𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 & 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬

33 ways to make your character stronger

1. Give them a goal.
A strong goal not only gives your character purpose, it helps you map out your plot with ease.

2. Give them a motivation.
Something is driving your character to chase down their goal. It could be a negative emotion like fear, guilt, or regret; a negative trait like pride, vanity, or greed; or a positive emotion like love, determination, or passion. Whatever the case, giving your character a motivation will make the actions they take to achieve their goal seem realistic and relatable.

3. Give them purpose.
Consider how your character adds to the story. Do they create conflict or undergo emotional development? If not, your character will seem pointless.

4. Give them a fear.
Fear is an emotion that all humans feel. It leads to insecurity, impatience, and conflict, which is why fear is the perfect emotion to include in your story. It both hooks readers and drives the plot forward. Just don't let your characters cower in fear for long; make sure that they take action, too.

5. Give them a flaw.
Perfection is boring. Imperfection is human. Write a human story by giving your character flaws. Go beyond the physical and give your character a poor personality trait, bad standing in society, or an unpleasant circumstance to live in.

6. Give them a history.
Allow your character's past to shape who they become. Give your character a rich history that will affect their present-day decisions.

7. Give them a present story.
Don't drown your novel in backstory. Give your character a present-day story, a quest or a journey that will shape and grow them.

8. Give them a personality.
Don't let your character have a dull, flat personality. Make your character complex by giving them contradictory traits and avoiding clichés at all costs.

9. Give them interests.
A character that doesn't like anything simply isn't interesting. Give your character a passion, even if it's one your readers hate. Fervor breeds interest, no matter the subject.

10. Give them a quirk.
Everyone has their strange habits. And strange is just as interesting as passionate. Give your character a quirk to help them stand out from the crowd.

11. Give them a name.
More specifically, give your character a name with purpose. Showcase a time period, foreshadow their actions, or hint at their interests. Give your character's name a role in your story.

12. Give them a desire.
Desires are powerful motivators. Some desires may lead your character to accomplish their goal while others may lead your character away.

13. Give them a love.
How can your readers love your character if your character loves no one? Your character doesn't have to be all hugs and smiles, but they do need to hold love for at least one person if you want your readers to like them.

14. Make them complex.
The best characters are those whose actions always surprise readers. Create a character with a complex personality and motivations, then reveal each layer one by one.

15. Make them unique.
Don't let your character become just another average Joe. Make them stand out from the rest by giving them a unique goal, motivation, or trait.

16. Make them intelligent.
Stupid characters aren't exciting. It's as simple as that. You need a character that can stand up to your story's villain, one whose intelligence and intuition prove to be a powerful force.

17. Make them relatable.
If your character is stone-cold, readers will never be able to relate to them. Give your character at least one personality trait, circumstance, or motivation that readers can connect with on a personal level.