Give your Characters Character

Create unique characters by setting them apart from the rest. How they look and sound is a good starting place, but you need to dig a little deeper and give your characters character.

Every character has past experiences, strengths, and weaknesses that make them who they are and drives their behavior. If your character is a manipulator vs. flamboyant, their actions and dialog will look significantly different. One is self-justifying, while the other is self-blaming. One is aggressive, while the other is indirect.

Try to avoid clichés. Creating a nun who’s compassionate isn’t very interesting, but creating a nun who’s compassionate AND depressed, OCD, anxious, or ADHD, could add an interesting twist or comical relief.

For my birthday, my daughter bought me the book Writer’s Guide to Character Traits, by Linda N. Edelstein, Ph.D. It’s been a fascinating read as I delve into the personalities of my characters. I find it also makes writing easier because I have a better understanding of who my characters are and what their internal motivations might be.

Stories are about journeys: to get, to find, to reach, to achieve, to overcome. Within that physical journey there needs to be a personal journey as well. Characters need to grow and evolve. Perhaps the dependent learns to be independent, or the victim learns to stand up for themselves. Without growth, there's no resolution; your characters will fall flat and irritate your audience.

By taking the time to sit and identify each character's character, you'll be able to create more authentic scenes that ring true with your audience.

Naming your characters

A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet, but in film it can really stink up a character. Choosing the right name for a character can be hard work. Names conjure images. My mother wanted to name my oldest sister "Leslie," but my grandpa pitched a fit because that was the name of the town drunk where he grew up. "YOU CANNOT NAME MY FIRST GRAND CHILD AFTER A DRUNK!" Oh, the horror. Three kids and 13 years later my sister Leslie was born. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree though. I often think of people that I've known over the years and their personality traits when choosing my character names. That mean girl that sat next to me in 8th grade science class...she'll be gettin' her comeuppance.


Names can also make or break the flow of a script. When selecting multiple character names, vary the cadence. Don't have all one-syllable names: Sue, Ann, and Kim. Also, don't confuse your audience by using multiple names that start with the same sound:  Joe, John, and Jeff. Each of your characters is unique and should have names that reflect that. The one exception is when you have characters that are meant to be similar..."This is my brother Darryl, and my other brother Darryl..."


A woman born in 1950 might be named Barbara, Donna or Shirley, but certainly not Taylor, Madison, or Brooklyn. When naming characters, I like to do a little research. A character's name should reflect the decade in which they were born. Google baby name websites to get inspired. They will typically list the top names for that year and may even be able to break it down geographically to show trends for certain areas. Common names on the East Coast may differ from common names in the South.


When naming screen characters, forget Juliet. The chick doesn't know what she's talking about.