Just realized my main character was boring after a workshop comment

Someone in my writing group said my protagonist felt like 'a cardboard cutout holding a job.' Ouch. I rewrote her first chapter to show her secretly feeding stray cats behind her apartment, which showed her soft side. What's a small detail you've added to make a character feel real?

3 comments

3 Comments

evanpalmer2mo ago

Yeah that "cardboard cutout" comment hurts but it's so useful lol. Love what @fionak63 said about nervous habits, I once gave a character this thing where she always checks if her keys are in her pocket like three times before leaving. Makes them feel lived in.

fionak632mo ago

Totally get that workshop gut punch. Had a side character who was just the 'angry neighbor' until I gave him a specific nervous habit of polishing his doorknob with his sleeve before talking to people. Tiny physical details like that can imply a whole backstory without any info dumping. Your cat feeding idea is exactly the kind of thing that makes readers lean in. Those secret soft spots are what we remember.

jason5626d ago

Oh man, YES. That's exactly it. I had this character who was supposed to be just the gruff mechanic, no depth at all. Then I gave him this thing where he always straightens the pens on his desk before he talks to anyone. Suddenly he felt like a guy who needs control because his life is messy. It's wild how one tiny habit can unlock a whole person. Your doorknob polish thing is genius, I'm stealing that energy for my next draft.