I'm having trouble making my characters more detailed and 3D. They all seem really flat and boring to me, and I don't really know how to fix it. Also, I have trouble deciding on specifics about some of my characters, such as their specific personality and their flaws. I feel like I don't really know them at all. Does anyone have tips or tricks to flesh out characters and get to know them more?
Pinterest has a ton of character development charts, maybe fill out some of those? They help me a lot.
Been there, my characters used to just be designs I doodled when I was bored. I don't really use pintrest but it sounds like Jynnie has a great idea using charts to figure out flaws and such!
You sort have to take what ever story or history you have in your world to help shape what kind of personality the character has. Ask a lot of questions in how it affects them! What setting? If they're lgbtq+ or something else a small town may not be as accepting as a diverse big city. Poor or unable to get resources they need? They likely don't care if they have old clothes or given a used jacket because they might be used to hand-me-downs. Any current big war? They might be paranoid or ready to pick a fight, maybe a determined pain in the neck to everyone around them. Is the government or other authority going in an undesirable direction? What do your characters think, do they fix it, help tear it down, or simply wait to see what happens and deal with other things? Pulled into an adventure? Are they resentful, stubborn, or excited by this? Asking questions helps find out strengths and weakness in a character. Sorry if this is a bit of a ramble, hope this helps!
This helps a lot, thanks for the ideas!