Some characters stick with you long after you flip the last page of the novel. Whether it’s teenage girls enamoured with a morally grey character or a reader howling with laughter at witty comebacks from a thrilling side character, the authors know just how to weave their characters to make them pop.

Now, I’m no one to be preaching on this, but here is my patchwork quilt of tips and tricks I’ve picked up along my reading and writing journey so far:

1. Be Inconsistent

Writing consistently is often hailed as essential to writing a story – but I’d argue that evolution is far more interesting. I don’t want to read a book where the voice stays the same from page one to the final full stop. I want writing that shifts, that mirrors the character unravelling at its centre.

Give me a protagonist whose psychopathy doesn’t arrive fully formed, but rather, creeps in through the cracks – whose quirks begin as charming, then unsettling, then dangerous. Let the prose echo this descent: gradually more detached, more cerebral, until it’s all internal monologue and contradictions.

Picture this: a room imbrued in blood, and the first thing your main character notices is the colour of the walls.

The best characters are rarely tidy. They’re reflections of real-life people, who carry idiosyncrasies, faults, and discrepancies.

Consistency is overrated.

2. Name Them Wisely

This is something that is often overlooked even by the best of authors. Names aren’t just tags for the characters to be labelled with – they’re the first impression your character makes before they even speak, and they linger long after the story ends (or don’t; it all depends on how well-crafted the name is).

Names carry rhythm, tone, cultural cues, subtle irony, and even foreshadowing at times. A sharp, clipped name (“Maeve”, “Zoya”) can suggest decisiveness or control, while softer-sounding names (“Sebastian”, “Hazel”, “Luna”) can imply complexity, tenderness, or romanticism.

All the same, a name could also offer a juxtaposition – e.g., a villain named “Hope” or a cheerful optimist named “Grimm” would be a humorous contrast.

So don’t treat naming like an afterthought. Let it be part of the storytelling. The best names feel like they were made for the character – not unlike a dress tailored to fit you!

3. Write How They See the World

Don’t just describe the world you’re writing, filter it through the character’s perspective. Your aim should be to convince the reader that the character’s opinion is the only one that matters – leave aside your own point of view while you write.

When writing a villain, for example, don’t dissect their cruelty; step inside, let them justify everything they do. Let their eccentricity show unabashedly.

Now, just to elucidate things a little – this doesn’t mean you should make every character sympathetic. Just make them real (though it’s easier said than done).

Remember, a romantic will notice the roses; a cynic will see the thorns.

4. Use Sharp Dialogues With Purpose

Your character’s dialogue shouldn’t reflect you, it should reflect the character. It’s not just about what they say – what words are left unspoken?

The way someone speaks often matters far more than what they say. The rhythm, vocabulary, and silences are all verbal fingerprints – that is to say, everyone speaks with different quirks. Some are blunt. Some ramble nervously, while some exude confidence from trimmed words.

Also, let your characters talk past each other. Real conversations are full of interruptions, misunderstandings, and stumbles.

And don’t be afraid to weaponize the dialogue – the best lines are living, biting creatures. Let them hurt. Let your characters lie and manipulate their way out of situations. Purposeful dialogue should come alive.

5. Let Them Want Something Deeply

This is a tip that most authors reiterate often – and something that I used to ignore until I realised its significance.

Every compelling character has a desire – so when writing, ask yourself, what is their main motive? What do they want so badly that it influences all their decisions? This want is their engine. Without it, even the most interesting personalities risk falling flat.

That being said, don’t start crafting your character with their desires alone – their backstory should dictate their wants. And here’s the key: their desire should be emotional, not just logistical. Wanting to win a competition is fine, but wanting to win it to finally prove they’re not a disappointment to their family? Now we’re getting somewhere.

Often, the best characters want two things that can’t coexist: love and independence, adventure and safety, truth and belonging. This inner dilemma creates an emotional contradiction which effectively keeps readers hooked.

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The trick to making characters that feel alive isn’t dictating their personality, it’s proving it line by line. Their actions, desires, silences and slips, habits all give life to them. The goal isn’t perfection or consistency – it’s intimacy.

Follow these 5 basic rules, and the character will linger in the reader’s bones long after they flip the last page of the book. Happy writing!

Yours truly,
Divi