Aida

Backstory

begin at the beginning of the character's life. Create a backstory that includes key moments from the character's childhood. Pick specific moments and events from childhood that are particular to the character. The childhood backstory should include experiences that are defining and significant to the character.

Give them motivations and goals: One of the most important things—no, the most important thing—you can do for your characters is give them motivations and goals for their actions. They need to want something. Desire something. Crave something. A character without a goal is just a person standing in a setting. There is no point writing a story about them if they aren’t trying to reach for something. And it needs to be a hard something—if they can get their heart’s desire too easily, then you’re going to have a rather boring story. For more about motivation and goals, check out this article.

Choose your POV: How are you going to share your character's thoughts and feelings? First person? Third person? First or past tense? Choosing first person can help get deeper into the thoughts and feelings of the character, while third person can give you a wider scope that includes more of your character's surroundings. What you choose can determine how the personality of your character comes across. For more on choosing point of view, check out this article.