How I Write Believable Characters

Here’s the embarrassing part: I hadn’t plotted ANY of it. I didn’t know my characters or where the story was going. I was just making it up as I went along, never expecting Nina to actually like what I gave her.

The result? I had a character named “Bob” in the first five chapters who mysteriously became “John” halfway through the story!

Nina, bless her heart, became my first editor when she pointed out this glaring inconsistency.

That’s when I realized I had no plan, no system, and definitely no respect for my own story or my reader.

When Nina finished the entire novel and said, “You should get this published,” I shrugged it off. After all, I thought I was going to be a lawyer.

But about five years later, I had a dream that made me wake up saying, “That would make a great book!” That’s when I decided to pursue writing professionally.

And the first thing I knew I needed was advice on how to write a professional novel. No more writing by the seat of my pants. I needed a plan.

That’s when I discovered a book about building believable characters. It taught me something that changed everything: I needed to know my characters — not just their names and general descriptions, but every little detail of their lives.

The strategy that transformed my writing? Character biographies.

I’m talking about comprehensive, detailed biographies that cover everything from their childhood fears to their favorite perfume.

I create these extensive profiles for every main and secondary character, and over the years, I’ve developed a five-page template that easily doubles or triples in size when filled out completely.

This is why I know my characters so well that they feel like real people to me. Because I’ve built their lives from conception to the grave.

My character biographies cover everything you can imagine:

Sound excessive? Maybe. But I once read a mystery series from a well-known authoress that taught me why these details matter.

In book one, she described the heroine’s father as being in his sixties and six feet tall. By book two, he was six-one. In book three, he’d grown to six-two.

Seriously? A man in his sixties who’s still growing?

That bothered me immensely. Here was an established authoress who didn’t respect her story or readers enough to maintain basic consistency about her own characters.

I decided right then that I would never make such amateurish mistakes myself.

Well… not anymore. (Remember the Bob/John fiasco from senior year?)

I decided that I would respect my audience enough to KNOW my characters completely.

Beyond character bios, I have another secret weapon: I’m an introvert who loves observing people. While extroverts are busy interacting, I’m watching how people move, react, and relate to each other.

I listen everywhere — grocery stores, banks, shops, waiting rooms. Not eavesdropping, mind you, just being observant while people talk around me. (They’re not exactly quiet!)

Sometimes real people spark entire story ideas.

I was once listening to a church member discuss her latest career change when I completely zoned out, conjuring up a new romance novel inspired by her situation. When I snapped back to reality, I apologized and explained why I seemed distracted.

Rather than being offended, she was flattered to learn she’d inspired a romance — especially when she saw the base model I’d chosen for her love interest!

This people-watching doesn’t just help with character development; it’s also how I learn to write authentic dialogue.

Real conversations have interruptions, incomplete sentences, and regional speech patterns that make dialogue feel natural rather than stilted.

Here’s another technique that might sound unusual: I find base models for my characters using Google Images.

Once I have a story idea, I’ll determine how my hero and heroine should look, then search for those specific features.

For example, if I decide my heroine should have long black hair and bright blue eyes, I’ll search exactly that and scroll through images until I see one that makes me say, “Oh! There’s Natalie!”

This visual reference serves two purposes: It helps me describe my character consistently throughout the book, and it gives me a clear mental picture when writing scenes.

I can visualize exactly how Natalie’s hair falls across her shoulder or how her eyes light up when she laughs.

Having a clear visual reference prevents those embarrassing inconsistencies that pull readers out of the story.

When you know exactly how your character looks — not just a vague idea, but specific details — you can describe them the same way every time.

It also helps with writing believable physical interactions. If I know my hero is six-three and my heroine is five-five, I can accurately describe their height difference in romantic scenes without suddenly making her tall enough to easily reach his lips!

Ernest Hemingway once said, “When writing a novel, a writer should create living people — people not characters. A character is a caricature.”

That’s exactly what all these techniques accomplish. Through detailed biographies, careful observation of real people, and clear visual references, my fictional people become so real to me that they almost feel like friends.

I once read a quote I believe was from Jane Austen (though I can’t locate it now) about getting to know her characters so well they became friends.

Whether it was Austen, Emily Brontë, or another authoress entirely, the sentiment rings true: When you truly know your characters, they stop being words on a page and become living, breathing people.

This approach pays off in reader feedback.

People consistently tell me I write believable, interesting characters with authentic dialogue.

Why?

Because I know these people — I KNOW my characters in a way that makes them real to me first, which makes them real to readers.

If you want to write believable characters, start with these foundations:

Create comprehensive character biographies. Don’t just know their eye color; know their greatest fear and deepest dream. (I actually have a character bio template available on my Writers Resource page if you want a starting point.)

Observe real people constantly. Watch how they interact, listen to how they speak, notice their mannerisms and quirks.

Find visual references for your characters. Whether through Google Images, magazines, or photo collections, give yourself a clear picture to work from.

Respect your story and your readers by maintaining consistency throughout your work.

Remember, believable characters aren’t born from inspiration alone — they’re built through intentional, detailed preparation.

When you take the time to truly know your fictional people, readers will believe in them too.