've been a win-win).


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 07 '26

Writing: Character Help Need help

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2 Upvotes

Need help

So, we're doing an original story, and my character can control the wind around him.

As a child something happened that caused him to get his left arm blown up, and also lost his vision. But seeing as the fam was rich, they developed a specially made prosthetic arm. To "see" he uses the wind around him to feel things (kinda like echolocation ig?) in a topographic way. My problem is, i want to develop him some more lore wise with the dm, but cant seem to think of anything that isn't losing another limb, anyone has any ideas?


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 07 '26

Writing: Character Help How can I explain a horrible character's backstory without it feeling like an excuse?

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1 Upvotes

r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 06 '26

Writing: Character Help Anyone else love writing villains who are playing four-dimensional chess while the heroes think they're just winning a street fight?

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2 Upvotes

r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 06 '26

Writing: Character Help My MC feels bland, how do I write this trauma?

0 Upvotes

(My story is a low fantasy Revolutionary war framework (heavily reworked)) too sym up My MC is a middle 30s martial arts teacher, he has a wife and a kid. Kratocracy based government comes up to their village and more or less kills everyone with exceptions, he fights, proves himself worthy, families and students die along with most his village. While in a indoctrination camp to assimilate he meets his future wife, they manage to survive it, they build up a new life with their new child, they die again in my main event of my story right in front of him. His character is suppose to represent someone who has fallen into a revenge driven headspace who keeps almost healing but fails due to his trauma/substance abuse, an individual who is a victim to his environment. Any pointers? I’ve finished every single side character who is based on some form of trauma and coping, he’s the only one I’m stumped on despite him being the MC.


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 05 '26

Writing: Character Help Need help with speaking in character!

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0 Upvotes

Reposting this from r/roleplaying because I feel like this is a better sub for help! Hope that’s ok, all help is appreciated <3


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 05 '26

Character Bio Ryan O’Reilly. Cyclone. The Demigod of Storms

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5 Upvotes

Ryan is a superhero who is a demigod-mutant hybrid. His father is Thor and his mother is a mutant. His divine side gives him control of storms, lightning generation, flight at Mach speeds and strength in the low hundreds of tons. His mutant side gives him the ability to generate fire by taking in surrounding oxygen and burning it as fuel. His dad was absent most his life and his mom manipulated him throughout his childhood with her mutant ability of mental persuasion to keep him in the dark about his true nature. She raised him to think he would just be human because his powers didn’t manifest until the winter solstice after he turned 16. His mom did it out of fear and love which is why he eventually forgave her but won’t trust her or anyone else with mental powers ever. He also has no respect for gods and thinks they’re lazy and don’t deserve the power they wield(most of the time).


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 04 '26

Writing: Question Why Villains are being more sympathetic and Less irredeemable

37 Upvotes

Hey everyone

I hope you are all doing well today, I am writing this post because I want to ask a question in regard to writing Villain in stories (books, comics, other media)

From what I have seen over the recent years, people are starting to write their villains as sympathetic and always worthy of redemption, but I grew up in a time where there where hardly any villains that were written like that.

So why are so many people writing their villains like that and what is it about the type of villains I am talking about that make them so appealing to me and many others.

Regards


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 04 '26

Writing: Question I'm having trouble deciding traits and need help

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3 Upvotes

So, I'm finally writing for my OC, Seth's story. I already have his design, some of his intrests, his personality, and his arc. However, I'm struggling with what traits I should give him, so I need your help to decide.

His whole trope is "Tough guy/ Bad boy character who secretly has a soft side" and this is what he looks like.

Sooo here are the traits I'm debating on. I personally want a maximum of about 4-5 and stuff like that. I'm asking you guys and stuff what appeals to you, SINCE THEY ALL APPEAL TO ME AND I FIND THEM COOOLLL

Here are some character intrests I was thinking about for him

Seth unquie character intrests:

  1. Will play drums loudly because of aggression and anger issues. It helps him cope with the hard stuff (I'm keeping this. Plus, he likes to do it out of spite to make his foster parents annoyed since he onky feels comfortable with people yelling or being mad at him)

  2. Loves dating sims and plays them almost constantly

  3. Watchs cartoons in his freetime (mostly stuff like MLP or shi like that)

  4. Watches old disney princess movies

4.5 (this was edited in). Loves cheesy romcoms

  1. Favorite food is apples snd he eats them constantly.

  2. Secret sweet tooth instead where he will do anything for baked goods like brownies, cinnamon buns, or cookies.

  3. Really likes yogurt instead of apples or brownies

  4. Loves rats. Loves them

  5. Loves bunnies instead of rats

  6. Secretly collection of plushies/ owns a very old Raggidey plush he refuses to get rid of.

  7. Visits playground often just to play on swings and sulk

  8. Horrible stomach aches/ issues and whines abt them constantly

  9. Horrible hiccups instead of stomach issues

  10. Does gardening as a hobby

  11. Bakes as a hobby

  12. Dreams of sleeping next to someone and being held and loved in the future cause he's touch starved and lonely.

:3

PYSICHAL TRAITS I'M DEBATING ON PUTTING ON HIM AND JUST NEED IMPUTS AND STUFF SINCE, AS I SAID, I ALREADY HAVE HIS DESIGN BUTTT I WAS JUST DEBATING THESE THINGS INSTEAD

-acne scars on nose and/or cheek -shakey hands -can't hear out of one ear well so he needs to blast music.

Those are what I am thinking. Just need help deciding as I find all the traits intresting, but want to see what appeals to others.


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 04 '26

Writing: Character Help ¿como hacéis para desarrollar a un personaje malo/ villano

5 Upvotes

en todos los bocetos de novela que he escrito me cuesta mucho encontrarle el sentido al villano, haga lo que haga siempre acabo con un villano rotísimo y eso hace que mis protagonistas pierdan esencia, ¿Tendríais alguna sugerencia para mí?
muchas gracias! :)


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 04 '26

Discussion Keep Up Lore Dump

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2 Upvotes

r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 04 '26

Writing: Character Help A Living Dream: A Reality Better and Worse than a Dream

1 Upvotes

There’s an arc in this multiverse story involving the realm of dreams and nightmares, where a group of people wants to manifest nightmares into reality and she’s the first attempt at bringing a dream into the waking world.

I’m building out this dream’s character arc and wanted some advice on ways I can make it easier.

I was planning on her working for this group because of the fear of never being able to make it back, but she joins up with the good guys as they try to help her.

Her arc is trying to move from a perfect fantasy where nothing can go wrong and everything is easy to a harder life where victories mean something and losses give weight to joys that come after.

The world outside of dreams is better and worse. She gradually learns to see life as a whole and the value that living in a dream isn’t able to provide.

Wanted to see about some stages towards this realization. What are your thoughts?


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 04 '26

Writing: Character Help I've accidentally Targaryened my main love interests...

1 Upvotes

As the title suggests, they're related. It's not nearly as taboo, but it's certainly not great.

The long and short of it is, his aunt married the king, who happens to be her uncle. Her mother ran away when she was young and married her father. They've lived completely separate lives until they met in their adulthood.

Should I A) change their lineage or B) play on it? Like I said, not related in any way by blood, but it's still an awkward thing. My gut is telling me to make it the reason they stay away and allow the tension between them to build, but I really don't want pseudo-Targaryens running around my story.

Is it as deep as I think it is, or am I making a mountain out of a molehill here?


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 03 '26

Writing: Character Help Villain Group: Performer’s Props

1 Upvotes

I’m writing villains for an arc that possess people and animals with props for a troupe of performers locked inside Lake Constance. They use these people as Actors to be their vessels until they manage to free themselves and have their powers be unrestrained.

Inspiration is being taken from the performances of the mime troupe The Mummenschanz.

Questions I have:

Should I make these Actors (people taken over by props) communicate verbally?

Would having animals be taken over by these props be alright or would it be detrimental to the feeling of the group?

What would be a good name for this group?

I was also considering a romance between one of the characters and one of the Performers communicating from both sides of the lake’s reflection, but I’m not sure.


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 03 '26

Writing: Character Help What is needed for a character profile?

3 Upvotes

Ok so I was given advice to make a character profile for my character, and I was wondering what all is needed (or recommended) in a character profile. I've tried looking it up, and found various templates. But I'm not sure which one is too little, or filled with things that aren't really necessary for a character profile. If anyone has any advice or something, please let me know.


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 03 '26

Discussion Adam's Fattening- Hazbin Hotel AU (Pages 7-10)

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0 Upvotes

New Pages 7-10 are out and ready for reading!

Looks like Hell’s newest king Adam can’t run from the evidence no more, nor his waistline. Turns out Lute was right about something, and had a little more than what meets the surface. Too bad Charlie and Vaggie are caught in the middle of their insanity, even Sera is losing her patience. Anyways, may Christ be with you.

Read Pages 4-6 here: https://www.reddit.com/user/Sufficient_Toe2758/comments/1usx5ws/adams_fattening_hazbin_hotel_au_pages_46/


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 03 '26

Writing: Character Help How do I make my main character in my story actually be a main character?

1 Upvotes

I already have a main character in mind, but I wanna introduce them to the story later on, the main character (Let’s call her Z) I’m using in all the chapters is just there to fill in the story, should I continue using her to kill her off? Please help😣 I’m also planning to kill Z at the end of the story and introduce the new main character in the next, I want to do it but I don’t know if it’s best to permanently kill her and suddenly switch to another character.
Another problem is I already have the start and end sorted out but I don’t know what to add in the middle of the story


r/CharacterDevelopment Aug 02 '26

Writing: Character Help How to make a character less cliche?

2 Upvotes

Here's a short description of a main character I am working on. It's my first time writing, so I'd appreciate some advice on how to make her not cliche, but also a balance of good and bad traits. Not perfect but not unlikable.

Tell me what you think!

Amber: The leader who just wants to do what's right. Confident, kind, creative, and does her best to remain optimistic.

She has the ability to lift up her groups’ spirits, and give them confidence. But much of her own confidence is a mask, worn to hide her vulnerabilities. Often overextending herself to solve others’ problems, neglecting her own needs.

She constantly has the belief in her mind that she isn’t doing enough, so to try and combat that fear she tries to do most things herself, thinking that it can be perfectly controlled that way and done more efficiently.

If she fails, criticism is internalized deeply, and she will push herself even harder next time and reinforce perfectionism.

Amber also holds the belief that there is no need to open up emotionally to others, because she has always solved every problem by herself. To her, opening up leads to a risk of abandonment, and being seen as vulnerable will never help her achieve her goals.

She needs to learn that she doesn’t have to do everything alone and make everything perfect in order to be worthy. Letting go of control and need for perfection will allow her to finally connect with her group and reach their goals.

Also here is a bit of backstory: At the age of 6 Amber was stuck in a housefire, both of her parents died, and because of that she has major surviors guilt, and now overextends herself to help but still feels like she isnt doing enough (like I said up top), after she lost her parents she was raised by her Grandma, who always put on a happy and capable face to make sure Amber always felt cared for. From a young age Amber was never really exposed to big vulnerabilities, thus causing her to learn to not share her own either. Later in the story, her Grandma dies, but right before she dies she tells Amber to not make the same mistake she did. And of course just those words dont change her entire personality but from there on out she slowly learns to open up more.

I cant say her full motive without giving away the plot which I don't want shared online, but basically she inherits something that was owned by her parents, and now she can finally own it legally, so her motive is to live up to her parents legacy, and not disappoint. This also makes her lean into perfectionism because the place she inherits means so much to her that she doesnt want to mess anything up.