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One of my biggest pet-peeves in books is the appearance of empty, undefined characters. 'Yong tipong ang personality n'ya lang is may itsura, walang itsura, clumsy, bubbly, cold, or comedic relief. Internal motivation? Wala. Subconscious belief? Wala. View about the story's premise? Waleeeeey.
I prefer reading books with personality-packed characters, not empty caricatures only written to fit into an archetype. This often happens to side characters—'yong nag-e-exist lang sila to serve the main character. Hindi sila tao, tools lang sila. Though there are some scenarios na passable ang gan'tong one-dimensional side characters, however, it mustn't apply to characters who appear in the narrative multiple times.
Note: hindi lang naman 'to nangyayari sa side characters, it's also definitely possible for this to happen with the main ones.
Back to the topic, this is where it gets even more complicated. Kapag gan'yan ang characters mo, firstly, madadamay ang dialogue. 'Yong kapag tinanggal mo 'yong dialogue tags, hindi mo na malaman kung sino ba 'yong nagsasalita. Meaning: walang distinct personalities.
Next, madadamay ang overall premise. The characters with the most "screentime" and relevance to the plot should revolve around the overarching theme of the narrative. If they have no opinions on the conflict or no input to the plot, bakit pa sila nand'yan?
Moreover—this one is crucial—maaapektuhan ang subtext. Expanding on the stuff mentioned about the dialogue just recently, characters don't outright mouth what they currently feel in just a snap. Kung extensive, theatrical monologue lang ang way natin to express a characters deepest desires, you have to step back and reevaluate everything. A good narrative makes the reader think and question (e.g. "Bakit n'ya kaya 'yon nasabi? I think gano'n n'ya 'yon hinandle kasi [insert analysis here].") and not command the reader on what to think.
Trust your readers. Kaya naman nila gumawa ng hinuha at mag-interpret.
Additionally, most people navigate carefully through a conversation, especially in dire situations. Characters must have filters depending on who they're talking to and what they're currently feeling.
Good incorporation of subtext in one's writing is a sign of an excellent writer. Sadly, kaunti lang sa Wattpad ang nakakapag-apply nito, or rather, aware sa gan'tong writing technique. It doesn't just benefit the characterization, it enhances the narrative in its entirety. But, that's a different story for another day. Let's focus on characters.
Finally, forgettable sila. They're nothing but caricatures. They're not compelling. They do nothing but stand still and say meaningless dialogue, or as what they call it, "yappers".
In conclusion, this is your sign to look back on your character sheets to outline and reevaluate.
