How to Develop Strong Characters: Building Depth and Complexity

Characters are the heart of any story. Whether it’s a gripping thriller, a heartfelt romance, or a complex fantasy epic, readers connect with the characters on an emotional level. A well-crafted character feels real, with strengths, flaws, desires, and struggles that make them relatable and memorable.

Creating strong characters requires more than just giving them a name and a basic backstory. To develop characters that resonate with your readers, you need to make them multi-dimensional, rich in depth and complexity.

In this post, we’ll explore key strategies for building characters that feel alive on the page.

1. Start with Core Values and Motivations

At the core of every compelling character is a set of values and motivations that drive their actions. Understanding what your character wants, why they want it, and what they are willing to sacrifice to get it will give them a clear direction throughout the story. This will not only guide their decisions but also help readers understand their choices, even if they don’t always agree with them.

• Core Values: These are the principles or beliefs that shape how your character sees the world and makes decisions. Does your character value loyalty above all else? Are they driven by a desire for power, love, revenge, or redemption?

• Motivations: A character’s motivation is what they want most. This could be something external (winning a war, solving a mystery) or internal (finding self-worth, seeking forgiveness). Motivation shapes the choices your character makes and the risks they’re willing to take.

When you understand what your character values and what drives them, you can craft situations where they must face challenges that force them to confront these beliefs and desires.

2. Give Your Characters Flaws and Weaknesses

No one is perfect—and your characters shouldn’t be either. Flaws are what make characters relatable and interesting. They provide opportunities for growth, conflict, and development throughout the story.

• Emotional Flaws: These might include anger issues, insecurity, or fear of intimacy. These emotional struggles can make characters more human and believable. A character who is constantly battling their fear of abandonment, for example, will respond to relationships and situations differently than one who feels secure in their attachments.

• Physical or Mental Weaknesses: A character might suffer from a physical disability, a mental health challenge, or even an addiction. These weaknesses don’t just make the character more vulnerable—they also give them unique perspectives on the world and can create powerful opportunities for personal growth.

Flaws allow your character to evolve, and often, the best stories are about how characters learn to overcome or accept their flaws.

3. Give Them a Backstory, but Don’t Overload the Reader

A well-developed backstory provides context for a character’s actions, fears, desires, and flaws. Understanding a character’s past is key to shaping their present behavior. However, while backstory is important, avoid overwhelming the reader with too much information all at once.

• Hints, Not Tells: Instead of dumping an entire backstory in one go, drop hints throughout the story. For example, a character who flinches when they see a particular person might have a traumatic history with them, but this doesn’t need to be revealed immediately.

• The Backstory’s Influence: Let the backstory inform how the character behaves, but keep it relevant to the plot. If a character has experienced loss, perhaps they have a harder time trusting others or are more protective of their loved ones.

A strong backstory will deepen the reader’s understanding of the character, but the focus should always be on the present actions and growth, not solely on the past.

4. Create Internal Conflict

A great character doesn’t just face external obstacles—they also wrestle with internal conflicts. These conflicts can range from moral dilemmas to self-doubt, and they provide depth and complexity.

• Moral Dilemmas: What happens when a character has to choose between two conflicting values? A character might value loyalty, but what if staying loyal means sacrificing their own happiness? These difficult choices create tension and make the character more dynamic.

• Self-Doubt: A character who constantly questions their abilities, purpose, or worth will seem more relatable and human. This self-doubt can be a source of motivation, pushing the character to overcome their own limitations.

Internal conflict allows the character to grow over time and adds an extra layer of depth to their journey.

5. Allow Them to Grow and Change

Strong characters don’t stay the same throughout the story—they evolve in response to the challenges they face. Whether they’re learning from their mistakes, overcoming their flaws, or discovering new strengths, character growth is a crucial element of storytelling.

• Positive Change: Characters who overcome their flaws or who grow emotionally, morally, or intellectually offer readers a sense of hope and inspiration. This is often the type of change we expect in a traditional hero’s journey.

• Negative Change: Not all characters need to evolve in a positive way. Sometimes, a character’s arc involves a downward spiral—succumbing to their darker impulses, giving into their flaws, or making tragic choices. This can lead to powerful and emotionally resonant stories.

Allowing your character to evolve—or even devolve—ensures they are more than static plot devices. They become agents of change, influencing and responding to the world around them.

6. Create Strong Relationships and Interactions

How your character interacts with others can reveal a great deal about who they are. Relationships with friends, family, rivals, and romantic interests give the character opportunities to show different facets of their personality.

• Allies and Mentors: These relationships can help to highlight a character’s strengths and weaknesses. A mentor might challenge your character to grow, while allies might push them to take risks or make difficult decisions.

• Antagonists and Rivals: A strong antagonist can help to define your character’s goals, fears, and desires. A rival or antagonist who challenges your protagonist on a personal level creates opportunities for conflict and character development.

• Romantic Relationships: These can be the ultimate test of a character’s emotional complexity. A romance can force a character to open up, confront their insecurities, and make sacrifices. However, it can also be a source of tension and conflict.

The key to compelling relationships is to make them feel real—characters should have both positive and negative interactions with others, and these relationships should impact their growth.

7. Make Them Unique

Finally, a strong character must be distinct. From their voice to their quirks, behaviors, and worldview, they should stand out from other characters in the story. A unique character leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

• Voice: How does your character speak? Do they use formal language, or are they more colloquial? Do they have any catchphrases or speech patterns? A distinct voice will set your character apart and make them memorable.

• Quirks and Habits: Does your character have any distinctive habits, hobbies, or preferences? Maybe they always tap their foot when nervous or have a particular obsession with a certain type of food. These quirks can make your character feel more human and three-dimensional.

When a character feels unique, they’re more likely to leave an impression on your readers, making them feel like real people in a real world.

Final Thoughts

Building strong, complex characters is an art that requires attention to detail, empathy, and patience. Start with their values and motivations, and let their flaws, growth, and relationships create depth. Make sure their backstory enriches their present, and give them the opportunity to evolve, whether positively or negatively. Finally, ensure your characters stand out through their voice, quirks, and interactions.

A well-developed character is one of the most powerful tools a writer can have. When done right, your characters will not only drive the plot—they will captivate your readers and stay with them long after the story ends.