Build Better Characters (Today, Not ‘Some Day’!)

Or: Be Your Own Casting Director

Listen to the podcast episode that inspired this post

Readers don’t fall in love with stories because of clever twists or thrilling events. They connect because of characters—flawed, funny, furious, fragile characters who make us feel something. 

If you want to improve your writing—and your readers’ response to it—mastering character creation is one of the most satisfying ways to do it. 

But I don’t want you to go and read a book about character (David Corbett’s “The Art of Character” is great, but at 380 pages, will not leave you much time to write, this weekend). 

So here are some practical ways to think about and craft characters that leap off the page and grab your reader by the heart. 

And you can get started by building a stash of character building blocks, this weekend.

Why Character Matters

Characters are the heartbeat of your story. They don’t just exist in a setting or respond to a plot. Nope. They drive the plot. 

Every decision a character makes causes ripples. They mess things up, fix them, sabotage themselves, fall in love, hate the wrong person, take the wrong job, say the wrong thing at the worst time—and that’s what creates story.

Thankfully, you don’t have to invent every character from scratch on the day you sit down to write. (That’s a guaranteed way to find yourself staring at a blinking cursor for 45 minutes and then convince yourself that doing laundry counts as productive procrastination. It doesn’t. Nice try.)

Instead, do yourself a favor: build your characters now Then dip into this little treasure chest any time you’re short on inspiration or just need a quick-start push.

Start With What You Know

Your first batch of characters? Make them like you.

Yes, you. The person reading this. You are the perfect inspiration for at least five characters. And no, they don’t have to be “you” in the obvious ways.

Start a list of five characters who share something with you:

  • Hair color? Sure.
  • Your love of spreadsheets? Perfect.
  • Your ability to cry at pet adoption commercials? Gold.

You can use your own internal traits too: your introversion or extroversion, your conflict-avoidance, your snarky sense of humor, your perfectionism, your unshakeable optimism, or the way you freeze up when someone asks where you see yourself in five years. All of it is fair game.

These characters are easy to write because you’ve lived in their skin. So when you’re stuck and short on time, they’re your go-to. Let them loose in your stories.

Bonus points: Write down which of those traits delight and frustrate you. That’s where the conflict lives. That’s where the story is.

Characters NOT Like You

Made your “like me” list? Great. Now, do the opposite.

Write down five characters who are unlike you. These are the ones who baffle or irritate you, or maybe the ones you secretly wish you could be. Pick traits you don’t relate to:

  • Someone who’s smooth-talking
  • A fearless adrenaline junkie.
  • A meticulous rule-follower.
  • Someone who thrives in social chaos while you’re ready for a nap after five minutes of small talk.

Think about how these traits might cause trouble—or create strength—in a story. How does an overly confident character screw up a sensitive situation? How does a shy person save the day because they notice what everyone else misses?

Again, note the conflict potential. Conflict = story. Always.

Add Color

Characters aren’t just about personality. Let’s dress them up a bit—literally.

Make a list of ten accessories or physical features that a character might have. These details are powerful shorthand in short stories. You don’t always have space to dive deep into every side character’s backstory, but you can make them memorable with:

  • A red umbrella with a duck-shaped handle.
  • A constantly rumpled trench coat.
  • Neon-green glasses.
  • A nervous habit of jingling keys.

These are little anchors for your reader’s brain. They give your stories color and texture—so everything doesn’t start to feel like a blank-stage play with floating heads and indistinct voices.

(There are useful for main characters but also a great way to make a secondary character pop.)

Get Quirky

Personality traits can show up whether your character wants them to or not. These are the reflex reactions, the annoying habits, the self-sabotaging instincts that make people people.

Think of five traits that drive you bananas in real life (or delight you—if you’re feeling generous). Use those.

Maybe your character:

  • Always expects the worst.
  • Can’t say no.
  • Over-apologizes.
  • Constantly tries to “fix” people.
  • Never sees the good right in front of them.

Then for extra credit, jot down how each trait might be subverted in the story. Turn the annoying trait into a strength. Make it a liability that forces change. Or let it spark unexpected humor.

Let Them Speak

Finally, give your characters their own voice. Not just dialogue—voice.

List five expressions or phrases people in your life overuse. Think of the office cliché machine, your grandmother’s weird sayings, or the barista who always says “rock on” no matter the situation.

Give each character a verbal tic. Let one say “bless your heart” with venom. Another can end every sentence with “you know what I mean?” even when no one does. These quirks do double duty: they reveal character and make your dialogue sparkle.

Don’t wait. Make these lists this weekend.

Stop waiting to get “good enough” to write great characters. You already have everything you need: your quirks, your annoyances, your people-watching superpowers. 

Use them. 

Make your lists. 

Keep them handy.

 And when it’s time to write—today, not someday—you’ll be ready.

Make a mess. Have fun.

And, of course, keep writing.

If you loved having prompts turning up in your inbox, but would like to go at a more leisurely pace, consider subscribing to my
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Your 4-Week Writing Rescue Plan

(aka: what to do after StoryADay May)

The StoryADay Challenge is hard because it’s a LOT of writing, and because you had to sacrifice activities—and perhaps sleep—to make time for it.

But StoryADay is great because you know exactly what is expected of you every day: 

  • show up, 
  • do the best you can with the assignment, 
  • move on with your life satisfied that you’ve shown up for your creativity today.

When the challenge month is over, I always hear from people that they experience a little letdown. They’re not writing as much. They lack motivation. They don’t know quite what to do first.

Of course, there is no ‘right’ way to be a writer, but I’ve put together a kind of follow-on curriculum for you, to help you structure the next few weeks, before all the momentum from StoryADay May drains away.

Post-Challenge Momentum Plan

Week 1: Capture what you wrote

  • Use this worksheet to capture the names of your stories, what inspired them, where you wrote or stored them
  • Overall, what worked in your stories? What was most fun?
  • Pick 2 stories to rework and refine.
  • Journal prompt: what did I learn about myself and my writing practice, during the challenge? What can I take forward? What can I let go?

Week 2: Position the Big Rocks

  • Pick one of the stories to begin editing, based on your enthusiasm levels, the complexity of the edits you think it needs, and how much time you have available.
  • Begin revising with the plot: do the events follow logically from the choices your characters make? If not, a, did you make a choice to write something experimental or b, what plot events could change or move to make them more logical?
  • If you get stuck or discouraged, switch to the other story.
  • Revision help: Listen to the 7 Revision Myths You Should Ignore podcast episode, and bookmark the checklist on that page!

Week 3: Character Development

  • Assignment: Review the Creating Compelling Characters article and see where you can strengthen you characters.
  • Focus on revising dialogue and inner/outer conflict to illustrate your character’s desires.
  • Writing prompt: rewrite one key scene (hint: not the opening) to find your character’s most authentic voice and attitude.

Week 4:  Finalize A Draft

  • Read over all your notes and take a deep breath
  • Schedule a writing sprint or two to work through one of the stories until it is as complete as you can make it, for now.
  • Optional, consider who you could send it to, for feedback
  • Non-optional: Celebrate! Do a dance, give yourself a gold star, pump the air, or take some time off to play with your pets. Seriously. Making it fun is what makes you want to come back!

Bookmark this checklist so you can come back to it! And why not share with a friend?

If you loved having prompts turning up in your inbox, but would like to go at a more leisurely pace, consider subscribing to my
StoryAWeek newsletter:
52 lessons and writing prompts, weekly for a whole year!

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How To Get Feedback That Actually Helps Your Writing

(without getting discouraged or giving up)

You’ve been writing for a while now—maybe you’ve just taken part in the StoryADay Challenge and have a bunch of drafts—and it feels pretty good.

…but now what?

This is where you get to do what I call ‘refining’. 

You’re in the slippery, uncomfortable, yet important, middle part of the writing process: 

  • The thrill of discovery-writing is past
  • The satisfaction of the polished draft lies in the future.
  • And you’re in that foggy, no-man’s land of “how do I get there, from here?”

The good news is that ‘refining’, doesn’t mean you have to make anything perfect. Or do it alone.

Refining your work and your process is all about making progress—in your drafts and your practice. Which can be helped by getting feedback.

Let’s talk about how to do that without freezing…or fleeing!

Define: Refine

Refining isn’t about aiming for ‘perfect’: it’s about making progress, with purpose.

It means:

  • Taking a dispassionate look at your work
  • Making decisions about what stays and what can go
  • Setting appropriate expectations and setting up the processes that support them
  • Courageously taking the very next (possibly tiny) step with one piece of your writing.

The Fundamentals of Feedback

Some of our writing projects exist to teach us a single lesson and then remain in draft form forever. (I think of them like origami: beautiful and requiring effort, but ephemeral!)

Other stories—the ones you can’t let go—want to live on. We owe it to them to get some perspective…and that’s a hard thing to do alone.

That’s where critique comes it.

But not any old critique. You need the right sort of feedback, at the right point in your process, and from the right people.

The Wrong Time To Seek Feedback

Before you ask: yes, there are times when it’s perfectly fine for you to keep your writing secret and safe and only for you.

Don’t be pressured into sharing your writing if:

  • It’s incredibly personal and too raw to discuss (clue: if it makes you cry when talking about it. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s hard to hear dispassionate feedback when you’re still attached to the source materials)
  • You’re still in the honeymoon phase with this piece and aren’t ready to hear anything critical about it.
  • You’re still working on it and are worried that other people’s opinions might shape it more than you would care for.

These are all legitimate reasons NOT to seek critique and that’s fine. Keep working until you need something else.

How To Know When You’re Ready for Feedback

There’s a difference between being healthily-protective of your early work, and being over-protective of your tender creative’s heart.

Here are a few signs that you’re ready for feedback–even if the idea still scares you:

  • You feel stuck on a piece of writing. You’ve done everything you can think of and it’s still just not ‘right’ (this might be a feeling you have, or something you’ve heard from editors at publications  you’ve send it to).
  • You keep polishing the same parts over and over again even though you suspect there’s a raging plot hole in the middle.
  • You have no idea if your ideas are coming through or if some important parts are still stuck in your head. You need a reader’s perspective!

At this point, feedback is going to be the thing that propels you into the next level of your writing craft.

How to Get Feedback You Can Use (Without the Flop-Sweat!)

Just because something calls itself a ‘critique group’, doesn’t mean you’ll get what you need from it. Choose carefully and avoid getting discouraged or stalled.

1. Trust the Group

It helps if you can find a group that’s run by someone you already know and trust.

Ask the organizer about the level and experience of the writers in the group. Ideally, you want to find a group where people are a little more experienced/skilled than you, but not so far ahead that they’ll scoff at all your ‘beginner mistakes’. 

And for the love of all that’s literary, do not send your work in to an anonymous online group. Those places are either so complimentary that they waste your time or so brutal that you might never pick up a pen again.

2. Help The Readers Help You

If the group allows it (and I think it should), add a note to your piece letting folks know what you’re looking for, in their feedback. There’s no point in someone doing a heavy-duty copy-edit if you’re still in the first draft, or giving you general feelings if what you’re looking for a is a detailed, final check before you send it out for publication.

Include in your note these pieces of information

  • Where your piece is in your process (“It’s very much a first draft and I’m trying to see if it’s intriguing enough to pursue” or “I’m getting ready to send it to publications and want to know if the plot hangs together.”)
  • What kind of feedback you want (“Does the pacing work?” “When did you guess whodunnit?”, “Was the ending satisfying?”). If you’re new to critique it might be difficult to know what to ask, so feel free to say that!
  • What you don’t want to hear, yet. (“Don’t bother correcting the typos, I’ll get to them later”; “I know I haven’t included much description in this draft. I’ll add that once I’m sure the story works.”)

3. Ask Specific Questions

Again, this is hard to do if you don’t have much experience of critique, so here are some sample questions you might use, which are miles better than stuttering, “Um, is it any good?” or “What did you think?”

  • Were there any places where you were confused by what was happening? 
  • Were there any places you started to skim (i.e. got bored)
  • What lines or aspects did you really love (so I can be sure not to edit them out!)?
  • Which character stood out most to you?
  • Did I make any promises that I didn’t deliver on?
  • If you had to write a one-line summary of what was at the heart of this piece, what would you say?

Build A Feedback System

Growing as a writer means engaging with your writing in a deliberate way.

Don’t leave it to chance. 

Set up a repeatable process – a system – for giving and getting critique. Some ways to do that:

  • Join a group that has a regular (but not too frequent) critique option
  • Swap stories on a regular schedule with a trusted writing buddy
  • Try out a critique group on a one-off basis and see if it works for you (remembering that if it doesn’t, that doesn’t say anything about you as a writer. It just wasn’t the right group for you).

If you don’t have a way to get regular feedback yet, don’t worry, I have something that might interest you!

Join a Firm, Fair and Fun Critique Experience (right here at StoryADay)

Three times a year (no more, because we take it seriously!) I host a Critique Week with members of the StoryADay community, and the Superstars group. 

It’s a 10-day guided experience where we:

  • Exchange short stories or excerpts of a longer work-in-progress (up to 7,000 words)
  • Read three pieces each, and receive feedback from at least three other writers
  • Learn how to ask for (and implement) feedback that moves our writing forward.

We have writers who are publishing and writers who are just coming back to their craft after decades away. You don’t need to be at any particular stage in your writing, you just need to be curious and ready to refine. 

Registration for the next edition of Critique Week opens soon. 

We’d love to welcome you in—why not join the waitlist today?

Find Out More About Critique Week

(And if you’re worried you won’t have anything to say about the other writers’ work, don’t be! You simply need to be an enthusiastic reader. After all, that’s what all of us want: someone who cares about writing, to read it and let us know how it hits them.)

Refine Your Writing Life, Not Just Your Draft.

Remember: you don’t have to perfect anything, just keep moving forward.

But if you want to grow as a writer, stay close to the StoryADay community.

Keep going, beyond the challenge, and build a sustainable, joy-filled writing life, with us!

  • Keep writing
  • Keep refining
  • Keep surprising yourself.

You don’t have to do it alone.

Next Steps:

Join us for Critique Week – or make a different plan to get some feedback this month. Your future writing self is waiting to thank you!

Keep writing,

Julie

MORE RESOURCES

Listen to the podcast episode that inspired this article

What We’ve Talked About So Far, During StoryADay May

It’s the middle of May and it’s started to kick in: that creative flywheel effect that happens when we make an effort to do more creative work.

I’m writing to you today because writing this month has my brain sparking!

Not only have I been writing my stories, but I’ve been sharing insights from myself and other writers, throughout the challenge.

I thought you might find some of it inspiring/useful, so I’m sending you this ‘table of contents’ to help you find something to watch/listen to, this weekend, that’s tailored to exactly where you are, in your writing journey.

Browse the contents, pick a topic, pop in your headphones, and listen as you go about your business this weekend.

Hope it inspires!

​Day 1 – Confidence & Humility​

In Which I Talked About: The weird paradox that, as writers, we must believe that we have something to say, but also somehow be OK with writing the imperfect first draft. I also talk about ‘boring brilliance’ and how to think about routines in a way that won’t make you stabby.

Recommended if You… are having trouble getting started, struggling with confidence, or need permission to be imperfect.

​Day 2 – Writing Flash Fiction & Working with Prompts​

In Which I Talked About: My secret trick for making flash fiction, uh, flash; the importance of character desire, and choosing the right story structure.

Recommended if You… are stuck, need a quick win, or are new to writing tiny tales.

​Day 3 – What to Do When Writing Feels Too Hard​

In Which I Talked About: Two paths to help you navigate writing through moment of emotional turmoil, and the righteousness of writing in your pajamas.

Recommended if You… are feeling down, overwhelmed, or simply need a compassionate nudge in the direction you know you want to be going…

​Day 5 – Embracing the Freedom of Limitations​

In Which I Talked About: If you find yourself resisting writing to prompts, you don’t have to…but here’s why you might want to give them a try. Also: how knitting mistakes helped me rethink perfectionism in writing.

Recommended if You… feel bored, uninspired, or ready to give up because it’s “not going well.”

​Day 7 – Finding Inspiration on Difficult Writing Days​

In Which I Talked About: Stepping away if you need to–just not for too long. Plus: some ways to get reinvigorated (without having to do anything that feels like work).

Recommended if You… are feeling drained and need a reset and want to get inspired, without getting jealous of other writers’ successes.

​Day 8 – Creativity Begets Creativity​

In Which I Talked About: How writing even these quick’n’dirty stories during May has sparked creativity for other projects and fired up the engine of inspiration.

Recommended if You… feel like you’ve ‘fallen behind’ and are wondering if your commitment to yourself was worth it. Also encouraging if you’re juggling short stories and longer projects.

​Day 10 – Fueled by Rage​

In Which I Talked About: Channeling frustration, anger, or heartbreak into creative action—writing stories that imagine better worlds or provide a path forward.
​Recommended if You… are overwhelmed by world events or life, and need a way to turn that energy into something constructive.

​Day 14 –You Can Do Hard Things​

In Which I Talked About: Embracing imperfection, and using limits to reduce overwhelm and reignite your creativity.

Recommended if You… feel like it’s too late to make anything of this month, or that you’ve somehow ‘failed’. If you’re itching to start a new project instead of finishing this one. Perhaps you simply need to tweak your rules for the rest of the challenge…

​

Wherever you are in your writing journey this month, I hope you’ll keep showing up—for your creativity, your voice, and yourself.

​Want to jump into the StoryADay May Challenge? Find all the prompts here.

Why Before How

how a post-partum exercise class made me a more dedicated writer

Happy Friday, Writers.

I’m back, as promised, with a little Something for the Weekend.

First, a story, then some prompts:

Why Before How

His chubby little hands reached out for mine and I raced up the grassy slope to scoop up my little boy and whirl him around. He’d never been in any danger. He just wanted his mum. So I ran.

This was the image I kept in my head, throughout the series of exercise classes I attended after I had my second kid. I wasn’t there to ‘get my figure back’

I was there because I wanted to be the kind of mum who could run to my kids if they needed me — or wanted me, or simply if I wanted to.

Every time I was tempted to stop leaping around like a fool in font of the mirrors, and catch my breath, I’d conjure up that vision and ask myself if I would keep going, if I was running to save one of my kids.

Knowing WHY I was doing a hard thing made it easier to live through the slog of the ‘how’.

As a writer it can be hard to sustain the long-term effort required to achieve the writing life you want.

Getting clear on why you are doing it, makes all the difference.

You’re not doing it ‘to become a best-seller’ (the writing equivalent of, ‘to get my figure back’ – something other people seem to care about more than we do…).

You’re doing it because you want to. Because it makes you happier. And that’s a good enough reason to put in the effort.

If you can, spend some time this weekend thinking about why you want to write that project you’re working on/avoiding.

  • What does it really mean to you?
  • What will finishing it do for you, in your deepest self?

Once you have the ‘why’, you’ll find it much easier to do the reps you need to do, to reach that goal.

Writing Prompts

Need some inspiration to jumpstart your writing? Here are a few more Story Sparks I shared in January:

(Each dose of inspiration is around 1 minute long and captioned)

To follow along with all the prompts, click here.

I’ll be back in your inbox next week. If you have questions or fears, or are stuck on anything to do with your writing, let me know. in the comments I’ll do my best to address your question in an upcoming missive.

Keep writing,

Julie

P. S. Those little kids I was training to chase? They’re just about to turn 20 and 22. Now I’m exercising for myself, because that long-ago class taught me that I was stronger than I knew…a feeling I want to hang onto! Likewise, it’s OK to pursue your writing to make someone else proud of you. But, stick with it, and you’ll soon find you’re writing to make you proud of yourself!

Nope, Writing Is Never Going To Get Easier

(…not if you’re doing it right. Sorry!)

I regularly talk to writers who confess to me that they’re not sure they’re ‘meant to be a writer’ because they find it hard.

So, should they quit?

So Wrong For So Long

When I started taking my physical health seriously (ahem, in my 40s) I found out that I had completely misunderstood what ‘getting fit’ meant.

I had always thought that, with enough practice, exercise was supposed to get easier. When it didn’t, I got discouraged and quit. Over and over again.

Eventually I started working with a trainer whereupon it dawned on me (at an embarrassingly glacial pace) that this was never going to be easy…and that was the point.

As I got stronger, my trainer would fist-bumped me…and then increase the weights.

Some training days are easier than others, but if I’m doing it right, they’re always a bit hard…and weirdly rewarding.

And occasionally, I pick up one of the ‘baby weights’ I started with, and marvel at how far I’ve come.

What It Looks Like To “Do Your Best”

Being a writer means always wanting to do your best.

And that is hard.

It’s always going to be hard because, every day, your ‘best’ exists at the limit of your abilities.

Some days may feel easier than other days. But mostly, if you’re doing the best you can on that day, it’ll be a bit hard.

And weirdly rewarding.

And when, occasionally, you look back and see how far you’ve come from those first ‘baby stories’ you wrote, it will be marvelous.

Keep writing,

Julie

P. S. And don’t forget that, as with physical training, sometimes the best thing you can do is to take an intentional ‘rest and recharge’ day…